The 20 by 14 foot log cabin has long formed an important part of daily life as an outdoor classroom for Little Bears Nursery, a nature-based pre-school where spending time in the outdoors plays a significant role in the curriculum.
‘We think it’s really important for the children,’ said Karen Isabelle, the owner and manager of the nursery.
‘We spend at least half of our day outside. We really see the benefits.’
However, concerns around the survival of the log cabin were raised after the school moved from its former grounds to its new home at St Saviour’s Community Centre.
‘It’s a large log cabin, and we found it very difficult to find a company locally who could actually help us move it in one piece. And we had a bit of time restriction. We only had a few weeks to sort all of this out,’ said Ms Isabelle.
‘So we had to go out to the wider community and put a plea out on social media. We didn’t want to see the log cabin taken apart and destroyed.’
To Ms Isabelle’s great relief, the local community soon responded in full force, with farmer Ben Wallace and his family stepping in to carry out the actual moving of the cabin, while others, including members from Floral St Saviour’s, stepped in to help paint and stain the outside of the cabin.
James Le Poidevin and colleagues from SMT & JLEP Plasterers also volunteered their time to lay down the brick base for the cabin, and those from the St Saviour’s Community Centre also lent a hand, led by director Cathy Bailey, whose father, Hirzel Dorey, played an instrumental role in rebuilding the cabin’s veranda after it had to be removed to fit the structure through the gates of the school’s old site.
‘From those who helped organise and coordinate the project to everyone who gave their time, skills, support and encouragement, we are incredibly grateful,’ said Ms Isabelle.
‘It has been a real team effort and a wonderful example of what can be achieved when an island community comes together.’
With the cabin now securely in place, she and her young charges are looking forward to getting stuck back into using it regularly as part of their everyday curriculum.
‘We’ll be using it daily as part of our outdoor learning programme, planting and growing all sorts.
‘If it’s pouring with rain and we just want a little story in the log cabin, it’s perfect, and it’s also nice to display all of our nature finds as well. So we’re going to put all those on shelves and things. It’ll be fantastic,’ she said.
The cabin’s usage will also be shared with Floral St Saviour’s and the Community Centre, and Ms Isabelle already has some plans in mind for some community events they could potentially host together.
‘We hope to have a Christmas cabin, an Easter egg hunt, and maybe get some regular Wild Wednesday sessions up here, where we can invite the community to meet with ourselves and Floral St Saviour’s to learn about planting, growing, and where our food comes from,’ she said.