ECOLOGICAL work carried out by adults and children at an Egglescliffe nature site has been honoured in an international competition.

The 116-acre Admiralty Ecology Site near the Elementis chromium works has received a Green Apple award - its fifth environmental honour in five years.

About 3,000 people visit it each year, including schoolchildren from Cleveland and Darlington.

The prize was recently awarded by the Green Organisation, an international body which promotes good ecological practices.

The Admiralty site is located at the edge of Egglescliffe and its name stems from connections to a former Royal Navy depot.

The part-rural, part-industrial area has an interesting history. An aircraft scrapyard was once located nearby, as was a fertiliser factory. The site's ponds were built to provide water for use in accidental industrial fires but have since become homes to frogs, toads and newts. Birds, animal life and plants are also of interest.

The land is now owned by Elementis and protected from development. An ecology group was formed in 1997 to promote the site as an amenity for the community.

Elementis staff have worked with local volunteers, nature groups and school parties to enhance it. Pupils from Egglescliffe, Longnewton, Grangetown and Darlington are among those who have been involved.

The recent competition submission was handled by site co-ordinator Maxine Reid and Jill Stewart. They are both Elementis employees who run nature classes and activities.

Mrs Reid said: "It's a unique site which has been free from disturbance or building development for many years. Elementis gives the ecology group a budget and supports its work, as a way of putting something back to the community."

She helps run children's classes there. Youngsters meet once a month for indoors and outdoors work. The group was originally set up for employees' children but has since been extended. New members are joining all the time.

They enjoy nature trails, miniature safaris, pond-dipping and birdwatching, plus indoor activities, such as art and crafts. Recent work has included painting nature scenes on walls and decorating wooden boards in a sensory garden, which was built by young disabled volunteers.

Guest speakers have talked about badgers and damselflies, and police officers have talked about wildlife protection.

Mrs Reid said: "Many youngsters don't have the same level of freedom to get outside the way their parents did, so education has a major role to play."

She attended the awards ceremony in Spain with another colleague, Paul Hobson, as Mrs Stewart was unable to attend.