Campaign to Protect Rural England awards local school garden

This is the first year of awards for CPRE Hampshire's Countryside and Design award for 2008, and they are proud to announce Bordon Junior School as one of the winners.

The awards were set up to reward people that are working to enhance Hampshire's environment and to highlight the importance of good environmental practice. Bordon Junior School has been awarded within the 'Schools' category, which promotes the use of landscape as an opportunity for learning; a high level of pupil involvement; sensitivity to local ecology; and an awareness of sustainability issues amongst its criteria.

These projects are extremely important to CPRE, as they offer environmental experiences and knowledge at a young age. Becky French from CPRE Hampshire said:

"CPRE feels its vitally important to promote environmental learning at a young age, as it's this initial learning that can shape opinions and ideas that last a life time."

With the help from the whole school community Bordon Junior School has transformed its gardens into a multi-sensory space, providing eco-friendly learning opportunities for both pupils and parents. With a variety of raised beds, children have been given the opportunity to grow a variety of different plants, including being involved in their own food crops from seed to harvesting and cooking. One of the most important learning features of this garden has been with recycling. The garden has been used to create an awareness of and appropriate actions necessary for recycling and sustainability in composting, the reusing of materials and a recycling box for old consumables.

The awards scheme is to be run annually and is now open for the next round of entrants. It consists of three categories, in which projects that improve Hampshire's environment can be nominated to win an award. For more information please visit: www.cprehampshire.org.uk/news/awards.html or contact branch office on 01962 843655.

- Ends -

CPRE/H/140

Notes to editors

The Campaign to Protect Rural England, Hampshire Branch (CPRE Hampshire) is a registered charity and a branch of the national CPRE charity.

CPRE Hampshire strives to promote the beauty, tranquility and diversity of the countryside of Hampshire by the sustainable use of land and other resources in town and country, and encouraging the biodiversity and well-being of rural communities.

For information on CPRE, please contact:
Becky French or Pam Mason, CPRE Hampshire
Tel: 01962 843655
Email:admin@cprehampshire.org.uk

For all media enquiries, please contact:
Keren Burney, media & communications officer, CPRE Hampshire
Tel: 01730 894123   Mobile: 07876 780065
Email: kburney000@aol.com

© Copyright. CPRE Hampshire, 2007. All Rights Reserved.