St Benet’s MAT News

The school has been internationally recognised for helping the town of Harleston launch its Nature Recovery ‘We Can’ programme along with Harleston Town Council and other partners.

Councillor Trevor Graham, Chair of Redenhall with Harleston Town Council, presented Mrs Bev Beaumont, the Early Years Lead Teacher at Harleston Sancroft Academy Primary Phase, with the Earth Society Foundation’s Earth Trustee Certificate for the role the pupils are playing in the build-up to the community’s Nature Recovery ‘We Can’ programme with their work to date, focusing on butterflies.

Mrs Beaumont said: “We feel very proud to have received an accolade in appreciation of the work we are doing alongside Ian Carstairs and the We Can Save the Butterflies project and are honoured that our children have been named Earth Trustees.”

“We are continuing with our role as Earth Trustees by creating a hay meadow and wildflower bed within the school grounds with the aim of providing a meadow where insects and wildlife can flourish and at the same time, create a peaceful area for mindfulness and tranquillity.”

“We have plans in place to rejuvenate our existing pond area so that children can once again enjoy pond dipping in their science lessons and continue to embed the importance of caring for the world in this ever-changing environment.  On the equinox each year, we will spend one day across the primary phase embedding the importance of ecological awareness.”

The Nature Recovery ‘We Can’ programme is an initiative by Harleston Town Council to establish a formal framework to embrace all positive environmental work from the whole community, under a common goal to play a part locally to address the international crisis for nature.

Cllr Graham praised the energy and enthusiasm of the school, adding that the pupils thoroughly deserved recognition for their support on environmental projects over the years.

He said: “I am thrilled that the school’s work is being recognised. Helping our community to launch ‘Nature Recovery’ is the most recent in a series of environmental initiatives which pupils have helped to promote. I sincerely hope that where the children lead, the rest of us will follow. The future of the natural world depends on it.”

The schoolchildren have decorated butterflies and written messages on them about how they will help wildlife. These will form a large display in St John’s Church in Harleston as part of the public launch and celebrations of the initiative on 11th March. The launch day will mark the completion of the town centre upgrading and will be centred on Harleston Market Place. The school’s work on ‘Bring Back Our Butterflies’ features as part of this.

Mary Carlin, a Board Member of the Foundation, complimented the school’s commitment which reflected perfectly the Foundation’s message to encourage every individual and organisation to think and act as an Earth Trustee, to foster a sustainable future for our planet.

She said: “There could be no better way to help the cause than being at the forefront of nature recovery. I wish the school and community well and every success.”