Golspie Primary pupil wins individual entry in mammal art contest
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A Golspie school girl has been awarded top prize in a Highland art competition run by High Life Highland's countryside rangers.
Ava Gunn (10) had the winning individual entry in the Scottish mammal art competition with her stunning painting of a fox.
The art competition is a celebration of work done throughout the year by school pupils all over the Highlands with the ranger service looking at mammals of Scotland, past present and future. More than 40 schools from Lochaber to Caithness took part in the project and went out with the rangers to see what mammals could be found near their schools.
Donald Mitchell, ranger for north-west Sutherland, said: “It was very surprising to all of us just how many different species of mammals we saw. Some were recorded in trail cameras others were recorded by their tracks and signs.
"We had some lively discussions in the classroom about what mammals used to live in the Highlands many years ago, some now teetering on the brink of survival like the Scottish wildcat, and what the future holds of all our precious mammal species.”
The winning school entry came from children in primary 2, 3 and 4 at Balnain Primary School outside Drumnadrochit, who created their own "Highland Acre Wood" from sustainable resources. They made a model of their view of the woods from the classroom window using recycled and natural materials from the playground. They then made a video explaining how and why they had done this.
Zookeepers at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland's (RZSS) Edinburgh Zoo helped to judge the competition.
Julie MacLeod, head teacher at Balnain Primary, said: “Our pupils are such nature lovers! They loved doing the mammal project with John Orr, our local ranger, and really enjoyed creating their own ‘Highland Acre Wood’ which looks a bit like the woods outside our classroom.
"They worked really well together and are so pleased with their finished design. They’re absolutely delighted to have won!”
The prize for the winning school, donated by the RZSS, will be free entry for the class to Highland Wildlife Park at Kincraig, and will include a special polar bear feed.
Elsewhere in the competition, special commendation was also made to Tarbat Old Primary School, Portmahomack.
The ranger service theme for schools in 2023 will be wildflowers and their importance for pollinators in the Highlands.
