FAMILIES living around Wheatfield Primary School in Bradley Stoke joined pupils, staff and parents at the start of a one-year project to improve the environment and wildlife areas.

The Wild About Nature scheme has attracted a grant of £9,450 from the Big Lottery Fund and £2,500 from the Friends of Wheatfield School.

Bradley Stoke mayor Ben Walker launched the project by sending families off on a bike ride around the town's nature reserve, while the school grounds were used for a treasure hunt, bird box building sessions and a contest to grow the tallest sunflower.

Head teacher Chris Dursley said local residents would be invited to events linked to the project throughout the year.

John Morris, who helped secure funding through his involvement with a community allotment, said: "The project includes making bird boxes and feeders for the school and people's gardens, hedge laying and dry stone wall training courses, so householders can have native hedges in their gardens."

He said there would also be a focus on gardening to benefit wildlife.

The school will work with a local conservation group to improve two local ponds, create new benches from carved timber and develop a mini nature trail.