Leapfrog Prisons

Leapfrog: Connecting Prisons with Nature Our Leapfrog Prisons programme is an expansion of our Leapfrog Schools programme and offers similar opportunities including a range of accessible and inclusive options to help prisoners learn more about amphibians and reptiles and benefit from engaging with nature.  Froglife can: Provide expertise and people power to transform your prison grounds.  Ponds are an incredible place to learn about nature and the wildlife we share the world with.  Engaging with the natural world is proven to benefit people’s health and wellbeing.  Froglife is keen for every prison to have access to a wildlife area in or near their grounds Facilitate both indoor and outdoor educational sessions If you are interested in taking part in the project and would like to find out more about the options available and charges please get in touch with sheila.gundry@froglife.org or call 01733 602102

Leapfrog Prisons Case Study

HMP Peterborough

In the summer of 2016 Froglife worked with HMP Peterborough’s Mother and Baby Unit (MBU) to transform their outdoor area into a haven for wildlife and the families using it. Staff at HMP Peterborough had already been working hard to make the garden a vibrant and educational space, but also felt that it was important to encourage wildlife to the area where possible and provide the opportunity for children to learn about our native species from a young age.

Froglife’s Ecologist was able to draw up some proposals for the site which included the addition of a bog garden filled with native aquatic plant species providing a wet area, diversifying the habitats available on site, without the potential risks to very young children associated with areas of open water such as ponds. The works resulted in a colourful, interactive and educational area. The garden now boasts a number of ‘homes for wildlife’, including bug hotels and bird boxes and also benefited from additional planting to increase biodiversity and provide a sensory garden for the children including species with bright colours and different textures and smells. Emma Baker, temporary Lead Nursery Nurse, was delighted with the results commenting that Froglife staff ‘thought out of the box, providing a natural and safe environment for the children to explore’.

For information on Froglife’s other education projects, click here.