Moss Wood Park’s batteries charge up school’s funding bid

Pink-footed geese, honey bees and dragonflies are helping a village school in Cockerham near Lancaster to wing its way to a valuable funding prize.

Cockerham CE Primary School is taking part in a county-wide initiative to collect used batteries for recycling – and the three top performing schools will win a cash bonus.

When nearby Moss Wood Caravan Park heard about the bid, it suspected that its holiday guests could help supercharge the efforts of the school’s 80 pupils.

Business owner Henry Wild says that many visitors are keen nature photographers – and earlier this summer, he issued a plea for them to donate their spent camera batteries.

A battery recycling station on the park, said Henry, is now busy at work, and the school can look forward to a new consignment from them when it re-opens in September.

Popular photo-subjects include the park’s many resident and visiting bird species, and the wide variety of aquatic life, including dragonflies, drawn by Moss Wood’s fishing pond.

The park has also created wild flower banks with high nectar-bearing blooms which attract honey bees and a raft of familiar and less common types of butterfly.

Family-run Moss Wood, established by the Wild family over 40 years ago, provides around 200 pitches for holiday homes, touring caravans and motorhomes.

Many visitors and holiday home owners, said Henry, have a fascination for the rich flora and fauna of the region – and enjoy capturing their sightings on camera:

“We have for many years organised a photo competition for guests which is very well supported, and has brought forward some stunning images,” said Henry.

“It occurred to us that there must be a fantastic number of camera batteries heading for the bin every week at the park, and that these could be put to better use.

“As soon as we told visitors that the local school could recycle their used batteries and put itself in-line for a funding pay-out, the response was terrific,” said Henry.

Moss Wood’s raft of initiatives to protect the natural environment led to its being presented once again this year with the prestigious David Bellamy Conservation Award at its top gold level.

Meanwhile, Henry says he expects another big battery boost this autumn when the area traditionally plays host to thousands of pink-footed geese which arrive from Iceland.

An especially memorable spectacle which always draws sharp-shooter, he says, is the frequent fly-pasts made by flocks over Moss Wood.

There is more information about Moss Wood Caravan Park at www.mosswood.co.uk