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Peat Pen Pals (2024-), school-engagement work, Lye Valley Nature Reserve & Wood Farm Primary School, Oxford.
Peat Pen Pals was a guided site visit and creative workshop with Year 5 students from Wood Farm Primary School, developed in collaboration with RE-PEAT and Earthwatch’s Naturehood programme. The session introduced students to the history, ecology, and conservation work at Oxford’s Lye Valley Nature Reserve – a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and one of the most ecologically important wetland habitats in the country.
The Lye Valley is a 14,000-year-old, internationally rare tufa-forming valley-head alkaline spring fen. Only 19 hectares of this habitat type remain in England, and the Lye Valley represents 1.5 of those precious hectares. It supports over 20 species of rare plants in Oxfordshire, 14 of which are listed on the England Red List of Endangered Species. It is also home to ten species of rare invertebrates and 27 species of nationally scarce invertebrates – including soldier flies and glow worms – as well as thriving populations of reptiles and amphibians.
Students were invited to explore the site with all their senses – observing its colours and forms, listening to the subtle soundscape of water and wind, smelling the earthy richness of the fen, and feeling the textures of plants and peat beneath their hands. A “fen quiz” encouraged curiosity and sparked conversation about the interconnected life of the reserve and the importance of protecting it for future generations.
The workshop then continued back at Wood Farm Primary School, where students took part in a letter-writing session, reflecting on their visit and sharing their impressions of the Lye Valley. These letters were addressed to Year 5 students at Clooneyquinn National School in Ireland, who will in turn reflect on their own experiences during a similarly structured workshop at their local peatland. That workshop in Ireland is hosted by members of the Bog Academy, a project initiated by RE-PEAT.
Through this creative exchange, Peat Pen Pals not only deepened the students’ understanding of their local peatland but also fostered an international connection, allowing them to share perspectives, learn from peers abroad, and recognise peatlands as vital ecosystems that connect communities across borders.
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A special thank you to the creative Year 5 students at Wood Farm Primary School and their class teacher, Nick Stanton; to Dr Judy Webb, Ecological Consultant and Head of the Volunteering Programme at the Lye Valley Nature Reserve, Oxford; and to the children at Clooneyquinn National School in Ireland for their thoughtful participation in this exchange.