CHILDREN in Darlington are being given the chance to try an innovative approach to environmental education.

Darlington Borough Council has adopted the Earth Education programme, which takes children out of the classroom to learn about nature.

The US concept will be tried out at the heavily-wooded Tees Forest Elementis Site, at Urlay Nook, between Darlington and Eaglescliffe, in July.

Members of the town environmental forum were told children would be bussed free to the site courtesy of the Tees Forest organisation and spend their day learning about life in woodlands.

Rachel Wood, council Local Agenda 21 officer, said: "Earth Education evolved in the States in the Sixties and the idea is that children become emotionally involved in the environment and build up a genuine desire to protect it.

"It is all about stimulating their enthusiasm so that they are inspired by what goes on in nature and want to discover more about it. It is very exciting."

She said council and Tees Forest staff would run the events for year six primary and junior school pupils and a number of schools had already shown an interest or signed up.

The age group was chosen because children are fully engaged in environmental teaching at primary level, but tend to become less focused on the subject at comprehensive schools, she said.

l Forum members were told that the South Burdon Community Woodland planned for the eastern fringe of Darlington could become a wildlife haven.

Forest Enterprise has bought 200 acres of farmland alongside the A66 bypass, almost opposite the Brick Train, and over the next five years, Tees Forest and Darlington council will take part in planting 140,000 trees.

Council countryside and rights of way officer Rob George said it would be the borough's largest woodland and initially it was hoped to provide a refuge for skylark, lapwing and song birds. In the longer term it was hoped to attract badger, owls and deer.

He said it would also be a recreational area for local people. A proposed bridge over the A66 would mean people would not have to cross the busy road.

Mr George said: "It is a brilliant start to get such a large area as South Burdon planted up."

l Forum members were told that the council is improving several nature reserves, including path building at Brankin Moor, Brinkburn Lane, the Black Path and Drinkfield in Darlington and The Whinnies at Middleton St George, and a new pond dipping platform at Drinkfield.