Dear Head teacher

RSPB Sparrow Friendly Schools Project

You may have read in the press recently of the decline of the house sparrow from our gardens, towns and countryside. The house sparrow population has dropped by more than 50% in the last 25 years and has now been added to the Red List, a list that indicates bird species of high conservation concern.

The results of the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch in January this year show that there are thriving populations of house sparrows within many school grounds. We are looking for 50 schools across East Anglia to take part in an exciting project to help these birds. Each school taking part in the project will be supplied with nest boxes, a feeding station and bird food. Once the boxes are in place we will ask the school to carry out a simple sparrow survey in the school grounds during the breeding season.

This project could be used as part of the National Curriculum, especially Science Key Stage 1 (Sc2) & Key Stage 2 (Sc2) along with PSHE and Citizenship, Mathematics and Geography. This scheme has been funded by a donation from The Restore UK Charitable Trust, which has allowed the RSPB to purchase the nest boxes, feeding stations and bird food to be given to the schools.

If you are interested in your school taking part, please complete the reply slip and post it back to us by 19 October 2002. Not all schools which respond can be shortlisted for the project. However we will be pleased to provide all schools who reply with details of how to play a part in stopping the alarming decline of this much loved and well known bird.

If you have any questions, concerning the project, please do not hesitate to contact us. Thank you for your time and help.

Yours faithfully

Kate Hawkes

RSPB sparrow friendly schools coordinator

RSPB Sparrow Friendly Schools Project

Please complete this reply slip if you wish your school to be put

forward for this project and return it to the RSPB Sparrow Friendly

Schools Project at the above address by the 19 October 2002.

Staff contact name

Staff contact title

School address

Postcode

Telephone number e-mail

Location of school Rural Semi-rural Suburban Urban

In your school grounds do you have: -

A population of house sparrows Yes No Not sure

Nest boxes already sited Yes No Not sure

A feeding station / table Yes No Not sure

If it were possible, would you like a visit from a RSPB representative, to advise on improving your school grounds for birds and becoming a “bird friendly” school.

Yes No