The project transformed an area of the school grounds into a woodland garden
BBC Springwatch’s Megan McCubbin unveils ‘Sound of Biodiversity’ school garden, designed by children
BBC Springwatch presenter Megan McCubbin officially opens a unique new school garden at Winnall Primary School in Winchester on Wednesday 30 April, celebrating the culmination of a year-long ‘Sound of Biodiversity’ project.
This innovative initiative was a collaboration between the school, the independent education charity Wonderseekers, and the University of Surrey’s Institute of Sustainability.
The project transformed an area of the school grounds into a woodland garden designed by the pupils to foster biodiversity and provide a space for children to connect with nature through sound.
Set in a peaceful spot of Winnall Primary School, the ‘Sound of Biodiversity’ garden has been created as a safe and quiet space for the children.
Once an overgrown patch of greenery, the garden is now home to bird boxes and feeders to encourage wildlife and a variety of low-lying plants that will attract butterflies and bees during the summer months.
There is also a bench intricately carved with designs created by the children themselves.
Every element of the garden has been inspired by the workshops and sessions undertaken by the children.
From September 2023 to July 2024, 30 children worked with Wonderseekers and Dr Sarah Payne, an environmental psychologist focusing on soundscapes.
They visited the butterfly reserve on Magdalen Hill Down, Winchester, to listen to the sounds of nature, designed mini gardens in their classroom and took part in a mindfulness workshop in the outdoor spaces at Winchester Science Centre.
Throughout these activities, the children were encouraged to sit and listen to the sounds of nature and reflect on how they made them feel in different environments.
The children created mood boards based on their experiences, which helped finalise the garden’s design and how they wanted people to feel when they visited it.
The ‘Sound of Biodiversity’ garden will be officially opened by nature TV presenter Megan McCubbin, a well-known zoologist and conservationist who grew up in Hampshire and serves as Patron of Wonderseekers.
She is passionate about engaging children with science and nature and will meet the children and staff involved in the project.
The ‘Sound of Biodiversity’ project was inspired by the vision of empowering and nurturing the sustainability champions of the future from a young age. It aims to create equity and inclusivity by helping children explore nature.
Through the use of sound, the project offers opportunities for accessible, multi-sensory exploration that is particularly beneficial for young children and those who may find visual processing overwhelming.
In a world facing significant environmental challenges, the project seeks to bridge the gap in access to science and nature for children from underrepresented backgrounds, fostering their curiosity about science and the value of nature.
Ben Ward, CEO of Wonderseekers, said: “The garden at Winnall Primary School is such an amazing legacy for the children involved in this project.
The children have had a huge impact on the biodiversity of their school and have been empowered to become nature superstars. Projects like this are so important, as it is children who are the future of our planet, so they need to be at the heart of the big conversations around nature.”
Dr Sarah Payne, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Psychology at the University of Surrey, said “It was a joy to work with the children at Winnall Primary School and the Wonderseekers team.
Together, we created a wonderful experience for this year group and established a legacy for future generations at the school. By engaging with their surroundings, the children connected with their environment in novel ways and fostered a lasting connection with nature.
We're now developing resources for other educators to help them create similar positive experiences with children.”
Sally Peckett, Headteacher of Winnall Primary School, said: “We are so very fortunate and deeply thankful to have this new garden area and seating for all the children at Winnall Primary to experience and enjoy every day they are in school. The Sound of Biodiversity project gave the children a voice and a valued purpose to deepen their curiosity of the natural world through science.”
The ‘Sound of Biodiversity’ project was made possible through a new learning and grants programme which supports museums and science centres to engage underrepresented groups with knowledge, research and innovation.
It was delivered through a partnership between the Museums Association, the Association for Science and Discovery Centres and The Liminal Space, with funding from the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).
Wonderseekers, the charity behind Winchester Science Centre, has focused on engaging young people in science since 1986. A staggering 70% of children surveyed by Save the Children are worried about the world they will inherit.
Through projects and partnerships like the ‘Sound of Biodiversity’, Wonderseekers uses science to engage children with the world in a fun and imaginative way, helping them understand and respond to these global issues.
The Charity wants children to discover the wonder of science from an early age and use it to make sense of the world around them.
By doing this, they will be equipped and empowered to make a positive change for their future and the planet's future.
For more details visit: wonderseekers.charity
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