Cadoxton Primary School Pupils Decorate Bird Boxes In Green Flag Awarded Victoria Park

CADOXTON Primary School pupils have been painting bird boxes and placing them in trees around Victoria Park – one of the Vale of Glamorgan’s many Green Flag-awarded outdoor areas. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

In total there are eight parks in the County that have been given that honour by Keep Wales Tidy, the mark of a quality green space. The others are Merthyr Dyfan Cemetery, Romilly Park, Alexandra Park, Barry Island Seafrontt, Belle Vue Park, Central Park, and Knap Gardens. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Vale also has eight community sites that have been awarded Green Flag status, Barry Community Garden, Birchgrove Woodlands, Cowbridge Physic Garden, Cwmtalwg Local Nature Reserve, Elizabethan Orchard, Old Hall Gardens, Upper Orchard Field Wenvoe and Wenvoe Community Orchard. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

With Cadoxton Primary School next to Victoria Park, pupils benefit from using the area for a number of activities. Their school sportsday is held there, while the children build dens around the park and also go on nature walks. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Their latest project has seen pupils in Year Two and Three paint a number of nesting boxes for birds. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

These are then attached to trees around the park, allowing children to monitor how they are used over the coming months. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cadoxton Primary is an Eco-School, meaning it follows an international programme run in Wales by Keep Wales Tidy and funded by the Welsh Government. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The programme helps pupils learn about sustainable living and global citizenship while giving them the information and support they need to make changes that will benefit their school, local environment and wider community. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

These include reducing waste and energy consumption, using environmentally-friendly transport, living healthily and being aware of litter issues. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cllr Gwyn John, Cabinet Member for Visible, Leisure and Regulatory Services, said: “Here in the Vale of Glamorgan, we have worked hard to create top-quality green areas for people to enjoy and are proud that this effort has resulted in so many spaces around the County being given Green Flag status. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

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“It’s great to see the children of Cadoxton Primary School enjoying Victoria Park. Having such a wonderful space on their doorstep offers a fantastic opportunity to learn about local wildlife. This bird-nesting project should further fuel that interest, while time in the park can also help make children aware of important environmental issues.”Keep Wales Tidy Green Flag ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Coordinator Lucy Prisk said: “Victoria Park is a wonderful example of a site that has met the high standards needed to achieve the Green Flag Award. It is well loved by the whole community and it was great to see the students from Cadoxton Primary learning about the importance of the Green Flag Award and all the wildlife living in their local park. By helping to paint and put up new nest boxes the students had the opportunity to enjoy and share the outdoors with the park’s smaller residents.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​