Conservation Corner Gets Fruity

Our 15 fruit trees, delivered just last week, are already in the ground in Conservation Corner thanks to the year 8 pupils ably assisted by Mr Marriott himself! Spades flew through the rich topsoil before hitting tough ground littered with flint and chalk. It was hard work to ensure each tree had a hole big enough to establish itself. The activity illuminated the pupils' learning about factors influencing healthy soils and each pair of pupils had to evaluate the suitability of the microclimate of the area chosen, including staking the tree on the opposite side to the prevailing wind. 

 After planting, the Year 8s invited younger children to join them, carting woodchip over to spread as a final mulch layer as well as planting more spring bulbs in strategic locations.  Everyone seems to have grasped the incredible magic of soils for all of life, how in a teaspoon of soil there are more living things than there are people on earth and the importance of protecting our soils, and our older children have been fascinated learning about the untapped potential of sequestering Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) in soils as one of the most cost-effective nature-based solutions for climate change mitigation.