Biodiversity and Barley

Helping to launch Bees Needs week in Carnaby Street last year our pupils really enjoyed the activities set up by Reading University. We had a hard job moving them on from the pollinator awareness games and they came back literally buzzing about them to staff, teachers and pupils.

Simon Potts a professor of biodiversity and ecosystem at Reading kindly agreed to help up set up a cereal grain growing trial at Wicor to help us study insect populations among a popular farming food crop. Setting up three plots we will also study the wildflowers we will grow   Our whole school focus this year and beyond is insect decline. We want to help our local community learn more about it, learn how we can make a difference and gather some hard facts and research.

We will be growing barley and have Farmer Richard on hand to help with advice on preparation of the ground, supplying the same seed he uses and how and when to sow.

The plot was measured out on a blustery March day and plans are being drawn up…

After a week of serious turf stripping and digging we were ready to get the right tilth!