Angmering primary school and housebuilder sow the seeds of spring for Garden Wildlife Week

This month, mini-meadows are set to be sown across gardens in Angmering, thanks to efforts from the Year Three students at St Wilfrid’s Catholic Primary School. In time for National Garden Wildlife Week, David Wilson Homes donated 30 build-your-own seed bomb kits to the school.

The housebuilder, who is currently building its Ecclesden Park development on Water Lane, also organised for its Design Manager, Roger White, to visit the school to deliver a talk on outdoor sustainability and the importance of nurturing local eco-systems. The children learnt about the role of wildflower meadows as well as bee boxes and hedgehog highways that the housebuilder has implemented at Ecclesden Park to encourage local wildlife populations to grow.

The session culminated in a donation of 30 build your own seed kits designed to be planted in children’s gardens and green spaces, with each set containing the ingredients to make around 20-30 seed bombs using peat free clay, wool and a selection of 22 native wildflower seeds. The children were encouraged to disperse the seed bombs onto exposed soil, and once fully grown, the wildflowers will improve pollinating biodiversity in gardens by providing a food source for bees.

Kimberley Benson, Sales and Marketing Director at David Wilson Southern Counties, said: "As a responsible developer, we recognise the importance of protecting and promoting local biodiversity, and are committed to giving back to the communities in which we build. The pupils were shocked after hearing that 97% of species-rich wildflower meadows have been lost nationally over the last 100 years and the impact this has had on local butterflies, birds and insect populations. [1]

“Roger’s talk discussed why it is crucial for the next generation to be bold and encourage wildlife into their garden spaces. We hope it highlighted to the children that even through small steps like making a seed bomb, we can make a real difference in our protecting our local wildlife.”

Miss Mantle, Year Four Teacher at St Wilfrid’s Catholic Primary School, comments: “Seed bombs are a great way to introduce gardening to our younger pupils and offer hands-on experience with nature. Our Year Four curriculum focuses on wildlife, sustainability and protecting our local green space, so this activity has helped demonstrate to the pupils how small steps can have a big impact on our environment. The pupils have certainly come away from Roger’s talk with a newfound interest in sustainable gardening, and we will continue developing their interest in wildlife conservation.”

The donation of seed bombs is part of David Wilson Southern Counties’ wider commitment to sustainability and responsible development. Ecclesden Park has been designed to host multiple eco-friendly features such as bird boxes, inclusion of native plants and hibernacula. The site also has electric vehicle charging points on selected plots, low energy lighting and water saving measures to compliment the wildlife initiatives taken.

[1] https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/activity-and-adventure/everything-need-to-know-about-british-wildflower-meadows/