Education Hub

Morpeth Northern Bypass is a 3.8km single carriageway road with a separate 2.5m wide combined cycleway/ footway, four road junctions, two bridge structures, two underpasses with mammal shelves and one mammal tunnel along the route.

The Morpeth Northern Bypass Education Hub and Programme was developed by the site team after recognising the ecological and educational value the site could deliver to the local community, stakeholders and students. The Education Hub is both a virtual and physical classroom where the site ecological enhancements and mitigation are used to educate the importance of biodiversity on a larger scale and its impact locally.

To date the Educational Hub Programme has included:

• Delivered biodiversity education and presentations to over 500 people aged between five and 70 years old. This includes local schools, community members, Rotary Club, Universities, Construction Youth Trust students, STEM students, Institute of Civil Engineers, local community members, Northumberland County Council members, project construction team and work experience students
• Contributed over £4,000 in materials and donations to biodiversity enhancements including pollinators presentation and creation of bee waterers at Abbeyfields School, an educational arena at All Saints school by creating dipping pond
• Developed an online Education Hub with ecological articles, briefings and bird of the month

Incidental to this it was pleasant to receive the ‘Community Engagement’ award in the CIRIA, BIG Biodiversity Challenge 2016.