Oundle School: Championing Biodiversity Through Rewilding and Sustainability

Oundle School, a large co-educational boarding school in the heart of Oundle, provides exceptional education and facilities to over 1,000 pupils and many staff members. The school’s 120 hectares of grounds not only support sports and recreation but also serve as a vital resource for environmental stewardship. With the dedication of an outstanding grounds and gardens team, Oundle School has embraced sustainability as a core value, achieving Green accreditation through its significant progress in biodiversity, re-wilding, and community engagement.

The Challenge: Balancing Sports Facilities with Biodiversity

As a large institution with extensive grounds, Oundle School faced the dual challenge of maintaining high-quality sports and recreational facilities while improving biodiversity. Margins of playing fields and other underutilized areas offered opportunities for re-wilding and habitat creation, but this required careful planning and a commitment to long-term sustainability.

The school aimed to transform its land into thriving ecosystems, supporting a diverse range of species while engaging pupils and the local community in environmental conservation. This involved implementing sustainable land management practices and creating habitats to support pollinators, birds, and other wildlife.

Creating a Sustainable and Biodiverse Campus

Over the past three years, Oundle School has implemented numerous initiatives to promote biodiversity:

• Rewilding and Habitat Creation:
  Over 10% of the school’s land has been dedicated to re-wilding, allowing rough grasslands and natural hedgerows to flourish. A Jubilee Wood was established, engaging pupils, staff, and local communities in planting trees and creating wildlife habitats.
• Enhancing Woodland:
  Heron Rogers Wood, a 16-hectare mature woodland, is managed in collaboration with Rockingham Forest Vision Trust. Woodland thinning, planting of native species, and the creation of newt scrapes have increased biodiversity and created diverse habitats.
• Orchards and Meadows:
  Multiple orchards have been planted, and wildflower meadows now cover approximately three hectares, providing year-round food sources for pollinators. This has led to the reappearance of Pyramidal and Bee Orchids, species not previously seen at the school.
• Community and Pupil Engagement:
  Pupils actively monitor biodiversity through activities like moth trapping, bat detection, and pollinator surveys. Data is collected using the iNaturalist app, while the school’s photographic group records seasonal changes. Local partnerships have led to projects like installing tawny owl boxes in collaboration with the Oundle Nature Recovery Group.
• Sustainability in Operations:
  Battery-powered gardening equipment has replaced traditional tools, and organic waste is composted for use on-site. Additionally, 25 nest boxes were built by pupils using reclaimed timber from the school’s Technology Centre.

The Impact: A Thriving Green Space for People and Wildlife

Oundle School’s efforts have yielded impressive results:

• Achieved Green accreditation, a testament to its commitment to sustainability.
• Enhanced habitats across the grounds, supporting diverse wildlife, including the return of two orchid species.
• Engaged pupils in meaningful conservation activities, fostering environmental awareness and skills.
• Strengthened connections with the local community through collaborative projects.
• Over 4000 square metres of land sown with meadow seed