Beach lessons for hundreds a big hit at Lytham's Park View 4U

The aim of the project was to inspire the next generation of coastline custodians, helping them to learn how to protect and maintain this important environmental habitat.

Ten sessions were delivered over almost five months to home-educated families, school groups and the public with activities including surveys along the strandline to look for evidence of marine life, identifying plants and wildlife in the sand dunes and rockpools, and looking at careers from education to conservation.

Park View 4U education manager, Julie Norman, said: “We were delighted when Totally Rotary FY8 asked us to engage with young people through Beach School and to encourage them to find out more about how they can protect this important wildlife habitat.

“It was the biggest project we had done of its kind.

“The feedback we have received has been incredible, families who attended our rock pooling sessions said that even though it was raining, it was still the best activity they had done all summer.

“Many of the adults said they had been as engaged as the children and had a new understanding of the different habitats and wildlife along the Fylde coast.

“During our strandline survey the children discovered fascinating clues of wildlife on our shores and we also looked at careers and explored the opportunities for the children to work along our coast when they are older.

“The children voted on which job they would most like to do, invariably they wanted to work with our Beach School partners Lancashire Wildlife Trust to protect our shores.”

Pupils from St Thomas CE Primary School in St Annes were among those taking part.

Julie added: “Our final sessions were with pupils from St Thomas CE Primary School and home educated families who looked at the damage litter causes to our marine habitats and then created some incredible artwork to reflect the message from Fylde Council – ‘Leave Only Footprints’ using natural materials.”

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