Irvine pupils explored the wonders of nature, working alongside university experts in parasitology and local beekeepers, at an event in Ayrshire’s Dumfries House estate.

Springside Primary School youngsters participated in Full Cycle: Two Sides To Every Story, to encourage pupils to consider what happens in our gardens and the wider environment, to not think of “friend or foe” but to see how everything is interdependent and has its role to play.

The pupils took part in related workshops, making fire with staff from the estate’s Tamar Manoukian Outdoor Centre, designing felt micro-organisms with scientists from the department of parasitology at University of Glasgow, modelling candles from beeswax with the Ayrshire Beekeepers, and working with pupils of other schools to make and taste a delicious pot of nettle soup with staff at The Pierburg Building and Kauffman Education Gardens.

Pupils were tasked with designing a garden on the theme of “two sides to every story”, with their work focusing on subjects such as the pros and cons of bees, humans, weeds, and food waste.

The latter topic encouraged many children to plant bits of waste food such as carrot tops, lettuce roots, onion tops and potato peelings in their own school garden.

Karen Alexander, head of STEM education at Dumfries House, said: “It was a pleasure to host schools from all over Ayrshire at the Full Cycle event. We are really encouraged by the way school staff and pupils are embracing science, technology, engineering, and maths, and we hope everyone left the event inspired to go further in these subject areas and to return to Dumfries House for similar future activities and school residential trips.”

Such education events at Dumfries House forms a key element of the vision of the His Royal Highness Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay, who used £20million of his charitable foundation’s money in 2007 to secure the future of the House and estate and use it to help people engage in learning experiences that promote confidence and personal development, as well as offer training in real-life skills to open up future employment opportunities.

School visits to Dumfries House can be arranged by emailing EducationAdmin@dumfrieshouse.org.uk