Children to take part in world’s biggest in-school wildlife survey
School children across West Sussex are being offered the opportunity to turn into conservation scientists and take part in the world’s biggest schools’ wildlife survey.
Launched in 2002, the Big Schools’ Birdwatch is run by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), the country’s largest nature conservation charity.
Since then, the Birdwatch has seen thousands of children from Chichester, Bognor Regis, Midhurst and Petworth watch and count the birds which visit their outdoor spaces in the winter months, before sending the results to the RSPB.
This year, they are also being encouraged to fill up bird feeders, turn classrooms into bird hides and create wildlife-friendly bakes in preparation.
The 2019 Birdwatch can be run by teachers on any day during the first half of the spring term, but comes to a close on February 22.
According to the RSPB, the intention is to provide a chance for our children to put down their books and discover the nature that lives in their local community.
Teachers have the flexibility to run their school’s Birdwatch as a one-off event or as the centre piece of a crosscurricular study, project work or a way for the children in their class to improve their outdoor space.
An RSPB spokesperson said many schools prepare for the event in advance by taking measures to give nature a home in their school grounds.
She said: “Big Schools’ Birdwatch is a simple bird survey for pupils to take part in and enjoy together. This activity is about counting the number of birds in your school grounds.
“Seeing and counting the birds coming to their feeders during the Big Schools Birdwatch is the perfect reward for their efforts.”
The Big Schools’ Birdwatch is the school version of the Big Garden Birdwatch, the world’s biggest garden wildlife survey.
This year, it takes place on January 26, 27 and 28.
It is also part of the RSPB’s Giving Nature a Home campaign, which aims to tackle the housing crisis facing the UK’s threatened wildlife by inviting people to provide a place for wildlife in their gardens, outside spaces and school grounds.
Schools interested in taking part in the Birdwatch and helping the next generation of children start their own wildlife adventure are invited to visit rspb.org.uk/schoolswatch to find out more.
Registration is open until February 7 and results should be submitted by February 22.