On a fresh Spring Day, Oak Class pupils at St. Peter’s School Cassington, created a pond and filled it and it surroundings with an incredible array of plants and creatures. Rhiannon Evettes, Wild Oxfordshire’s Nature Recovery Engagement Officer , led the children in games, songs, quizzes and dressing up aimed at learning about the important role ponds and pond life plays in the ecosystem. After an energetic treasure hunt to find images of different species hidden around the playground the children had to place them ‘in’ or ‘beside’ our tarpaulin pond according to where they might be found.

After this it was time for some careful observational drawings of these different creatures and plants (including wriggly live tadpoles!) led by professional botanical artist Julia Loken and Alice Walker. The children were encouraged to pay close attention to details of colour, shape, pattern and texture in their observational drawings. These drawings were then cut out and glued onto a background painting depicting the School’s real life pond, which is undergoing a restoration project. The final artwork is both a dynamic vision of the potential future pond when its habitat and ecosystem are once more thriving, but also a beautiful reference and ‘spotters’ guide for budding naturalists at the St. Peters.