Harrogate school backs Long Lands Common work as pupils rise to the occasion

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The school's year 5 class visited the beautiful green site and were supported by a team of helpers from the Longlands shareholders and also Starbeck in Bloom members.

The children were planting bluebell bulbs and wood anemone along the hedgerow at the Long Lands site which is located on 30 acres of greenbelt land near Nidd Gorge between Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Led by Nidd Gorge Community Action, which set up a Community Benefit Society, last year’s campaign raised nearly £350,000 in just six months as local people and businesses flocked to support the Community Shares offer to make Long Lands Common Harrogate's first community-owned woodland..

Starbeck Primary School has been developing its own green projects, with a wildlife walk, allotment and innovative use of our green spaces to support social, emotional and mental health, all currently being developed.

Geoff Foxall, Board member of Long Lands Common and past governor at Starbeck School, said: “Long Lands Common will be a marvellous outdoor classroom as we transform the site from grazing pasture to community woodland and nature reserve.

"A gift of native woodland bulbs provides an early opportunity to involve children from our neighbouring school in the project and we are delighted to have their help in planting the bulbs.

"When our plans for woodland are approved later next year, we hope to work with both Starbeck and other local schools in practical activities like tree planting, as well as learning about the increasing wildlife that moves in to the new habitats. Long Lands Common is a precious resource where we can all learn from its development.”

Outdoor learning is an integral part of the Starbeck Primary Academy's curriculum offer and the school says it is delighted to be one of the first groups of people on site to start supporting the vision of Longlands Common.

The school is part of Northern Star Academies Trust, who's vision is clearly set on being a 'Green Trust'.

The trust believes that the global challenge of how we live sustainably on the planet requires local action and is a fundamental responsibility of schools to tackle through education.

Its schools are focused on preparing children and young people to lead a sustainable life; our actions today will have a lasting impact on the future of our Trust, schools, community and, the planet.

First glimpse: Long Lands Common members get chance to visit site of Harrogate's first community-owned woodland