Eagle-eyed students join Sherwood Grange for the Big Garden Birdwatch

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Feb 08, 2019

Sherwood Grange had bird-feeders filled and binoculars at the ready when it took part in this year’s RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch, with the help of some local friends. 

Residents at Sherwood Grange participated in the annual wildlife survey, and recorded the number of birds, as well as other wildlife species, in their garden. 

Students from Robin Hood Primary School, who are regular visitors to the care home, joined residents to help make seed cakes to feed the birds. Everyone enjoyed getting their hands dirty and choosing the best spot to place the special treats in the garden.  

Residents also enjoyed a virtual reality ‘Flying with Birds’ session held by a local VR experience company, who popped by in the afternoon to give the residents a chance to experience a birds eye view!

2019 marks the 40th anniversary of the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch, which encourages people nationwide to count the birds in their gardens to allow the charity to monitor trends and understand how different species are doing. Data from over half a million people is then compared year-on-year to provide a snapshot of bird numbers across the UK.  

Rick Mayne, home manager at Sherwood Grange, said: “The birdwatch is always an incredibly popular activity with residents, so we were delighted that local students could join us to make this event even more special for everyone involved. All the residents enjoyed counting the creatures in our garden and creating seed cakes with pupils. The virtual reality experience was such an exciting activity, I think it might become a regular feature at Sherwood Grange! 

“Birdwatching gives older people a fantastic opportunity to get outdoors and be more active but it’s perfect for all levels of mobility. This wonderfully inclusive hobby can also be enjoyed across the generations and I know the pupils from Robin Hood School learned plenty of knowledge from the residents. We all had a fantastic time and will continue our hobby over the coming months.”