STUDENTS at a Peterchurch school embarked on a conservation day to improve the natural habitats for wildlife in the school grounds.

A group of year 10 students at Fairfield High School took part in the environmental awareness day as part of their BTEC first diploma in sport, following the outdoor education route.

As well as completing activities in mountaineering, gorge walking, caving and rock-climbing, the students are also working towards the John Muir Award, which promotes environmental awareness and responsibility.

It has four elements, discovering and exploring a wild place, doing something to conserve it, and sharing those experiences with other people.

The conservation task gave the students the opportunity to do something practical for wildlife in the school grounds and the tasks included clearing bramble areas to plant wild flowers, building dead wood piles for fungi, insects, toads and newts and digging a ditch to improve the drainage of the site.

They also planted several hundred plants which will provide pollen and nectar for insects, and built hedgehog homes, which will provide dry, insulated places for hedgehogs to nest and hibernate.

Further plans for the site include planting native trees and building seating for a unique outdoor classroom.