We had a very exciting day yesterday as our first day of Choill Beag workshops took place. Clare from Green Schools came in and helped us to test out school grounds and begin mapping where the forest will go.
Our first workshop was all about testing the soil to see which trees will suit our school best. We took soil samples to see what type of soil we have and tested the PH levels in the soil to make sure the trees will be able to grow.
In our second workshop we had to investigate what plant and animal species can be found in St George's. We hope that after the Choill Beag is planted new species will come to visit and grow in our yard. Then Clare took us on a walk around the yard and helped us to identify the trees we already have. We are lucky to have lots of different species already.
For our third workshop we have to plan where our Choill Beag will be planted. We had to mark out the area using our steps and then we had to think about where to place our "outdoor classroom". This will be a clearing in the middle of the forest where we can go for picnics and lessons when the weather is nice.
We had a busy but fun day with Clare and are really excited about the next time we see her. We will be doing our next planting workshop on the 6th of December and the trees will be arriving!
