The 1st Tiddington Scouts joined us in June this year on their volunteering week. The group of 10-14 year olds joined forester, Dave, and learnt various aspects of forestry and woodland management, including the importance of providing habitats for wildlife species, and why we need to protect young trees in the wild. The group helped in various roles by collecting used tree guards, placing sheeps wool into tree guards to discourage deer, and they dug trenches on the edge of the woodlands to help create habitats for invertebrates. The Scouts were really engaged and have asked to come back another time!

The year 6 students from The Croft Preparatory School ventured to the Estate again this week to take part in nature studies on the biodiversity land at Alscot. The children took part in orienteering, identifying native tree species, an invertebrates study and a wildlife and plant ID walk. We hope the activity day inspired the children to become a positive voice for nature in future, and based on their enthusiasm, even on a damp day, we have no doubt that they will.

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On an exceptionally cold and wet February Sunday, students from four local primary schools braved the biting weather to plant young fruit trees to create a new orchard at Alscot.

Fast forward 8 months to autumn, with plenty of sunshine and TLC over the spring and summer months and the trees are all flourishing.

The Croft Launch the First Primary School Environmental Activity Study Day on the Alscot Biodiversity Project Site.

They say doing something later is better than not doing it at all and much can be said for this new environmental opportunity. We are thrilled and delighted that following a long postponement, a group of year six children and their teachers, have taken part in the very first Alscot Biodiversity Project Activity Study Day.

On Thursday 28th April, teacher Tom Genders lead a group of forty year six students, aged 10-11yrs, in a series of activities, discovering and learning different aspects of plant and wildlife in the local countryside. Mariya Tarnavska and Ben Wood, Ecologists at Warwickshire County Council, who support the venture, joined the children to share lots of interesting facts on amphibians, and even brought along some young toads and newts. Masha commented “we were both impressed with the knowledge and enthusiasm of the children. It was heart-warming when two children shared with us that they would like to like to learn more about animals and become biologists.”

Despite the heavy rain and biting cold wind, it was muddy boots, wet weather gear and big smiles all the way at the Alscot Biodiversity Project Tree Planting Workshop on Sunday 13th February.

The Croft Preparatory School have embraced the collaboration with Alscot and Mr Tom Genders, Head of The Croft Eco Club, keen gardener, and environmentalist, held a voluntary Tree Planting Workshop for local primary school children.

Our work with local primary schools, through the Alscot Biodiversity Project, took us to Bridgetown Primary School, to help out in their eco garden. When Mrs Bishop appealed for help, we were delighted to assist with replacement timber for the children to use as seats around the fire pit. The rotten wood will remain in the garden and over time will form a habitat and shelter for wildlife.

In ‘Forest School’, the children are allowed to explore for themselves the natural environment, learning to appreciate and gain a respect for nature.

As a little gift from us, our foresters made the children a couple of timber mushrooms.

Earlier this summer we held a presentation to announce the winners and award the prizes of the Alscot Biodiversity Art Competition; a project for local primary school children to design a logo that represents nature in Warwickshire.
Since then we have been working hard to finalise the official logo to represent the connection between education and the Alscot Biodiversity Project, and particularly our engagement with local primary schools. The creation is a collaboration of elements taken from some of the winning pieces of art and we think this depicts biodiversity on the Estate, and our responsibility to the planet, beautifully.

Alscot aims to achieve carbon neutral status by 2050, thus assisting climate change.

It is our mission to work to secure a future for plant and animal species by the improvement and enhancement of natural grasslands and woodlands, encouraging rare and almost extinct species to thrive. The principal to establish a functioning ecosystem, where nature is given as much freedom as possible, is a leading influence for all future land projects at Alscot. Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is a key component in achieving these objectives.

We had the most wonderful day when the winners of the Alscot Biodiversity Art Competition were announced and the children collected their prizes!

We had an absolutely fantastic time, considering and choosing from the overwhelming volume and standard of wonderful artwork, reflecting nature in Warwickshire, created and submitted by local school children to the Alscot Biodiversity Art Competition.

A timely and perfect way to celebrate #worldwildlifeday

In an attempt to combat climate chaos, The Woodland Trust are encouraging everyone in the UK to plant a new tree, by donating hundreds of thousands of saplings to schools and communities.