BUTTERFLIES will be flocking to a new wildlife garden at a primary school in Harpenden.

Manland Primary School on Sauncey Avenue has been raising money for months to transform a patch of disused land in the playground and last week Harpenden Mayor Daniel Chichester-Miles stopped off to officially open the revamped wildlife garden.

As well as cutting back the weeds and putting in a new path, the garden is now home to an array of colourful plants, a new bird table and even a pond, which the children will help develop in an attempt to attract all sorts of wildlife to Manland. It is hoped that the garden, which was developed by teacher and eco-co-ordinator Jennie Price, is the first step in making the school sustainable, and a special eco committee has even been drawn together from all year groups in an attempt to push the changes through.

School secretary Julie James, who has already enjoyed a walk around the new garden, said that there was plenty in store for the garden: “We’ve even been asking parents to donate old wellington boots, so we can plant flowers in them! The whole point is to try and make it a fun place for the children to be, and it’s such an improvement on the wasteland it used to be.”