This project involves planning the structure of the fence, the removal of the existing fence, and calculating and purchasing enough material to rebuild the fence. The material would then have to be cut to size and installed as a new fence. Alternately, areas of the fence most affected could be replaced and painted to look the same. A completely new fence build gives the opportunity for a differently designed, perhaps more aesthetically looking fence to be built for minimal cost.
Option two: Installation of bird boxes around the farm site
A lot of small birds and pigeons nest in the roof of the main barn and the indoor playbarn at Bocketts. The birds then excrete from their nesting sites in the roof throughout the year, creating piles of bird droppings below. These are always in the same place, and build up after a while so are constantly removed. Pigeons are known to spread disease, and as the barn is used mainly by the public while viewing the animals, and the playbarn is used almost exclusively by children, there is a risk of illness being spread by these nuisance birds.
It is thought that if bird boxes were installed outside of the barns, or in areas where it is safer, the birds may favour the shelter of the bird boxes to their nest sites. This project would involve designing and building bird boxes using materials already existing on the farm, or by buying in wood and other materials. The tools and expertise required are already at Bocketts.
Option three: Install information signs around the farm
Information boards about the species or breeds of particular animals on display are distributed around the farm. However, they are not in place for some of the breeds or exhibits. Rodney the pot bellied pig is lacking an information board as well as several other animals. This means that the public are unaware of any interesting information about these animals that could make their visit that much more enjoyable and engaging. Adults and older children are especially interested in reading these facts about the animals that they are seeing, and can learn a lot. For some of the animals there is no information at all, so some visitors may not even be aware of the type of animal they can see. The information boards inform and educate visitors, and it provides them with something else to look at while they are at the farm. I think it is essential that all the exhibited animals have information provided about them, as it is important that visitors understand and appreciate what they are seeing.
I would like to make sure that the information boards are comprehensive and there is one for each exhibit, so that there are no stages of the visit where the public cannot learn something.
Part B: Final choice of practical project
I have decided to use my third option for my practical project. This was the construction of information boards about the animals around the farm. I chose this option as it is an important part of my future career plans in the countryside industry to help enthuse and educate people about the natural world we both live in and are surrounded by, but more often than not, know very little about. The existing signs at the farm have limited information, and in many cases are completely non-existent. It is clear that this is what the public want, as there have been a couple of suggestions posted into the suggestions box on-site suggesting the addition of new information boards. The project can be carried out on a very small budget, the only materials required being wooden backboards, A4 paper and a computer and printer, and a laminating machine, all of which are easily available to me.
I decided not to improve the fencing around the pond as it is mainly maintenance work that can be carried out by some of the full time staff at Bocketts when there is time. It is not very urgently needed, and to fully replace the fencing would require two or three members of staff and a couple of days to carry out the work, while currently there are other more urgent jobs that need doing. The fence is still doing its job by keeping in the poultry and keeping out the public and it isn’t unsafe. The work would be carried out as and how the farm owner wants it, and so I would have little scope for altering ideas or making improvements as is part of my career plans, and so I didn’t think this would be a suitable project due to the lack of control I would have over any such project. Currently it is thought that the fence is a low urgency job, and time could be better spent on other things.
The idea of installing bird boxes could have negative effects by attracting more birds to the farm and not encouraging the existing ones out of their current nesting sites. This could just increase the problem and solve nothing, so it is thought that other methods of removing the problem could be used. The bird boxes could be installed in other areas of the farm as an educational aid and feature for the visitors, although it is unlikely that it will have much value as there is already plenty of birdlife. Extra birds may eat the grass seeds and poultry feed and just cause more problems.