A new nature habit has been created by Ysgol Bro Dyfrdwy pupils to help local wildlife around Cynwyd.
Pupils joined with Denbighshire County Council’s Biodiversity Team and Countryside Rangers to help plant a new hedge row and standard trees on the school grounds.
Work has been ongoing across county schools in the last 12 months to help increase biodiversity and tree canopies across school grounds for supporting nature’s recovery and to provide an educational wellbeing outdoor area for youngsters. It has been funded from a UK Government grant.
Planting the trees at school grounds also supports the Council’s drive to reach net carbon zero by contributing to the amount of carbon sequestered (or absorbed).
Pupils helped create a 50-metre-long hedge full of a variety of thorny, flowering and fruiting species to support local nature.
The hedge row includes Crab Apple which through its leaves provides food for caterpillars of many moths. Its flowers provide an early source of nectar for pollinators including bees. Blackbirds, thrushes, crows and voles also eat the fruit/
Also included in the hedge row is Rowan. The tree’s berries are a rich source of autumn food for mistle thrush, redstart, redwing, song thrush, fieldfare and waxwing.
Other trees planted in the hedge by the pupils include Cherry Plum, Dog Rose, Field Maple, Hawthorn, Wild Pear, Hazel, Holly, Hornbeam, and Dogwood.
Standard size trees also planted on the school grounds included Wild Cherry and Sweet Chestnut.
Cllr Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport and Biodiversity Champion, said: “We are really grateful to Ysgol Bro Dyfrdwy for their fantastic support in helping our Biodiversity Team create this brilliant new area for Cynwyd’s local nature to enjoy and also for the wellbeing and learning of all the youngsters involved.”
