Care Residents Mark Earth Day

Since 1970, Earth Day has been marked annually on 22 April to encourage people to take time to appreciate the environment around them.

When the team at Duckyls Farm, a care home for adults with learning disabilities, discussed Earth Day’s steadfast commitment to end plastics for the sake of human and planetary health, they decided that they wanted to participate in some small way.

The team decided that their residents might enjoy recycling some plastic from the farm. Thinking creatively, they decided to use plastic water bottles as bird feeders on their 100 acre farm.

Residents Glen and Jason came together on April 22 for a ‘make and paint’ session where bottles were transformed into hanging bird feeders and painted.

The finished feeders have been hung up near to the farmhouse so the eight residents can watch the birds feeding. The new recycled feeders have been filled with peanuts which can attract a large variety of wild birds. The most common of these are likely to be finches, tits, woodpeckers and nuthatches.

Karen Tolton, Manager of Duckyls Farm said, “We want our Duckyls Farm residents who all have learning difficulties, to live their best lives. Sharing the significance of events like Earth Day is an important part of our ethos, as is including the veterans in activities around the farm. We have 100 acres so there are always things to be done, from feeding the rabbits and goats, to sweeping the pathways, helping in the garden and grooming the horses.

“As well as using the new bird feeders close to the farmhouse, so we can see the birds through the windows, we will hang one near to our new summer house so that when we are having a picnic or barbeque this summer, we can watch the birds feeding.”

Duckyls Farm near East Grinstead is run by the charity care provider Diagrama Foundation.