Discovering the Cove is an exciting project designed to connect local schools and their communities with nearby wild spaces – raising awareness of the importance of local coastal habitats and wildlife species.

Following the successful delivery of phase 1 with Furzeham Primary school, the team behind The Cove Project will replicate the programme in two more Brixham primary schools: Eden Park Primary and Church of England Primary.

They will introduce the children to local coastal wildlife and habitats through a series of presentations, workshops, and field trips to Churston Cove, and share underwater footage of the wonders that lie hidden just a few metres from their local coast, replicateing the model they developed with Furzeham Primary.

Project deliverables:

• Presentations to the whole school in assemblies – introducing The Cove Discovery Project, focussing on local marine life, habitat, and human/wildlife coexistence. Talks will include impacts of marine litter and highlight initiatives such as their Crab Line and Drop Net Recycling Scheme to raise awareness of how to reduce the negative impact of crabbing locally.
• A series of field trips to Churston Cove – creating nature walks highlighting the many habitats, and identifying as many species as possible, logging them into I-Naturalist. Field trips are complemented by accessible wildlife boat trips in Torbay provided through a partnership with a local company offering a specially adapted boat to accommodate wheelchair users.
• A series of creative workshops inspired by The Cove presentations and field trips to further engage the children in thinking about the native wildlife species they’ve been introduced to. Working with the school’s design and technology department to create eco crab lines, made from recycled, repurposed, biodegradable, and eco-friendly materials; and in the latter part of the Autumn term, offering the children the chance to create wildlife art-based Christmas presents for their families.

A huge thank you to Rockfish for generously funding The Cove Project again.

Images courtesy of The Cove Project.

Discover the Cove featured in our video series, The Nature Restorers, created by Earth Minutes below.