At the Cornwall Wildlife Trust we believe that contact with nature is essential to appreciating it and caring for it. That's why we go to so much effort to make our reserves accessible - it's also one of the reasons why we put so much effort into enhancing school grounds for wildlife.

Children spend a large proportion of their young lives in school grounds. Whether this environment is bleak and oppressive or varied and stimulating has a major bearing on their sense of well- being, their behaviour and their eagerness to learn. By helping develop habitats in school grounds we not only provide new opportunities for our beleaguered wildlife but also nurture our children and create an educational resource which continues to be used long after our projects have finished.
You have to experience it to appreciate it - children exploring nature at Bishop Cornish School in Saltash. Photo: Heike Neunaber

Our educational staff has been joined recently by Community Projects Officer Terry Geater. Having overseen - as a volunteer - the completion of our biggest project to date, at Bishop Cornish Primary in Saltash, Terry is turning his attention to Summercourt Primary near Newquay, for which the County Environmental Trust is again providing the majority of the funds. Terry is also working on a number of school and other community wetland projects funded by the Pennon Group give us a call if you have a project for which you would like such funding.

The power of knowledge

The success of our publicity work owes much to the never ending variety of subjects with which the Trust deals. Dolphins and other large sea creatures are particularly attractive to the media - a fact which, we hope, will benefit our Marine Life Appeal. We are working closely with Seaquest, our marine group, to keep its work in the public eye.

Trust me - I'm a conservationist. Heike Neunaber (right) of NABU worked with our education and publicity section for three weeks in May. Here she is trying out some of NABU's apple and orchard activities on children from Roche Primary.
Photo: Stuart Hutchings

By the time you read this, our joint public meeting with Friends of the Earth - Any Wildlife Questions? - will have taken place.
MPs Candy Atherton, Andrew George and Matthew Taylor agreed to join us in airing the subject of wildlife and the law. More than twenty organisations have been campaigning nationally to get stronger wildlife legislation introduced through the Queen's Speech in autumn. Fingers crossed, we hope our combined efforts will have the desired effect.

Please look out for, and make use of, the varied outputs of this section of the Trust, including Wild Cornwall, the Annual Review, the web site, news stories, adult education courses and our programmes of Fox Club and Watch family events. A well- informed membership is one of our best weapons for conservation.

Mark Nicholson

A sad end for a dolphin - but information gathered by Tricia Hoskings (above) and other Seaquest members will help its kind. A high profile in the media has been crucial to Seaquest's growing success. Photo: Mark Nicholson