Sunday 23rd June saw two members of Northgate’s Orchard Committee, alongside their teacher, attend the Norfolk Community Biodiversity Awards, held at The Forum, in Norwich. It was an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of some amazing groups, communities and individuals and recognise the hard work going into improving biodiversity in Norfolk. There were 26 nominations across 6 categories and the judging panel had a very difficult task deciding on the winners and runners up. Nick Acheson, a naturalist, conservationist, and presenter, gave the key note speech and said those present were standing up to say enough of biodiversity loss. All of the nominated projects are inspiring others around them and young people, in particular, hold the key to the future.
The first award to be presented was for Young Peoples Achievement. Northgate High School was incredibly proud to be announced as the winners! Orchard Committee members, Annabelle and Akhina, alongside Miss Theobald, who leads the group, accepted the framed winner’s certificate from the category sponsor, Lanpro. Miss Theobald commented, ‘The Orchard at Northgate not only allows our students to learn new skills and work with others, but also to connect with nature and have a positive impact on biodiversity. The award recognises the hard work put in by a dedicated group of students over the past couple of years. It was lovely to be at an event where so many inspiring projects were being recognised.’
The Orchard Committee meets weekly after school in The Orchard, a special outdoor area on the school site. Not only does The Orchard contain seven Norfolk Heritage apple trees and a flourishing wildflower area, but students are also establishing their own mini tree nursery, growing trees from seeds. They have worked on a number of projects over the last year including planting a hedgerow, taking part in a BioBlitz event at Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse and their most recent project, ‘Bugingham Palace’, a huge bug mansion taking pride of place at the entrance to The Orchard.
