Visitors to the AESSEAL Tree Walk are sure of a big surprise – for a family of seals has moved in.
To be exact, Mr and Mrs Seal, Grandad and Granny Seal, Teen Seal, Miss Seal, Baby Seal and their dog - who thinks he is a seal - have settled into a new life on the one-kilometre trail which surrounds the Factory for The Future in Rotherham.
Should you venture along the Tree Walk - which was officially opened by Rotherham United chairman Tony Stewart on Thursday 22nd May - be sure to say hello to the Seal family and look out for the bird boxes, bee hives, bug hotels, wetland and meadow areas, the many trees, flowers and herbs growing along the route.
You can also scan the QR codes on the information boards to find out more about each area and watch for any birds, squirrels, hedgehogs, foxes and insects that may also be visiting.
The Seals says they have settled in nicely and have been enjoying life on the Tree Walk, as well as working hard.
We supervise the humans, so they take care of nature and ensure our home is beautiful. We think it is important for our Seal children to learn about the world and decide what sort of seal they want to be when they grow up, they said.
Granny and Grandad moved over from their previous home on the AES Forestry site in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, to be near their grandchildren and have been taking them to school.
They have made sure the Seal children use the outdoor classroom - which school visitors can also take advantage of when they visit – semi-enclosed learning facilities, gazebos, picnic benches and lawns where lessons are sometimes held. Occasionally marine classes take place on the deck overlooking the wetlands, while insects and their importance to nature are discussed at the beehive.
The younger members of the Seal family have developed a liking for environmental superheroes and Teen Seal says he wants to save the world for nature, become a process seal and marry a water management system. Miss Seal, meanwhile, hopes to find work as a dry gas compressor seal and marry an EcoGuard when she grows up.
Baby Seal enjoys playing and going to nursery with the local hoglets, while the dog likes chasing the squirrels.
It’s all good fun, but it’s also educational and part of AES Engineering’s unwavering commitment to sustainability and improving the environment.
