Pupils get stuck in to care for park
CHILDREN from an Ipswich school have adopted part of a popular park and taken to helping rangers to care for it.The students from Morland Road Primary School helped to plant native trees in a section of Orwell Country Park which has recently undergone a transformation.
CHILDREN from an Ipswich school have adopted part of a popular park and taken to helping rangers to care for it.
The students from Morland Road Primary School helped to plant native trees in a section of Orwell Country Park which has recently undergone a transformation.
Rangers organised chainsaw artists to create a series of tree sculptures in the park and now they are hoping the native broadleaf plants, including silver birch and hazel, will create a new 'understory' in the wood, helping its biodiversity.
Ranger Richard Sharpe said: “We had more than 150 children helping us. They all planted a tree each.
“First I gave them a talk on how to plant a tree properly and they then planted them really well.”
The children have visited the park more than once in recent weeks as the rangers improve the area and try to give the youngsters a sense of ownership.
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They want to increase the number of people who use the park and encourage young people to take pride in the area.
Early attempts at that though have hit hurdles, including when new tree sculptures created by chainsaw artists suffered vandalism.
One sculpture in particular, which was also a favourite among the Morland primary students, of a man surrounded by books carved out of a tree trunk has already had chunks cut from it.
Mr Sharpe said: “It just spoils it for everybody. All the kids are upset about it.”
n. What do you think of the work the children have done in the park? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or email eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk
