Local housebuilder teams up with Cottingham High School students to help give nature a home

Five-star housebuilder Barratt Homes Yorkshire East recently invited 20 students from Cottingham High School to learn about the importance of protecting and preserving wildlife in the community, this autumn. As part of the activity, the housebuilder took the students on a tour of its Gold Standard RSPB wildlife-friendly garden at the nearby Poppy Fields development in Cottingham.

The friendly team at the Poppy Fields development invited 20 eager year seven students to take part in an afternoon of educational fun, showing the green-fingered pupils how they can take simple steps to protect the hedgehogs, birds, bats, butterflies and bees in and around Cottingham, especially with winter fast approaching. The afternoon began with a wildlife talk from Barratt Homes’ Technical Coordinator, Paul Stones, followed by a tour of the garden’s wildlife-friendly features including a hedgehog highway, scented garden, deadwood feature, bee box, bat box and swift box before ending with a practical planting activity for all of the pupils.

As part of the activity, each student was invited to take part in a competition to design their very own wildlife-friendly garden, highlighting all of the essential features used on the Poppy Fields development to help give nature a home. Upon submitting their entry at the development, a winner will be selected, and their design will be framed in the sales office at Poppy Fields.

Paul Stones, Technical Coordinator at David Wilson Homes Yorkshire East said: “We had great fun with the students at Cottingham High School, and we’re so pleased to have the opportunity to play our part in educating local students on how to take simple steps towards protecting wildlife in their own gardens and local spaces. We hope that the students were inspired by the afternoon’s activities, and we really look forward to seeing their creative designs!”

Pete Brookes, teacher at Cottingham High School, commented: “We’d like to say a huge thank you to the team at Poppy Fields for providing a brilliant afternoon of educational fun! It’s great to get the students outside of the classroom, and I know that they’re looking forward to implementing what they’ve learnt and putting their creative skills to the test in designing their very own wildlife-friendly gardens! I’d also like to extend a huge thank you to Barratt Homes Yorkshire East for their generous
donation towards our wildlife-friendly garden at Cottingham High School.”

The activity is one of many undertaken by the five-star housebuilder, as part of its on-going partnership with the RSPB. For the last four years, Barratt Developments, which includes both the Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes brands, has worked in collaboration with the organisation, with both parties working together to agree best practice on the types of plants and shrubs to use in gardens, the ideal times in the year to survey local species, and how to make good use of already
existing natural features within the new build developments.

Located in the popular village of Cottingham, Barratt Homes’ Poppy Fields development is a beautiful collection of modern homes in a range of two, three and four bedroom designs. With fantastic commuter links and the bustling village centre just a short walk away, Poppy Fields provides the perfect home for first-time buyers, professionals and families alike.

For more information about Poppy Fields, or to arrange a viewing, please visit: http://www.barratthomes.co.uk/PoppyFields