Wild City 2024 Students Begin Designing Their Green Spaces

The Salters’ Institute and Edible Landscapes London team have now visited the Year 5 students and their teachers at the six London primary schools participating in Wild City this year. During these visits, students observed and recorded biodiversity in their school and began their all-important Wild City designs. Public Programmes Manager Sheila shares her experience visiting the students:

The Visit Days that we spend with the students and teachers at their schools are a vital stage of the Wild City project. These days encourages the students to look at their outdoor space differently and strengthens their skills of observation and recording. We asked the students to complete a biodiversity checklist for their space and about the role played by the various garden elements, such as nitrogen fixers, to bring the seven layers of forest gardening to life.

We also began the Wild City design stage. This is the part that stands out to me as the Programme Manager. The students actively look to find plants that could promote biodiversity at their school, consider the environment and maintenance that is needed for certain plants, and really strengthen their soft skills such as curious thinking and teamwork during this session. At the end of the day, students present their early designs to the Wild City team and it is inspiring to see these students grow in confidence as they talk through their ideas and how these link to science. We really push the students to think creatively and to focus their learning. While we do provide resource packs, it always still amazes me to see how students take hold of the project and develop their independent learning

Schools now have one month to design their Wild City spaces. This is an area that they would like to see transformed in their school into a vibrant green space. After visiting each of the six schools, I know these passionate and eager students will not make it easy for the judging panel to decide the winner of Wild City 2024!

Now in its third year, Wild City is a free science-based project that brings biodiversity to life for Year 5 students in London. This five-month project will see students work with experts, the Salters’ Institute, and Edible Landscapes London to explore the importance of biodiversity and green spaces in their lives and local communities.

For questions regarding the Wild City project, please contact the Public Programmes Manager at [email protected]

Check out photos from the Visit Days below and read our earlier news about Wild City 2024 here:

Wild City 2024 Launches at Salters’ Hall

Wild City 2024 Participants Announced

Photos: Eva Palazuelos