PRESS RELEASE

27 May 2009

CHESHIRE WILDLIFE TRUST HQ OPENS FOR SCHOOL VISITS

School children will be able to visit a special ‘wildlife farm’ for the first time after Cheshire Wildlife Trust made a series of barns at its Bickley Hall Farm HQ suitable for educational activities.

Pupils from neighbouring schools have been invited to visit the Farm to learn about wildlife in an outdoor context as part of their Key Stage 1 and 2 studies.

Bookings are now flooding in since the Trust prepared the barns for educational use, with the first visit scheduled to take place on 9th June from Hartford Manor Primary School. On some occasions up to 80 pupils are expected per visit.

“We are very excited to now be able to host school visits at Bickley Hall Farm,” said Jan Shone, acting head of People & Wildlife for Cheshire Wildlife Trust.

“We have an amazing wildlife site here, which is also a working farm, and we have been looking forward to the day when we can welcome youngsters here to let them get ‘hands on’ with the natural environment as part of their curriculum studies in science, geography, art and other subjects. We are hoping to bring their syllabus alive and inspire these potential future conservationists!”

Cheshire Wildlife Trust moved its HQ to the farm in 2006 and has been working to set up the garden, farmland and other facilities to make the site more visitor friendly. The barns, which are home to a series of historic milking parlours, needed a thorough cleaning, various repair work, and the installation of washing and toilet facilities. The character of the barns, however, is unchanged, so pupils will enjoy lessons situated amongst the old milking parlour railings and stone floors, with the summer resident swallows swooping above their heads, as part of their visit to the farm.

Bickley Hall Farm is set on the Cholmondeley Estate in Bickley near Malpas, and is home to wildflower meadows, Bar Mere, a wildlife-friendly garden, native breed cows and sheep, and a series of ponds, as well as the original farmhouse and outbuildings. Rare and endangered species have been recorded at the site including the lesser silver water beetle, harvest mice, bats, barn owls, great crested newts and lapwing.

Further information is available from www.cheshirewildlifetrust.co.uk or call 01948 820728.

Extra info/...
EVERYONE is invited to visit Bickley Hall Farm on Sunday 5th July, 11am-5pm, when the Farm will open to the general public for its inaugural One Earth Festival family fun day. With free entry, a wide range of art and environmental activities will be on offer, as well as live music and food from local producers. Bring a picnic and stay for the day! The Festival is an annual event but this is the first time it has taken place at Bickley Hall Farm.

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