CHILDREN at Westgate Primary School in Otley tackled a variety of tasks to honour their commitment to the UN’s Sustainable Goals Charter.

All of Otley’s primary schools have signed up to promote the UN Sustainable Goals.

Goal 15 refers to Life on Land, with a pledge to protect, restore and promote ecosystems, and halt biodiversity loss. Together with Neil Griffin, Wildlife Friendly Otley’s education officer, the children learned about biodiversity and took practical steps to help wildlife in their school grounds.

A spokesman for Wildlife Friendly Otley said: "Mrs Hopkins’ Year 5 class learned about our amazing swifts: flying machines who sleep in flight and will fly as far as France for the day if the weather in Otley is poor. Unfortunately, their numbers are falling, not least because nest-sites are disappearing, but the school is to put up five special swift nest-boxes made by charity Wharfedale Men’s Shed. The children heard about the work of Otley Swift Watch. They then mapped the various habitats in their school grounds.

"Mrs Colannino’s Reception class went hunting for wildlife in Grove Hill park, a quest in which they proved very adept. They spotted squirrels, listened to Blackbirds, hugged trees and gently held invertebrates such as woodlice and garden snails. The session finished with wildlife-related games, including them impersonating various bugs: a whole-class conga made a fun centipede.

"In the afternoon Mrs Senior’s Year 1 class also used the park, but with a focus on plants after a recent topic on the subject. They loved the way the cleavers’ sticky buds attached themselves to their clothes, thus spreading the seeds near and far. Aromatic plants were popular, and the children showed a great eye for detail. They were fascinated to hear that beech trees produce unpleasant tannin when they sense the saliva of deer eating their leaves, and even warn other trees of the threat. This session concluded with the children making a 3D diagram of the parts of a tree where each part – heartwood, sapwood, roots etc – was a child.

"Finally, Mrs Hooper’s Year 4 children used recycled materials to make a minibeast hotel and several smaller bug houses. Some of the children planted wildflower plugs, whilst others made butterfly feeders and hung them in the bushes of the school garden."

Headteacher Helen Carpenter said:"We are delighted to be working with Wildlife Friendly Otley. Westgate doesn’t have a lot of green space but the children are passionate and curious about the environment. They loved learning more through the workshops- and they had a lot of fun too.”

Neil Griffin said: “We’ve had a really enjoyable day. The children were enthusiastic and observant, and I was really impressed by their knowledge of nature and the threats to it. They really wanted to learn more and to take practical steps to support and encourage wildlife.”