12th November
5pm - 6pm
Staff and Parents in attendance: Laura, Duncan, Ance, Colette, Nick
Apologies from: Vivian, Meri, Jennifer, Maxine
With thanks to Maxine for preparing an overview for the meeting.
Main points from the meeting:
- The garden will close down on Environment day 29th November this year where the children in the nursery will be given tasks to do. This event is not for parents.
- The garden will officially open next year on Saturday 5th April 2014 and an activity day is planned inviting parents and siblings to come together to mark this occasion - possible agenda to be circulated closer to that date.
- The next Eco-garden meeting was suggested at 25th Feb at 5pm which is the week after half term and six weeks before the official open day.
- The garden is as secluded area and it was suggested to wait until all the leaves had fallen (or the majority) before these were cleared away or it would be an endless cycle.
- Pre-school are to write a checklist for the winter months and to ensure that the birds don't go hungry and there is enough water and food for them.
- The older children can check rubbish, tidy up weeds and look at scheduling in the planting of bulbs for the spring in the front garden (middle area) and also plant bulbs in tyres in the garden to create garden features.
- Duncan suggested that chipping should be put down over the bulbs to deter the squirrels from digging up the bulbs.
- The compost needs turned over prior the winter months setting in - speak with J. Mackay.
- The staff will collect or ask for coloured plastic bottles to enhance the garden.
- Meri to expand on the calendar of jobs to do list.
- The front garden needs some attention, particularly around the bins as its churned up.
- Duncan suggested the addition of stepping stones to the bin area - Nick to look into this.
- Insect Hotel - this was suggested that they plan this for inclusion in the spring - perhaps in time for the April open day.
- The plan is to save anything that can be used for the Insect Hotel and locate this in a shaded area. It will need to be risk assessed for height but it was suggested that a low and long structure that was of eye height for the majority of the children would be ideal made from pallets.
Tasks brought forward from previous meeting:
- Nishtha to create a watering chart to record on what has been watered and by whom. Preventing over or under watering of things.
- Clown room is going to make bird feeders - unfortunately there needs to be an eco-representative from this room to lead on this.
- The baby room is to make sensory baskets - this will be revisited in the spring.
- Litter walk in Dec or Jan TBC.
