The sowing, which took place at Maryfield Police Station, continues Eden’s mission to establish wildflower meadows across the city as part of a two-year project funded by a local trust, Alexander Moncur Trust.
Last year the project saw the Eden team work in partnership with Morgan Academy to develop a colourful meadow on the school grounds. The whole school, along with the local community, came out to sow the meadow and in autumn the pupils were invited to hand harvest with the team.
The harvested seeds were then gifted by the Morgan Academy pupils to the pupils of Clepington Primary, who came out recently to have fun sowing the seeds, creating a new meadow at Maryfield Police Station, next door to their primary school. The seeds needed a little help to bed in, and the young people thoroughly enjoyed the ‘stamping in’ of the seeds.
Each site contains a mix of annual and perennial flowers, and now that Morgan Academy’s habitat is in its second year, a whole new mix of flowers will bloom this year. As the meadows develop, they will become even more local as birds visit and bring new seeds in, helping to support the local wildlife. The spaces will also provide spaces for learning, relaxing and connecting to nature.
Irene Shearer, Clepington Primary teacher, said: “Clepington Primary are very happy to be involved in this wildflower project as it helps develop the young people's ownership of their local area as well as getting them out in the fresh air to help the local wildlife. We are looking forward to watching it grow and develop.”
Police Sergeant Kirsten Kiddie of Maryfield Police Station, said: “The wildflower meadow will be a lovely addition to the police station, and I would like to thank the pupils of Clepington Primary School who took the time to plant the seeds.
“I look forward to seeing it blossom in the coming months and years ahead.”
Johnny Lothian, Head Teacher, Morgan Academy, said: “We planted our Morgan Academy meadow with the hope that it would provide a focus on nature and sustainability, while also strengthening the connection between our community and the natural world.
“One of the positive benefits of the initiative has been in bringing students, teachers and the local community together with a focus on learning with nature, while generating a great deal of community and civic pride in the process.
“We are delighted that through our gift of seeds from the Morgan Academy meadow, Clepington Primary students are involved and engaged in caring for their own biodiversity project and benefiting from the rich learning it brings.”
Caishlan Sweeney, Eden’s Project Engagement Manager, said: “The local police team have been generous in giving us access to their land to create another beautiful biodiverse habitat in the Maryfield area. It was wonderful to see the children enjoying sowing the flowers, and we can’t wait to see what the schools decide to do with the seeds they collect this autumn.”
Introducing the wildflower sites across the city is part of Eden Project’s meanwhile activity and brings together more than seven partners and funders, delivering biodiversity habitats that provide benefits in climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Other sites establish this spring include a sizeable patch on Riverside, beside the old sports pavilion and another large part of Camperdown Park.
