City schools pocket prize
KEEP SCOTLAND Beautiful (KSB) runs an annual competition for schools and this year eight Edinburgh schools - Cowgate Under 5s Centre, Duddingston Primary, Hillwood Primary, Murrayburn Early Years Campus, Summerside Kindergarten, Castlebrae Community High School, Greenbank Pre-School, and Dean Park Primary - have won.
The designs for the pocket gardens that the children created will be published online allowing voting for the overall winner. Schools used the four 2021 themes of The Year of Coasts and Waters, One Planet Picnic, Wildlife Gardening and Celebrating Nature on our Doorstep.
Eve Keepax of KSB said: “Many people rediscovered a connection to nature on their doorsteps during lockdown, and the competition has encouraged young people to celebrate that through their designs. We are delighted that schools and young people are finding the benefits of this competition in learning and teaching about issues that are important to them.The Pocket Garden designs we received were practical, creative, challenging, sustainable and full of fun.”
Anthony McCluskey, Chair of the Garden for Life Forum, said: “Nature is in crisis, but we can all do our bit to help wildlife in our local areas. Even small gardens and growing spaces can make a great contribution to supporting populations of insects like bees and butterflies, and provide homes and food for birds, hedgehogs, and amphibians.”