Page 36 - link magazine

36 swindonlink.com • August 2009
Open University offers new course in studying neighbourhood ecology

Neighbourhood Nature is a new level 1 course being offered by the OU from September allowing people the chance to acquire the basic skills
to observe, identify and record the wildlife around them, building up a picture of a small part of the local environment.
The course covers a variety of different habitats which might be en-
countered and introduces students to the common plants and animals
found in them and their scientifi c signifi cance using scientifi c methods
to identify, classify and record plants and animals.
When put together with the observations of hundreds of other people,
recorded at the new OU backed website www.iSpot.org.uk, a much
broader picture of the wildlife of the country will be created. Changes
over time will also become apparent as data accumulates.
www.ispot.org.uk is open to anybody interested in the environment.
The site has details of the Neighbourhood Nature course.
Eco-warriors 1: The Brook Field Primary School Green Team visited
Peatmoor Glades in July to plant wildfl owers they had grown from seed
supplied by John Ball of Swindon Flowers & Butterfl ies last Autumn, Eco-warriors 2: Youngsters from Peatmoor Primary School visited the
below. work being undertaken by Swindon Council to create a reed bed to
The glades have been cleared of over hanging trees and nettles by of- fi lter contaminated rainwater running off Shaw Forest Park.
fenders on community payback to allow schools and company groups Construction work and planting should be completed by the end of
to plant the area with wildfl owers. August and the path through the site will be re-opened to walkers and
cyclists towards the end of September.
Eco-minded business people increase
school outdoor knowledge opportunities
Volunteers from nPower and
Zurich swapped their offi ce
blocks and computers for a day
spent in overalls and boots to
help create ‘a fi eld of knowl-
edge’ at Rodbourne Cheney
Primary School in June.
The Zurich staff, right, created
a butterfl y wildfl ower garden
while the npower team below,
focused on making a log seat-
ing area for children to observe
the surrounding wildlife, after
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