In January 2021 we launched an exciting new Learning Outside the Classroom project, called ‘Wildlife at the Vine’. We wanted to find out who our Wildlife neighbours are? We had a hunch that there might be wildlife visiting our school grounds, the only way to confirm this was to put up some camera traps to see what would appear. Well, we have not been disappointed it is a wildlife bonanza!

It appears we have lots of wildlife neighbours, the whole food chain is represented, from worms, insects, mice, birds, raptors, hedgehogs, squirrels, foxes, badgers and muntjacs.  At least 20 different species of birds have also been visiting.

We share updates regularly with the Vine School community, with a weekly post on our website at https://www.thevine.cambs.sch.uk/wildlife-at-the-vine/  so everyone can see which animals have visited. Getting the pupils involved is of great importance, they can now see that wildlife is not just something you see on the TV, but it is happening right in our schoolgrounds, it could even be right on their doorstep. In our community posts we publish wildlife that has been spotted in our local Cambourne community or further afield that has been sent in by our pupils and parents. Hopefully, by encouraging an interest in nature, our children will want to look after the wildlife both here and in the wider world.