Carts Greenspace

Kingfisher Schools Initiative

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Some of the interesting and fun activities and projects we have completed in partnership with schools are described on this page.

Project Profiles

East Renfrewshire Council Environmental Regeneration Grant helps to enhance woodland at Glenwood Nursery School
"Magic Mushrooms" appear in the miniature woodland
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Latest stage of a long term project completed at Glenwood Nursery School
In March 1995 our predecessor, the Carts River Valleys Project, got together with Glenwood Nursery School to celebrate European Nature Conservation Year by planting a "Miniature Arboretum" of native Scottish trees in a boggy corner of the school grounds.
Twelve years later the wee saplings had grown vigorously into a dense and tangled jungle, which the Head Teacher wanted the 3 and 4 year old pupils to be able to use. Certainly, the fence erected to protect the baby trees from grass mowers could be taken away. In addition, however, works were completed to improve access. All low level twigs were pruned back, clambering bramble and ivy were cut back and a winding path of concrete stepping stones, designed to look like slices off tree trunks, was installed. As a finishing touch for the Secret Forest, a seating area of mini mushroom seats was created.

Newts given a Helping Hand at South Primary School

Newt Paradise in the making at South Primary
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Green Gym volunteers complete final planting works

Final planting works were completed in the Wildlife Area at South Primary School in Paisley during May 2008.  Over the previous six months Carts Greenspace had been working with BTCV Scotland’s Renfrewshire Green Gym initiative and the staff at the school to transform an overgrown wilderness with a choked pond into a paradise for a threatened local population of Palmate Newts.  Enthusiastic volunteers from the Green Gym have repaired and painted the protective fence, cut back or uprooted unsuitable shrubs that were casting too much shade, realigned and thinned out vegetation in the previously choked pond, installed a donated old bath to create a new pond, constructed a raised bed for sun loving plants and creepy-crawlies which the amphibians need to eat and replanted the area with wildlife friendly species.  Access paths have also been improved so that the school can reach the area more easily.  In addition, four benches have been added to create an outdoor classroom.  These benches have been carved to illustrate some of the wildlife living in the pond.  Recycling has been a strong theme for the project.  As well as the old bath’s pond conversion, reclaimed paving setts were used to build the raised bed and the timber for the benches was sourced from trees taken down after storm damage, etc.

St. Margaret's Primary School, Johnstone, introduces a sensory garden to its tarmac playground

Planting the sensory garden at St. Margaret's
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Each sense is represented by the plants selected to grow in one of the beds.

  St. Margaret’s Primary School in Johnstone has grounds which are almost 100% tarmac. An audit by the pupils identified a demand for more wildlife, better opportunities for outdoor learning and more scope for imaginative play. Rather than dig up the tarmac, the main response has been the installation of a garden with five raised beds, each designed to stimulate one particular sense. Each sense is represented by the plants selected to grow in one of the beds - bringing scent, sound, colour, touch and taste to a tarmac playground. The project received a £10,000 grant from the Awards for All programme of the National Lottery.  

New garden at mary Russell School, Paisley
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The garden features raised beds and a good solid path to make the area accessible.

Mary Russell School, Paisley, creates an easy access garden

By contrast to some of the very urban schools in the Carts Greenspace area, Mary Russell School has quite grassy grounds but Paisley’s weather means that access opportunities are limited to rare dry spells. Therefore a solid surfaced area has been created in the grass, reached by a 40m path and partially enclosed by four raised beds, which provide pupils with special educational needs the opportunity to relax, complete curricular work and be inspired by nature. The project received a £10,000 grant from the Awards for All programme of the National Lottery. 

Kirkhill Primary School, Newton Mearns.
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Planting the raised beds in June 2009

Eco Gardening arrives at Kirkhill Primary School

  Kirkhill Primary School in Newton Mearns shares with many schools the problems associated with muddy grass but now has an extensive and well developed Eco Garden. This attracts more wildlife, allows biodiversity education in an outdoor classroom, encourages recycling and has a mini orchard.  Like several recent Kingfisher Schools Initiative projects, Kirkhill Primary School received a £10,000 grant from the Awards for All programme of the National Lottery. 

If your school wants to create a more exciting outdoor learning environment, see our "Contact Us" page.