DofE Volunteering
Year 9 students at St Paul’s Academy are the pioneers of participating in the first Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award as we have become a Directly Licenced Centre. For the volunteering part of the award the Year 9 class have been working on the allotments to give them new life. The students have been clearing the weeds and replenishing the nutrients into the soil by introducing compost. They has also cleared the greenhouse ready to grow tomatoes and strawberries. Molly stated she is keen to “create a salad with tomatoes, lettuce and other ingredients as it is her favourite food”.
This is an important aspect of the Catholic ethos of the school by encouraging students to be stewards of their community as well as achieving an award that is sought by potential employers or further educational institutions.
Clinton was also key with other boys in the group by transferring the rotten wood and other rubbish left in the shed to the skip. This will reduce the workload of the premise managers of the site.
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Katie and Ketsia dig up the weeds to prepare the ground for planting
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Eniola and Josephine dig the weeds out for Simao to rake
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Click below to play the video clip
Below you can see the activities of the other members of the DofE group. Molly, David and Jessica were fantastic stewards with helping to clean the greenhouse ready for growing summer vegetables and fruits.
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Janet using the hoe to rake in the compost
to replenish the nutrients in the soil
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Molly, David and Jessica have worked hard to remove debris from the greenhouse ready to grow tomatoes next week
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Quotes from students:
The Year 9s have embraced the experience. Two students have quoted why it is important to them:
“A fun thing to be part of and involved in. This will support me further in life.” (Jessica Jordon).
“I was turning the soil to get rid of any weed and I would like to in the future grown potatoes.” (Ketsia Lueso).
Thames21
Year 9 Duke of Edinburgh students were a credit to their local community on the 8th November. The students worked with Thames21 staff and volunteers to conserve a local wetland habitat along the Thames Road in Dartford. Despite inclement weather and low temperatures the Year 9 students were exceptional in volunteering and Ray Hudson from Thames21 remarked “It was one of the best groups he had encountered”.
Year 9 students in their waders head towards the wetland for deep water habitat restoration
The first group of students (shown below) were tasked with the activity of clearing the reeds from the wetland to promote greater growth from the water and improve biodiversity. This involved using bill hooks, shears and a slasher. This would also promote better light accessing the water and therefore increase plants and animals to the fragile ecosystem, including the endangered Water Vole. As you can appreciate this was a large task to be undertaken but students were compliment for the work completed by Thames21 staff.
Clinton using the shears, whilst Ketsia, Janet and Stevie clear cut reeds from the water to create bankside habitats for mice.
Meanwhile, the other group were tasked with removing the reed roots from the water. This deeper water habitat restoration, which involved wearing waders as water levels were higher. Students were given similar tools and small blades to cut the roots from the river bed. You can see the activity completed below.
Deeper water habitat restoration.
Simao cutting the roots of the reeds.
Clinton using a bill hook to cut the reeds.
Aisosa and Janet collecting the reeds to build habitats onshore for mice.
The Year 9 DofE students did a fantastic job of clearing the wetland habitat of overgrown reeds to allow sunlight to penetrate the water and encourage new growth. The students have now achieved 8 hours of volunteering towards their goal of 3 months and have completed an array of different activities- both within and outside of school – meaning that they will soon achieve this part of the award. Activities have included creating a community garden within school, tending to new tree saplings in the grounds, planting bulbs and wetland maintenance and enhancement. A superb effort from all the students involved.
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Thames21 - 19th November
Year 9 Duke of Edinburgh students in minus 2°C temperatures volunteered in the Thames Road wetland to cut back reeds to improve biodiversity for flora and fauna. As like the other group they were a credit to their local community on the 19th November and were commended again as being one of the best schools Thames21 works with.
Year 9 students in their waders head towards the wetland for deep water habitat restoration alongside Diana Webb and PC Verrall.
The first group of students (shown below) were tasked with the activity of clearing the reeds from the wetland to promote greater growth from the water and improve biodiversity. This involved using bill hooks, shears and a slasher. This would also promote better light accessing the water and therefore increase plants and animals to the fragile ecosystem, including the endangered Water Vole. As you can appreciate this was a large task to be undertaken but students were compliment for the work completed by Thames21 staff.
David, Michael, Sara and Sean use the tools to cut back the reed bed
Meanwhile, the other group were tasked with removing the reed roots from the water. This deeper water habitat restoration, which involved wearing waders as water levels were higher. Students were given similar tools and small blades to cut the roots from the river bed. You can see the activity completed above where Matteo gets to grips with using a slasher to cut back the reeds. Ray from Thames21 is giving him a health and safety chat and guidance on how to use the tool efficiently.
Sara using the slasher
The group at work and the evidence on an amazing clearance job for water vole and other creatures to use the wetland habitat
Chris from Thames21 gives the students (Tyler and Jayde) the guidance on how to remove the reed bed
The Year 9 DofE students did a fantastic job of clearing the wetland habitat of overgrown reeds and brambles to allow sunlight to penetrate the water and encourage new growth. The students have now achieved 10 hours of volunteering towards their goal of 3 months and have completed an array of different activities- both within and outside of school – meaning that they will soon achieve this part of the award. Activities have included creating a community garden within school, tending to the peace garden in the grounds with Dave the gardener, planting bulbs and wetland maintenance and enhancement. They have also learnt new skills, as you can see by Archie’s mastery in using the slasher above. A superb effort from all the students involved.
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Year 9 Conserve the Environment
Year 9 students for a third time in two months help conserve the local wetlands along Thames Road in Dartford. The students worked in small teams to cut down reeds to allow sunlight to penetrate the water and encourage new growth. This reed material was then used to create marginal habitats along the water’s edge for rare species of water voles and newts.
The other group collected rubbish that had been washed downstream along the River Cray that had collected in the storm drain. In addition, the groups cut back brambles to further release growth from other species. The management of this unique ecosystem has provided the area with a new lease of life and could not have been done without the tremendous effort by all the students. Well done Year 9!
Year 9 group participated in conserving the environment with Thames21
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