Children to discover 'Life of a Hedge'

12/06/2009

Jersey school children will be delving into the depths of Island hedgerows to discover how much life thrives within the leafy borders that support our countryside.

 

Michel Morel, the Education and Administration Officer for Jersey Trees for Life, will be leading the workshops as part of Environment Week. (8 June – 12 June)

 

“Hedges give shelter and sources of food for a multitude of creatures including insects, birds, small mammals, reptiles and amphibians,” he said. “They also provide safe passageways for small, vulnerable creatures like voles and field mice. The ground beneath a hedge is covered with dead and decaying leaves, ’leaf litter’, which gives good protection and food for a huge variety of invertebrates, fungi and bacteria.

 

“This is a valuable opportunity for youngsters to learn about hedgerows and the vital role they play in the environment. The children will get down to ground level and find out what it is like to be a small creature living in that world. We are very pleased that Jersey Dairy is backing this project, which is so important for Island youngsters.”

 

Jersey Dairy’s Managing Director, Eamon Fenlon, said: “Jersey Dairy is supporting these special children’s activities because this project really does reflect the valuable role our own island farmers’ play as guardians of the countryside. Jersey Dairy is proud to be an important and recognizable part Jersey heritage and is committed to supporting this type of environmental and educational work with island school children.”

 

During Environment Week several primary schools will be spending time at The Elms, the headquarters of the National Trust for Jersey in St Mary, taking part in the ‘Life on the Hedge Workshops’. Mr Morel will lead one hour sessions during which pupils will spend time looking at hedgerows, catching insects, and learning about the food chains and eco-systems which are dependent upon hedgerows.

 

Jersey Dairy is a long term supporter of Jersey Trees for Life and the educational aspects of their hedgerow campaigns, and has bought specialist equipment which will help the youngsters examine insects that inhabit the hedgerows. Mr Morel said that the devices, called ‘Pooters’, made bug-catching easier and safer for the insects.

“Pooters are used for catching small insects and, after safely examining them, releasing them back into the environment,” he said. “They are a fun and educational way of helping children understand the biodiversity of our hedgerows. There could be quite literally thousands of species of insect living in Jersey’s hedges, if you think that the Common Hawthorn alone has been shown to support 149 species!

“Each child will also get a better feel of what life is like from the perspective of a small hedgerow creature thanks to a mask, sponsored by Jersey Dairy, which they will each wear. It is an imaginative and slightly different way to help the learning process.”

Jersey Dairy’s Managing Director, Eamon Fenlon, said: “We have supported the Jersey Trees for life Hedgerow Campaign and these special, ‘Life on the Hedge’ workshops, because we believe that this type of ‘hands on’ education is essential to help school pupils learn how important it is to preserve our Island environment. Jersey’s dairy farmers themselves play an essential role, protecting and conserving the natural environment over large areas of the Island and we want our future generations to understand and continue this.”