Howden Junior School has the greenest garden around.
Freshly grown strawberries, an insect hotel and a see-saw are just some of the things on offer at the prize-winning eco-tastic school garden in Yorkshire.
The garden belongs to pupils at Howden Junior School, which recently won a Yorkshire Bank and National Trust gardening competition, open to schools across the region.
The bank teamed up with the National Trust to give schools across Yorkshire and the North East the chance to share their gardening secrets and win a fantastic prize as part of the Greener Gardens initiative, which is backed by pop star turned gardener Kim Wilde.
The green-fingered youngsters have earned a school visit from one of the National Trust’s green gardening experts, along with a class day trip to a nearby National Trust property, where pupils can explore unusual forms of wildlife or have a picnic in one of the beautiful gardens.
Alison Kitchiner, Assistant Head at Howden Junior School, said:
'We’re so pleased to have won the Greener Gardens competition. The pupils work so hard in their garden and are delighted to have been awarded for their eco-efforts.'
'Our school has a gardening club, which has been on the go for four years now. There are around 20 pupils in the club, aged between seven and 11, who are in charge of planting the fruit and veg. The produce is then sold in the autumn to raise money for the school, but only if it’s not eaten by the kids first!
The garden is a really important part of the kids' lives as it's something everyone can take part in. Anyone can plant a seed and feel the success of growing a plant.'
Raspberries, rhubarb, carrots and peas are a few of the delights on the menu and are grown by the pupils themselves at the school in East Yorkshire.
As well as the tasty treats up for grabs, the school also boosts its eco-credentials by recycling rain water using a water butt, making use of compost bins and providing shelter for birds by having a bird box.
The school also promotes walking or cycling to school instead of being driven to school and provides pupils with a shed to store their bikes safely and neatly.
The Greener Gardens initiative aims to show people that there are simple and easy changes that can be made in gardens and allotments to help make a difference to the environment.
Helen Everett, Yorkshire Bank’s Head of Sponsorship, said:
'Well done to Howden Junior School for deservedly winning the Greener Gardens competition. The judges were so impressed with the amount of enthusiasm the kids have about their garden. It’s clear that they put a lot of effort into looking after the garden, whilst having lots of fun, but at the same time ensuring that it’s eco-friendly.'
These days, children in particular are becoming increasingly aware of what they can do to help the environment and save money by recycling, reducing waste and using energy-efficient light-bulbs. Going by the entries, it’s obvious that youngsters are really making the effort to be green and we’d like to thank all the schools for entering the competition and hope they continue doing brilliantly-green things in their gardens.'
The Greener Gardens project is part of Yorkshire Bank’s three year, £1.5 million sponsorship of the National Trust Outdoor Programme, which supports conservation, environmental and engagement activities in National Trust gardens.
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