Royal Northern Countryside Initiative keeps sowing seeds of learning through pandemic with Windowsill Garden Project for north-east schools
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A NORTH-EAST educational charity has had a huge response from local schools for a windowsill gardening project launched amid the pandemic.
Covid-19 has forced the Royal Northern Countryside Initiative (RNCI) to halt its usual school and farm visits over the last 12 months.
However, the educational charity came up with its Windowsill Garden Project to ensure children could continue to learn about where food comes from.
The RNCI visits schools across the region to give demonstrations and talks in its Countryside Classroom on Wheels.
Alison Johnston, RNCI project manager, said: "We launched our Windowsill Garden Project back in March – a growing kit including beans, peas, cress, radish and salad along with instructions, and the hope was that it would be a fun, educational project that primary schools could undertake with their pupils.
"Easy-to-manage, quick-growing seeds were chosen that could be grown, harvested and enjoyed by pupils during the course of the term.
"It was hard to know how much interest there would be, but we were overwhelmed by the response we had from the schools, and ended up distributing over 400 kits in total to 121 schools stretching from Forres to Fraserburgh and from Aberdeen to Braemar.
"This has meant that almost 10,000 pupils have been given the kits and will hopefully enjoy a fun learning experience."
With the kits provided free of charge to schools, the charity reached out to local businesses for help to source the trays, seeds and compost.
Threaplands Garden Centre at Lhanbryde and Raemoir Garden Centre in Banchory helped provide materials.
Alison said the support from local businesses, RNCI benefactors and volunteers had been astonishing.
Claire Green, RNCI project assistant, used her farm shed as a Covid-safe production line where she and Alison spent hours assembling the packs before the kits were delivered by RNCI volunteers around the north-east.
Claire said: "We’re really looking forward to seeing how the children get on. We’ve asked schools to share their photos and feedback with us over the coming weeks which we’ll share on our social media channels so more families can learn more about growing their own food and where it comes from."
With most of the hard work from the charity now done, all that’s needed now is some sun and warmth to help the plants grow.
