Green-fingered Ron Dearing UTC students are creating a colourful, wildlife-friendly environment to brighten up an external area of the Hull city centre school.
The Ecology, Conservation and Gardening group comprises of 10 Year 11 students and one Year 10 student who are all determined to improve the area’s outside space, next to the car park, and the car park entrance.
The students met with local resident Diana Lowthorpe, who has lived in the area for 25 years, to share their planting ideas and drawings as they prepare to spend their £1,000 budget on kick-starting the project.
Their ideas include perennials such as lavender and hydrangeas, as well as roses, honeysuckle which will be planted to climb up the wall of the school building, and several other plants which flower all year round. The students hope to attract pollinators while improving the area for local residents.
Year 11 student Sienna Williams, 16, said: “It’s exciting to do something proactive and practical to help make a difference and I love working as part of a team.
“We want to make it as nice as possible for the residents and improve the view for them with more colour.”
Fellow Year 11 student Skylar Dawson, 16, created most of the drawings to show Diana where they plan to position the plants and how they hope to bring their ideas to life.
Skylar said: “We’ve got a blank canvas to work from, which is great, and I’m really proud to be involved. I’m happy because Diana was very pleased with our ideas.”
Diana said she is looking forward to seeing the project come to fruition and hopes to support with watering the plants.
She said: “It’s a fantastic project and the students’ suggestions are great. I would love the wall to be covered in colour and the roses are a lovely idea too.
“The plants they’ve suggested are great for bees and butterflies, which is so important, and it’s all very positive. I look out onto the wall and it’s very exciting for me to know this project is starting so soon. I hope I’ll be able to pop out and help them.”
The group has been formed as part of Ron Dearing UTC’s extensive enrichment programme, which encourages students to embrace other cultural and inspiring interests alongside their studies.
Rory Graham, Biology teacher at Ron Dearing UTC, said: “We’re keen to attract pollinators and bring lots of colour and greenery to the area. It will be much prettier to look at once it’s complete.
“We hope we can get more students involved to maintain the area and I’m looking forward to seeing it progress.”