This National Nestbox Week (14-21 February), local housebuilder Barratt Homes is encouraging children at Buckingham Primary School in Buckingham to create a home for native birds in their playground. Barratt North Thames, who is building its St Rumbold’s Fields development on Tingewick Road, has donated build-your-own bird table to the school for the children to construct and enjoy year-round.
As of 2021, 70 UK bird species were added to the conservation concern red list, which documents wild birds that have seen severe population decline or threat of extinction. * The list now accounts for more than a quarter of Britain’s 245 bird species. To encourage residents at its developments to create a safe home for wild nesting birds ahead of spring, the housebuilder is donating bird tables to schools near its developments.
The bird table is easy-to-assemble and is made from sustainably sourced FSC-certified wood. Once assembled, the bird table will encourage native birdlife to the school playground, including blue tits, house sparrows, robins, wrens and wagtails.
Karly Williams, Sales and Marketing Director for Barratt North Thames, commented: “As a sustainable housebuilder and longstanding corporate partner of the RSPB, our goal is to create a safe home for nature and humans alike at our developments, and areas around them. With this campaign we hope to empower children to take small steps to welcome wildlife into their school playground. By installing a custom-made bird table in the playground, the children can take one small step to help protect wild birds in Buckingham, and allow the population to continue to grow this nesting season.”
Mrs Sam Brewer, Headteacher at Buckingham Primary School, commented: “We are passionate about teaching pupils from a young age the importance of preserving wildlife, so we were excited to have our very own bird table for the school playground! The pupils really enjoyed building the bird table together and decorating it. It was a fun activity for children, but it also taught them how to embrace nature and wildlife.”
Barratt North Thames is currently building new homes at St Rumbold’s Fields, where the housebuilder has installed a range of wildlife friendly features including including ponds and hedgehog highways. Current availability includes a number of three and four-bedroom semi-detached houses, where prices start from £375,000 for a three-bedroom semi-detached house.
To find out more about Barratt North Thames or St Rumbold’s Fields, please visit www.barratthomes.co.uk or call 0333 3558 500.