ENTHUSIASM was a word used often by the judges to describe how children approached their work for this year’s Kingfisher Award challenge.

The schools staged their displays in the Recreation Club at Newton St Cyres for the judges and for parents to view, enjoying the facilities of the ground.

For several reasons including weather, the number of schools taking part this year was down to a highly unusual three, one putting in two teams. Even so the judges had a hard time with, they said, "a hair’s breadth" between each team.

Winning the carved kingfisher trophy was Chagford Primary School, runners-up were Broadclyst Community Primary School night-time team with Willowbrook Primary School at Beacon Heath, Exeter, in third place. All are previous winners.

Part of the awards ceremony was a 25th birthday party with the big cake cut by Leo Simpson of Willowbrook who was eight three days later.

Entertainment was by Anthony Powell, Charlie Hearnshaw and Bob King of ACE Music. Storyteller was Dave Oliver from Rattlebox Theatre, Exeter.

This was the 25th year of the challenge, set up through Poet Laureate Ted Hughes with interested farmers, supporters and FWAG (Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group) South West, also CPRE (Campaign to Protect Rural England), thanked for its financial help.

The Challenge acknowledges the school and its pupils who show the greatest enthusiasm for and understanding of farming and wildlife issues.

This year it was "What’s in an Orchard and Who are the Pollinators", encompassing a wide range of pollinators and their importance to life.

The Chicken Orchard at Quicke’s Farm at Newton St Cyres was where children went on field days in May.

A local beekeeper lent an observation hive, honeycomb and honey to taste. There were live moth specimens and bumble bees to identify, children making and tasting apple juice as well as looking at how sheep work in an orchard - an animal lawnmower that gives wool and meat.

Back in the classroom the children took what they had found out on the farm visits to create amazing displays, results of moth trapping, uses of honey, a big model tree, all so ingenious.

Twenty-five years ago Ted Hughes, who lived at North Tawton, had been alarmed at how little school children seemed to know of country life. Unhappily, the same is often true today.

Among others Heavitree Brewery Charitable Trust, Witheridge farmer John Martin, then Devon FWAG chairman, the charity was born with the idea of showing children how wildlife and farming go together.

The day before the presentations at Newton St Cyres, the fifth Kingfisher Award Scheme was set up with a big event at Bicton Arena. Others are in Cornwall, Somerset and Wiltshire.

Now a total of 12,480 children from 144 schools across the five areas take part. At first the schools visited different farms but from 1999 it has been happily using the fields, hedges and orchards at Quicke’s Farm, Newton St Cyres.

Judges at Newton St Cyres were Paul Martin (Education Officer Devon Wildlife Trust), Audrey Compton and Ivan Buxton (CPRE).