Birdbox project engages primary school children with the wild world around them

Publish Date: Friday October 4, 2024

Every primary school in Fife is to receive 10 bird boxes to inspire the next generation to become the guardians of the environment.

A total of 1,320 hand-built, wooden bird boxes have been built by Borders primary school teacher and founder of environmental business GreenTweed Eco, Tom Rawson.

GreenTweed Eco is working with Fife Coast and Countryside Trust, Fife Council, East Neuk Estates and Wemyss Estate on the ambitious Fife Primary Schools Birdbox Project. The business has run similar, award-winning programmes in the Borders, East Lothian, Perth and Kinross, Moray and Highland Council regions. In total, GreenTweed Eco has hand-built and delivered more than 6,000 birdboxes to Scottish primary schools.

Today, Tom delivered 10 birdboxes to Kirkcaldy North Primary School and STV News were there to film the arrival.

Tom said: “Putting nature into the eyeline of a generation of children has never been more important. We want these young people to grow up to be the future guardians of our environment.

“Engaging children with the wild world around them is a key aim of the Fife Primary Schools Birdbox project and I’m delighted to be working with Fife Coast and Countryside Trust, Fife Council, the East Neuk Estates and Wemyss Estate to deliver 10 birdboxes to every primary school in the Kingdom.”

Valuable lesson

Aidan Duncan, Education Manager at Fife Coast and Countryside Trust said: “The birdboxes will provide a valuable lesson in observing wildlife, encouraging biodiversity, and in patience! It might take a wee while for a family of birds to move in, but imagine the excitement when children start to see birds making a home in their birdboxes and fledging their brood.”

Fife Council’s environment spokesperson Cllr Jan Wincott said: “This is a fabulous project and I know all the children taking part will be so excited when these birdboxes become homes.

“It’s so important that our young people are learning about the wonderful world of nature and encouraging Fife’s rich biodiversity.”

The Fife Primary Schools Birdbox Project is being funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. It offers primary schools opportunities in citizen science, like carrying out breeding bird surveys. The important data they gather can then be reported into Fife Nature Records Centre.

Our main picture shows children from Kirkcaldy North Primary School with, from left: teacher Ross Thomason, Tom Rawson, Aidan Duncan, Cllr Jan Wincott.