Bugs and beasties - coming to a school near you!

        Wiltshire Wildlife Trust will be at St Barnabas Primary School, Market Lavington, on May 9, launching its major new package of environmental education programmes for schools. Entitled "Bugs, Beasties and all that Environmental Stuff", it is part of the conservation charity's commitment to giving tomorrow's generation hands-on experience of the wonders of the natural world.

        The Trust has a dedicated education department with many years of experience of working with schools across the county. This new initiative takes it into new territory, by offering schools "off-the-peg" education programmes, on a pay-as-you-go basis rather than a membership scheme.

        "We hope this new package will enable the education team to reach more schools - and more children - with high-quality environmental education linked to the National Curriculum," said Education Officer Matthew Bunt.

        The programmes on offer are based at nature reserves and within schools themselves. Two of the key activities - entitled "Countryside Detectives" and "A River's Tale"  - are based at woodland and wetland nature reserves across Wiltshire. These are on hold while foot-and-mouth restrictions last, but hopefully will be available soon.

While temporarily unable to bring schools into the countryside, however, the Trust's education team can bring the countryside into schools. The package includes a number of indoor and outdoor activities based in schools, from pond-dipping and minibeasting under the guidance of experts, to a half-day "Put your classroom bin on a diet" session, based around a hands-on exploration of the school's bins, and leading to the creation of a school waste action plan.

The Trust is also able to provide support for schools hoping to organise days or weeks of environmental activities.

David Jopling, Acting Head of the 190-pupil school for 4- to 11-year-olds, said

"We are very happy to help Wiltshire Wildlife Trust launch their new initiative at St Barnabas. There are good facilities for environmental education here, but we always welcome expert help from organisations in the wider community."

        To find out more about the new schools' package, or any other aspect of the Trust's work with schools, contact Matthew Bunt, Education Officer, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, Elm Tree Court, Long Street, Devizes, SN10 1NJ, telephone (01380) 725670, e-mail mbunt@wiltshirewildlife.org.