October 2008
A project aimed to help children in Belfast make the most of their parks and discover more about the nature on their doorstep, has been given the green light by Belfast City Council for a second year.
‘Watch this Space’, delivered in partnership with the Ulster Wildlife Trust which provides opportunities for children and their families to enjoy their local urban green spaces through public events, Saturday clubs and school visits.
After a successful year-long pilot scheme in north and west Belfast, which saw almost 400 schoolchildren discover the seasonal variations that the Falls and Woodvale Parks have to offer, the project now aims to engage more local people and take a look at more parks particularly in the south and east of the city.
With a little help from experienced and enthusiastic staff, pupils from existing and new primary schools will be able to enjoy supervised visits to their local parks twice a year (in the autumn and early summer) - where they will discover more about nature , through fun, hands-on educational activities.
There will also be three Saturday Clubs for 7-12 year olds, running every fortnight at Falls Park and every month at Woodvale and Victoria Park. Whether it’s foraging for autumn seeds, hunting for mini-beasts, building bird-boxes or having fun with creative crafts, every Saturday is packed full of different activities to keep even the biggest nature fans occupied.
Councillor Bob Stoker, Chairman of Belfast City Council’s Parks and Leisure Committee shares his views on the ‘Watch this Space’ programme;
“We are delighted to continue supporting the Watch this Space project which is bringing very real benefits to local children and wildlife across the city.”
He added, “We hope the project will spark more children and their families to take an active interest in what’s happening in their local parks, and enable them to see the valuable role parks play in ensuring a good quality of life for everyone.”
Lucille Coates, ‘Watch this Space’ Officer with the Ulster Wildlife Trust is thrilled the project has been given the go-ahead for another year.
“This project is a fantastic way for children to get outdoors, have fun and learn about the wonderful natural environment that’s right on their doorstep,” says Lucille.
She added “With our modern lifestyles, many children are growing up with little or no connection to the world around them. We hope by building upon the success of the pilot scheme, as well as affording more children across the city the opportunity to benefit in the same way, we can work to reverse that trend before it’s too late.”
The Ulster Wildlife Trust is a locally driven nature conservation charity who aims to create a better future for wildlife and habitats across the country as well as in the seas. This is done through practical conservation and by inspiring people of all ages to take action for their local environment; and campaigning on behalf of wildlife.
For further information about the Watch this Space Project, please contact the Ulster Wildlife Trust on 028 4483 0282 or visit www.ulsterwildlifetrust.org.