Children, parents, staff and friends of Llangynidr Community Primary School joined forces recently to create a new outdoor nature classroom.

The Community Grounds Day revived a disused and overgrown corner of the playing field, protecting a haven for wildlife and defining a space where the children can learn more about nature.

Pupils helped create habitats for hedgehogs, bees, butterflies, beetles, fungi and even snakes. They planted wildflower patches for pollinators and shovelled wood chip to revitalise the school’s Sensory Garden. Meanwhile, parents and volunteers strimmed, mowed, hammered and sawed, creating compost bins, erecting a poly tunnel and raised beds for the gardening club, and constructing a “dead hedge” as another wildlife habitat.

The day kicked off for the kids with a fast and furious pinecone pick-up race before they embarked on a “school safari” to identify and record how many species are already on the site. Kat Astley, a local parent, also gave a highly engaging chainsaw demonstration for the children.

Parents, governors and staff were joined on the day by Llangynidr councillor Jackie Charlton, who got stuck in with her spade. Martin, from the Talgarth voluntary group On the Verge, donated his time and expertise as well as wildflower seed for the children to sow.

Other local businesses stepped up too, with generous donations of machinery hire, plants, wood chip, compost and a magnificent oak slab table top and tree stump stools.

At the end of the day pupils from the school’s Criw Cymraeg sold hot chocolate, tea, coffee and biscuits to pupils and parents as part of Shwmae Su’mae Day, encouraging both children and grown-ups alike to speak Welsh.

Headteacher, Mrs Siân Shepherdson, said: “The children had an amazing time and were very excited to see the changes taking place over the course of the day.

“We’re extremely grateful to those who gave us donations and for those who volunteered their time. It was lovely to see the enthusiasm of everyone coming together.

“A particular thanks to Matt and Jason, from Speedy Hire in Merthyr Tydfil and B. Jenkins & Sons in Brecon, for their generosity, as well as all the lovely people from Abergavenny Garden Centre who donated such beautiful plants.”

The children’s activities on the day were structured around the new curriculum for Wales with the aim of developing healthy, confident individuals and ethically informed citizens.

Next in the school’s sights will be creating a wildlife pond in the hope of attracting yet more biodiversity to this beautiful corner of the Brecon Beacons.