The second year of rewilding the grounds, achieved with the help of local community and environmental ambassadors, was possible thanks to another generous donation of trees from The Woodland Trust. The school’s environmental lead, Agnieszka Munns, explained how the hedge-planting is part of the school’s on-going attempt to increase biodiversity, create natural barriers and provide nesting sites for wildlife. Beyond the limited target area, an important message for the high school’s students was to keep promoting the need to protect their local environment, thereby encouraging everyone to care for and respect nature and to take pride in their green achievements.

‘Big Dig Two’ was a further school initiative undertaken to cut Springwood’s carbon footprint. During the replanting, students, members of the staff, and families, were informed how carbon emissions are connected to everyday actions and how such emissions can be reduced or off-set by making small, manageable changes. Earlier in November, over 2,000 students and staff were encouraged to take part in the national ‘Cutting The Carbon’, by completing nine simple changes. These challenges included having a ‘no-meat day’,’ saying no to new’ or ‘ditching the drive’. With more green initiatives planned for next year, including creating a wildflower meadow and making bird-nesting boxes, Springwood High School is making sure the young people receive a sound grounding in considering how to protect the environment, starting locally in their own school.