12:00pm Tuesday 9th February 2010
By James Wilson
A KNUTSFORD childminding business has earned a wildlife-friendly garden award.
Sarah Neville and Nigel Graven, known as Knutsford Childminding, have qualified for a bronze Wildlife-Friendly Garden Award from Cheshire Wildlife Trust, and are now working towards a silver award – with help from their charges.
Sarah said: “The children were very proud to receive their bronze award. They told their parents all about the photos they had taken of the garden and the work they had done.”
Sarah and Nigel’s first step for moving towards the silver award was to involve the children in a consultation about what they would like to see happening in the garden.
Sarah said: “After careful consideration and consultation with the children, we have chosen to start a log pile in the top corner of the garden, as our next project.
“This will hopefully become a refuge and feeding site for garden bugs, slugs and snails, frogs and hedgehogs.
“The children have decided that they can be involved by going for nature walks and collecting the logs, leaves, fir cones and sticks they find en route.
“They will bring these to the garden and add them to the pile.”
Further suggestions from the children for the garden include putting up a bird box and starting a vegetable plot or compost heap.
Information about the awards and application forms are available from cheshirewildlifetrust.co.uk, call 01948 820728 or email wildlifegardening@ cheshirewt.cix.co.uk.
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