I was delighted to open Southam College’s Nature Reserve alongside the town’s Mayor, Mike Harding. The Nature Reserve is the brainchild of the College Eco Club who have been working for three years to create this reserve offering recreational and educational activities.
The eco site has been cultivated on land at the periphery of the school site that has no other purpose, with waste earth generated following the creation of the basketball court. Over the last three years the project has been driven by local enthusiast Chris Philpott who approached local businesses for support. Chris is a firm believer that extra-curricular activities, like those offered by the Eco Club, where students who enjoy practical things learn different skills helping them to grow up into capable and well rounded adults. By encouraging wildlife on the school site, the students create a better environment for the school and the community as a whole.
I was shown around the reserve by members of the Eco Club who have planted trees along the edge of the reserve including Maple, Sweet Chestnut, Walnut and fruit bearing trees which offer a food supply to birds and insects. The rest of the reserve is divided into 11 sectors, each planted with different shrubs that attract bird and insect life.
I was impressed to learn that more than ten local businesses and charities including Cemex, Southam Lions, Southam Carpets and the Co-op supported the project, providing funding for the wildlife pond and other materials to build the reserve. Bloor Homes provided the fencing to make the pond conform to health and safety rules and make the reserve secure. All of these businesses were keen to give something back to the community in recognition of the benefit the project brings.
The nature reserve is a project showcasing social responsibility and a fantastic example of how local businesses and charities can help fund a community resource. The reserve is already used as a curriculum resource for science, art, PE, photography and geography and it is hoped that its use will be widened to other community groups and primary schools in the future.
It was a pleasure to attend and witness the opening of this wonderful project, which the students should be proud to have created.