A natural inspiration!

Fran Taylor was surprised with the special award by colleague Joan Sanger at the monthly Wildlife Watch after-school club held at Worksop’s Redlands Primary School.

Joan said Fran deserves the Rose for her tireless commitment in encouraging children to have a “love and understanding for the world around them”.

“She really is a star and the children love her - she always has time for everybody,” she said.

“Her enthusiasm for nature really brims over and she knows how to transmit it to the children. She really is an inspiration to us all.”

She added: “She is also involved in the community garden in Manton and travels to all these activities on her bicycle. What a super lady!”

Fran set up the after-school club around five years ago and it has soon attracted a keen following among Year 4 children, with many younger pupils on a waiting list for the coming year.

She arranges for special guest speakers to talk to the children about different animals and has also built up a comprehensive pack of resources for a range of activities.

Children learn about creatures such as hedgehogs and bats during the winter months, and then head out to investigate the school pond during the summer.

They then take pictures of their finds and compile a special diary to record their experiences of nature throughout the seasons.

Fran, who also runs an Eco Warriors group with older children in the school, said she was shocked to be presented with the award.

“My children are all older now, and so it’s really great to be able to encourage younger children to get excited about nature,” she said.

“I really am passionate about wildlife and the children are so full of enthusiasm.”