Pupils from St Teilo’s School in Tenby recently explored ‘Cynefin’ and enjoyed clay and collage at Picton Castle Gardens.

The teaching curriculum for Wales now places emphasis on ‘Cynefin’ which requires an appreciation of the place where we belong, the relationship between people and the natural world.

With this in mind, a grant from the Arts Society of West Wales supported a visit by 22 pupils from Years 5 and 6 of St Teilo’s Roman Catholic School, to explore Picton Castle Gardens, one sunny day in May.

The aim was for the children to enjoy creating some nature-based artwork stimulated by their outdoor exploration of the gardens.

The day was led by Picton Heritage and Learning Officer, Kate Barrett, with support from class teacher Sophie Frearson and volunteers from The Arts Society.

Further inspiration for the project came from the work of Andy Galsworthy, a British sculptor who uses only natural materials to create his work, leaving no permanent mark on the environment.

A discussion on the importance of biodiversity was followed by a visit to the wildlife garden to see the hedgehog house, insect and bat hotels.

Great excitement was generated by dipping in the lily ponds for water skaters and other aquatic wildlife. Walking a trail through the woodland, the children used binoculars to spot birds and magnifying glasses to examine their smaller finds.

By mid-morning the children had reached the Bamboozlum, a small bamboo forest leading to a climbable maze of tree branches amongst which they enjoyed a fresh fruit snack provided by the Young Arts Group.

After lunch, one group of children settled down in the education centre where they each modelled an animal of their choice in clay.

The other children gathered under and amongst the branches of the amazing Great Twisted Cedar Tree.

From a collection of leaves, pebbles, blossoms, fir cones, feathers and other natural materials, with a lot of running around and enthusiasm, each child produced a collage on the ground, or balanced on the branches of this spectacular tree.

Each artistic creation was photographed before being returned to nature. The groups then changed round so that each child participated in both activities.

From degree of engagement and enthusiasm shown, the diverse and delightful art generated, it was clear that this was a joyful and successful day.