This Is Guernsey

By Zoe Ash

Farmer Andrew de Garis has again impressed judges with his conservation work. (Picture by Peter Frankland, 0585409)

A FARMER’S labour of love has won a top conservation award. Andrew de Garis took the main prize in the 19th annual Insurance Corporation Conservation Awards – the second time he has gained the major honour.

The St Saviour’s farmer, who also won in 2004, accepted the award for two projects: a wet meadow at Les Domaines, St Peter’s, and an area of woodland and grassland at Les Fauxquets. St Mary and St Michael Roman Catholic Primary won the schools category for its gardening and conservation project, which was started only in April. Both the school and Mr de Garis received £2,000.

Mr de Garis was thrilled to win. ‘What I’m trying to achieve in the meadow is the highest possible range of biodiversity,’ he said. ‘It’s been a very enjoyable project and it is really coming into its own at the moment. It will be at its best in the next few weeks.’

He said the competition raised awareness of what exists in Guernsey and that it did not happen by accident – it took a lot of work, advice and expertise.

‘We were particularly impressed with Andrew’s beautiful meadow in St Peter’s,’ said Peter Walpole, chairman of the judges.

‘As a farmer and a conservationist, he has managed successfully to balance man’s work with nature’s needs.

‘He has sympathetically maintained and improved the area.’

Environment minister Peter Sirett, who presented the awards at Les Cotils yesterday, said the amount of wildlife thriving in the meadows and wetlands was amazing.

‘The whole area has reverted to nature,’ he said, adding that all the projects entered had contributed to making Guernsey a better place to live.

Prize money will enable the pupils at St Mary and St Michael to replace a fence with shrub hedging at their new conservation area.

The area was originally marked out in 1990 but had become overgrown and the greenhouse blew down in the storms last winter.

‘It was a real mess and the children kept saying, “what are we going to do about it”,’ said Year 3 teacher Angela Greening.

Students from Years 3 and 4 are involved. They started to clear the area and not only found a pond but discovered that frogs were living in it.

‘The children have really got into it,’ she said.

Mr Walpole said teachers’ enthusiasm was infectious.

‘If you can trigger interest in young people, it is not only good for their future but for their children’s future,’ said Mr Walpole.

Access Group, part of the College of Further Education, was also considered exceptional and its farm project in Rue de la Perruque received a special prize of £500.

Article posted on 29th May, 2008 - 2.29pm