Behind this fence, made for us by Wheatfield Prison, is an area we call our Oak Wood. Oak trees are the best wild-life trees. With its rough bark, an oak tree attracts 300 species of insect!
Monthly Archives: December 2011
In 1995, we decided to plant a mini meadow. Padraig turned the sod and then we covered the bed with newspaper and polythene. In Spring we went to Sandro for seed. We took up the polythene, raked the soil and planted the seed. No digging!!
In 1995, we planted a butterfly garden. Again we mulched the grass with cardboard. We spread topsoil on top. The worms do all the digging in our school! They move up through the cardboard, take the topsoil or compost and bring it down through the cardboard or newspaper again. They improve the soil, making it […]
When we had our hedge planted in 1993, we decided to get some bird tables and nesting boxes. Karen’s dad, Johnny Halligan, is a carpenter and he cut out a nesting box. The pupils in fifth and sixth class nailed it together. Our caretaker, Padraig Harney put it up in a tree; a bluetit nested […]
We got advice from Sandro Cafolla, Design By Nature, Carlow, and he told us that we needed to provide shelter at the front of the school; so we decided to plant a hedgerow.
Clonown National School is situated on the west bank of the River Shannon, four miles south of the town of Athlone in the centre of Ireland. It is in an area known as The Shannon Callows, which is internationally famous for its meadow flowers, insects, nesting and winter birds. In May 1993, the teachers of […]