Earlier this year the High Weald AONB Partnership held a competition for local schoolchildren to design original artwork celebrating the 70th anniversary of AONBs.
Pupils at The Meads Primary School in East Grinstead and Maynards Green Community Primary in Heathfield produced a range of inspiring and creative drawings featuring messages such as ‘Keep the beauty of nature’, ‘Save animals and plants’ and ‘I love outdoors’.
Both schools are part of the High Weald Heroes education scheme, which uses the rich landscape heritage of the area to help KS1 and 2 children develop a life-long connection with the natural world around them.
Eight winners were selected by High Weald Education Officer, Rachel. Their colourful designs (pictured above) celebrate our beautiful landscape and wildlife, as well as farming and enjoyment of the countryside. The images will decorate our home page slideshow for the rest of the year.
The competition was one of several activities marking the platinum anniversary of the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act which paved the way for the creation of the UK’s 46 AONBs and protected these treasured areas for everyone to enjoy.
The 1949 vision of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and National Parks was considered complementary to the newly-formed NHS. A new ‘Natural Health Service’ – giving people access to the countryside for exercise, enjoyment and mental health benefits – was seen as preventing illness; while the NHS was designed to help people if they became sick.
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High Weald Heroes education scheme
AONB designation