Summer 14 Update Including Karaoke!

All the living roofs at the Centre are looking lush and verdant after spring rainfall and sunshine:

 

Roundhouse roof

 

Recycling Centre Roof

 

 

Dean Garden Room roof

 

As well as looking good they provide habitats and food for insects and help with retaining storm run off

The willow sculptures above the Tunnel System are also bushing well since planting in January.

 

We have installed a new sliding and concertinaing wall in the Dean Garden Room that separates the end of the building into a separate meeting room. This can then be opened back to create a larger space.

 

We  have also now equipped the main room with disco and Karaoke equipment for use by groups which is proving popular! 



General Update

Do you remember the heatwave during the Summer 2013? Our wildflower meadow roof turned to hay. It provided 5 bags of hay for Debbie's Guinea Pigs but we did wonder if the grass and flowers would ever grow back.

Well it's looking nice and green again now and is even growing mushrooms!

As this Blog shows, we are constantly developing things at DFSC and getting new things for our groups to have and use. We always ask for feedback and ideas at the end of a course from teachers and leaders but we've now installed a Suggestions Box in the entrance lobby that students can also add ideas to.

We look forward to hearing their suggestions and have already implemented one - buying a digital thermometer for staff to use when they suspect a child may have developed a temperature.

Please let us know if you have any good ideas to make a popular activity programmes or comfortable residential accommodation etc. even better.

We Love it When the Sun Shines!

Being on Outdoor Learning Centre we love it when the sun shines as our groups enjoy being outside in good weather. We now have even more reason to love it as we have just had 4 kWp Photo Voltaic Array installed on the roof of the Main Centre Building.

In under a week of use we've generated 50kWh of energy. Projected figures are that we should avoid 2,937 kg of CO2 emissions each year. Let's hope for lots more sunshine!