Small Heath School

We are delighted to be able to protect rainforest in heavily threatened areas. We hope to persuade others within the education sector to do likewise.

Richard Riley, Small Heath School

Britain's first inner city rainforest

Cool Earth is bringing a bit of Brazil to Birmingham by launching its schools programme in the city.

The Small Heath school will be the first of over 200 schools which will be endowed with a tranche of pristine rainforest the size of the its premises.

To mark the launch of the partnership on 4th March 2008, Small Heath and Cool Earth delivered a 'Brazil' day for pupils to bring the Amazon rainforest to life for students.

A live web link was established with one of our projects in Brazil providing pupils with a unique opportunity to learn about the importance of the forest to the local way of life. The school is also being provided with materials like brazil nuts and model poison dart frogs and other teaching resources, to help staff communicate the importance of the forest to bio-diversity and climate.

By giving children stewardship for rainforest, as well as a real connection with local communities and information about the importance of tropical trees, Cool Earth hopes schools like Small Heath can give children a real sense of responsibility for the environment and rainforests in particular.

Below is a YouTube video made by Small Heath School student Afeefa to mark Brazil Day. Some pupils from Small Heath were chosen to work alongside British Airways with the aim of helping to stop deforestation. To see them all go to YouTube and type-in "shsGeographyVideos".