My dad, a primary school headteacher, built a pond in the school grounds. A JCB dug the hole, then the year 5/6 kids did the rest each afternoon - pond liner, soil in the margin areas, and after it had been filled with tap water, planting marginal plants and lowering water lilies etc. They had a glass tank on the classroom windowsill with developing tadpoles and oxygenating plants in it, and having presumably waited a couple of weeks for the tap water chlorine to evaporate, these baby frogs went into the pond.
This was 50 years ago now, and pond has no doubt been filled in due to health and safety concerns, but back then, it was easily access able by any kid but only the year 5/6 kids were allowed to go near it, and the headteacher saying that was enough to keep everyone else away and thus everyone safe.
Not necessarily filled in! My mums school built a new pond a few years ago. They just made sure it's not crazy deep and I think they put a rope fence between it and the main playground. It's useful for biology classes!
This is lovely stuff! How big is your pond? I gave a talk for the reception class at my local school last week, they've invited me back next year but I'm starting to wonder about other things I could potentially set up… not sure I can get them out to my pond, but I started moth trapping recently so maybe I could offer to run my trap at the school some night and look through it with the kids in the morning…
If you click my profile you can see it, but the answer is “bigger than you expect for a pond dug in secret on an allotment during a pandemic”.
You should definitely drop the school a line letting them know what you can do and asking if it would fit into any class projects - I’m sure they’d be happy to have you. I’ve done a morning with a sack of fossils, and an afternoon with stick insects etc, and now the recent day at the pond. Drop them an email and ask! Better wait till September now though, I doubt you’ll get much attention with only a few weeks of term left.
Thanks for the advice! And now that you say that I have seen your pond before, it's great - and cool that it's on the allotment so you don't have to offer to take a bunch of schoolkids to your house(!)
this is so wholesome and heartwarming! well done on getting the youngins curious about nature. what's living in your pond?
Frog eggs and tadpoles, as memorialized:)
Aww lookit you making your community a better place AND sparking curiosity and wonder in the youngins! Fukkin' A Man!
That is adorable and what a great idea for the kids
Thats amazing
My dad, a primary school headteacher, built a pond in the school grounds. A JCB dug the hole, then the year 5/6 kids did the rest each afternoon - pond liner, soil in the margin areas, and after it had been filled with tap water, planting marginal plants and lowering water lilies etc. They had a glass tank on the classroom windowsill with developing tadpoles and oxygenating plants in it, and having presumably waited a couple of weeks for the tap water chlorine to evaporate, these baby frogs went into the pond. This was 50 years ago now, and pond has no doubt been filled in due to health and safety concerns, but back then, it was easily access able by any kid but only the year 5/6 kids were allowed to go near it, and the headteacher saying that was enough to keep everyone else away and thus everyone safe.
Not necessarily filled in! My mums school built a new pond a few years ago. They just made sure it's not crazy deep and I think they put a rope fence between it and the main playground. It's useful for biology classes!
This is absolutely adorable. I’m loving the tadpoles, spawn and flowers 🧡
This is lovely stuff! How big is your pond? I gave a talk for the reception class at my local school last week, they've invited me back next year but I'm starting to wonder about other things I could potentially set up… not sure I can get them out to my pond, but I started moth trapping recently so maybe I could offer to run my trap at the school some night and look through it with the kids in the morning…
If you click my profile you can see it, but the answer is “bigger than you expect for a pond dug in secret on an allotment during a pandemic”. You should definitely drop the school a line letting them know what you can do and asking if it would fit into any class projects - I’m sure they’d be happy to have you. I’ve done a morning with a sack of fossils, and an afternoon with stick insects etc, and now the recent day at the pond. Drop them an email and ask! Better wait till September now though, I doubt you’ll get much attention with only a few weeks of term left.
Thanks for the advice! And now that you say that I have seen your pond before, it's great - and cool that it's on the allotment so you don't have to offer to take a bunch of schoolkids to your house(!)
That is so sweet - I love it!
Oh that's lovely!
Someone's harvesting wild onions or something... But I'm not misty-eyed!