Make a wild corner!

If you have some free space in your school grounds or garden, why not create a wild corner for insects, plantlife and amphibians to live? Butterflies, dragonflies, frogs and other creatures will be fascinating for children to watch in a safe environment and a wild corner can be very beneficial to the local environment too.

Reserve a sunny space in a quiet and undisturbed area so to allow plants to grow naturally undisturbed. Plant campion and rosebay willowherb plants to attract moths and insects, which birds can feed on. Soon you will have a wild corner, and when it has become established you may see stinging nettles and brambles appear. Butterflies and moths lay their eggs on stinging nettles and bramble bushes. Birds also feed on blackberries made by the brambles. See which other plants you can identify and which animals live on them.

Depending on where you live, the plants and animals living in your wild corner will be different. Always allow nature to take its course, and see which wildlife you can recognise, while helping to improve the environment in your school or garden. For more information on making a wild corner in your garden, see this BBC link.