PUPILS at Milham Ford School in Oxford swapped their pens for spades to do their bit for the green campaign.

They were starting work in 1989 on a pond in the school grounds off Marston Road, which they hoped would become a haven for wildlife.

The idea came about while the sixth-formers were studying environmental issues.

Their tutor, Audrey Hayes, said: “I think it is a great idea, especially since all the ideas and negotiations for the site have come from the girls.”

Angela Gay, 17, Barbara Brown, 16, and Sarah Chung, 17, are pictured with Mrs Hayes and Chris Dale, of the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers, who helped with the project.