News: February 2005

A top environmental educator and a head teacher of a primary school have called for more gardens and school grounds to have ponds.

Trevor Roach, head of education at the National Botanic Garden of Wales, has urged head masters and householders alike to consider the educational benefits of a pond. He says that over half a million ponds have disappeared from our landscape since the Second World War.

Tony Hughes, headmaster of Pontrhydyfen Primary School in Port Talbot, described how a pond created two years ago in the grounds of his school has enriched the learning experience of his pupils, providing the source material for biology lessons and the like. He says that school's needn't be put off by the safety concerns as long as they take proper precautions, e.g. never allowing children to go to the pond unaccompanied and ensuring that the pond area is securely out of bounds out of school hours.

Robin Turner. Learning about life - from the school pond. http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200wales/tm_objectid=15224419%26method=full%26siteid=50082-name_page.html on February 28th 2005.