Pupils mark wildlife legend’s 100th birthday

Pupils from across South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust celebrated the 100th birthday of legendary broadcaster and natural historian Sir David Attenborough with a day of wildlife-inspired activities, creativity and outdoor learning.

Schools across the trust joined thousands of children nationwide in a live assembly hosted by wildlife presenter Steve Backshall, celebrating Sir David’s lifelong dedication to the natural world and environmental education.

At Chetwynde Primary School, pupils immersed themselves in a full day of nature-themed activities. Children created picture collages of animals, wrote animal-themed and acrostic poetry, and took part in an orienteering trail around the school grounds, following clues and collecting letters that eventually spelled out “Attenborough”.

Pupils also worked together to create a giant “100” using natural materials gathered from the environment, ahead of a special drone photograph. Artwork and poetry inspired by Sir David and the natural world were displayed in the school theatre for parents and visitors to enjoy.

Adding to the celebrations, Marion and Sally from Cumbria Wildlife Trust visited the school to deliver a talk about local coastal wildlife and introduced pupils to a variety of rock pool creatures.

The day concluded with parents viewing the children’s work and a cake sale to raise money for Cumbria Wildlife Trust.

Lyndsay Venter, teacher at Chetwynde Primary School, who helped to organise the event along with Katie Stepanian Head of Early Years and Key Stage 1 said it had been a brilliant day.

“The reason I wanted to organise it is because I love nature – David Attenborough is my hero – and I think we are in a unique position where we can inspire children to care about our planet and the things on it from a young age, which they will hopefully carry with them into adulthood.”

At Ormsgill Nursery and Primary School, parents and grandparents joined pupils for the celebrations as part of the school’s Family Friday initiative. Children created 3D birthday cards, wildlife-inspired watercolour paintings, pieces of writing about Sir David Attenborough’s life and even produced their own nature documentaries narrated in an Attenborough style.

Headteacher Mick Cull said: “It was great to link it to our Family Friday event so the pupils could not only showcase their skills but mums, dads and grandparents could all join in the celebration.”

At Cambridge Primary School, Year 4 pupils marked the occasion by creating double-page spreads about Sir David Attenborough after learning about his life and work.

Children also watched part of Sir David’s recent documentary Secret Gardens and explored the work of local BBC wildlife cameraman Lindsay McCrae, who filmed swallows in the Lake District for the series. Inspired by what they had seen, pupils visited the school’s wildlife area to try filming nature themselves.

Meanwhile, at Newbarns School, pupils celebrated with a special Forest School session, creating a large flower collage in the shape of “100”, producing nature drawings and singing “Happy Birthday” to Sir David.

Steve Jefferson, Chetwynde Headteacher and Acting Chief Executive of SCMAT, said events in schools had been a fantastic way to mark the milestone of such an inspirational figure.

“Across our schools there are great outdoor spaces to learn, a commitment to Forest Schools and a collective vision to encourage our pupils to think about their environments and care for the natural world.”

Share!