Sissinghurst Wild Area Community Group
The Head of Sissinghurst School, Mrs Penfold recently found out that the school is responsible for a patch of land adjacent to the new school grounds. The land is around 0.5 ha / 5000 m² and comprised of grassland, young trees and scrub. It is also the main area of land where local reptiles, dormice and other creatures have moved or been moved to after recen
t land clearance for the school and housing developments. When Mrs Penfold made some of the parents aware of the area, a group of us decided that, with the blessing of the Governors and the Dioceses Trustees who hold the legal title to the land for the School, we would try to develop the area to its full potential. Our Group envisages an area that can be used as an educational resource both for the school and the local community. Where there is currently a dangerously muddy footpath we would like to see a wheelchair accessible pathway and a suitable area for wheelchair bound students to share in outside lessons. The area would not just be for the school, but also for the local community. The Education Manager at Kent High Weald Partnership feels that the area would be appropriate for a programme of Forest Schools activities and we have had interest from Kent University in helping to manage the area and keep it looking beautiful. We have a specific management plan drawn up by Lloyd Bore, Ecological surveyors, which sets out how the land should be managed as an educational wildlife and amenity area, whilst preserving the reptile habitat and a dormouse habitat. We have applied for funding to help with set up costs however we would really appreciate any local help to get the transformation started whether specialist knowledge or manual labour!! If you have any questions about the planned work then please do let us know. We can be contacted by email [email protected] or by mail via the school office on Common Road. We hope that you will be as enthusiastic about the improvements to the field as we are. Sissinghurst Wild Area Community Group
Andrew Chandler, Nicky Thomas-Davies, Cathy Penfold, Anne Livingston and Jo Smith
