Tarvin Community Woodland Jim Grogan Countryside and Wildlife Award 2016

On July 19th the whole of Tarvin Primary School assembled in the Community
Woodland to celebrate the sixth annual Jim Grogan Countryside and Wildlife
Award which was won by Cara Mulligan of year four. The award-winning
Community Woodland adjoins the school and plays a significant role in the
life of the school. Also attending were several trustees of the Tarvin
Community Woodland Trust.

The headmaster, Andrew Davies, praised the woodland as a resource for the
school and also the trustees for all the work they do to develop and
maintain the woodland. The award selection process had been stringent with
in school and out of school activities being considered. This year's stand
out winner is Cara Mulligan of year 4 and he read out the citation that had
been fixed into the commemorative book that is on permanent display in the
school's entrance hall.

Cara has always had a love for nature and wildlife from a young age. She is
a member of the Cheshire Wildlife Trust and regularly attends local wildlife
watch events, which are held in Tarvin Woodland. Activities and projects
that she has been involved in have included 'bug hotel' construction, nest
building and forest art.

Cara has actively participated in Tarvin Flower Show for the last three years, the crowning moment being the winning of first prize for her miniature secret garden. As well as this, she has won
second prize for her artwork and last year brought home the Lichfield Shield
(overall best in show for children) for her picture of a tree creeper.

Cara loves to identify wildflowers and trees and has a good knowledge of the
local flora and fauna that occupy Tarvin Woodland. As well as this, Cara
has developed a real understanding of the wildlife, and in particular the
birds, that are to be found in the local area. Her love of this was most
aptly demonstrated when, last year, she spent six weeks getting up at 6am
every morning to walk down to the Roman Bridges to view the nesting
Kingfishers. Cara also takes the responsibility for encouraging the
wildlife In the family garden. She feeds the birds, although she does get
cross when the pigeons eat all the food! Furthermore, she grows wildflowers
every year from seed.

Stuart Exell, Chairman of the Trustees said that the award was so important
to Jim Grogan and how pleased he would have been that it has been such a
success for six years now. He then presented Cara with her certificate, a
commemorative plaque and a book token. He expressed the hope that in the
future some of the children present would become trustees and take the
woodland forward. In a surprise move, a group of year 5 girls presented Stuart with £80 that
they had raised for the Woodland from a cake sale they organised.

The Jim Grogan Countryside and Wildlife Award is presented annually to the
pupil of Tarvin Primary School who is considered to have the greatest
breadth of knowledge and the best understanding of the animals and plants
that make up the immediate environment of Tarvin School and Tarvin Village.
The Woodland has since been awarded a seventh consecutive Green Flag Award
from the scheme that acknowledges excellence in Parks and Green Spaces"