Pupils at Plascrug School, Aberystwyth, have unveiled their new boardwalk and nature area.

Officially opened by Elin Jones MS, parents, pupils and staff gathered last month to see the incredible transformation of the grounds.

The once wet, muddy, almost unusable area behind the school is now accessible, with walkways and plants turning the area into a wildlife haven and an extra educational area.

The improvements have been made thanks to a collaboration between the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and the school, who invited a landscape gardener to investigate the area and won grants to complete the work.

Before and after photographs show part of the dramatic transformation of Plascrug School's outdoor area
Before and after photographs show some of the dramatic transformation of Plascrug School's outdoor area (Pictures supplied)

The green space offers children and community groups a safe traffic-free place to connect with nature.

Most homes in Aberystwyth town centre do not have gardens, so this is the main outdoor play area for some children.

Pupils have taken great pride in looking after their outdoor space through planting and watering schedules, forest school, and volunteering at weekend tidy-ups.

In 2023 Dyfi Biosphere funding of £3,000 enabled the creation of a pond and nature area, boosting biodiversity and providing new learning opportunities.

For decades, access to the nature and wooded area, which led to the school field, was compacted, waterlogged, and inaccessible for much of the year, limiting access to the school’s main green space, except in the driest of months. It was also not a home for wildlife.

Last year, the PTA secured £2,000 from Aberystwyth Town Council, and £31,600 from Welsh Government’s Local Places for Nature Grant Scheme, through the Ceredigion Nature Partnership, to construct a 100m boardwalk out of hard-wearing, rot-proof materials.

The grant also supported planting wet areas either side of the boardwalk with native water-loving wildflower plants to create a bog garden and new wildlife habitat, increasing biodiversity.

Additional funding came from CKs Foodstores, the Aberystwyth War Memorial Fund, and Learning Through Landscapes.

Michael Allman, Chair of Plascrug School's governing body, Hannah Lee and Joanna Jordan from the PTA, Headteacher Carol Macy, Elin Jones MS, Steve Williams, Aberystwyth Town Council Assets and Facilities Manager, and Cllr Alun Williams. Photo: Julie McNicholls Vale
Michael Allman, Chair of Plascrug School's governing body, Hannah Lee and Joanna Jordan from the PTA, Headteacher Carol Macy, Elin Jones MS, Steve Williams, Aberystwyth Town Council Assets and Facilities Manager, and Cllr Alun Williams. Photo: Julie McNicholls Vale (Copyright: See previous)

The boardwalk has increased access to the wooded, nature, and field areas all year round, and the school’s 456 pupils use the area on a daily basis for both play and learning.

With the outdoor area now more accessible, the school has been able to launch a Forest School initiative, which includes weekly after-school clubs for Key Stage 2 pupils, as well as weekly lessons for Year 1 students.

The children thoroughly enjoy engaging with the environment and actively request to take part in conservation-type activities in order to protect and enhance their green spaces, such as litter picking and making ‘hotels’ for solitary bees to nest in. Year 6 have been growing World War Two inspired vegetables to support their learning.

Plascrug School has also established a valuable partnership with Aberystwyth University. A second year university student studying Agriculture with Business Management has been visiting weekly to help children plant and grow produce sold at the Summer Fayre.

A local church also uses the outdoor space monthly for their work, and organised a family fun day there on 17 May, and a six-week Bwyd a Hwyl holiday enrichment programme will run from there this summer.