The snow that arrived on Friday has intruded on their survey, which is running until February 1. The Big Schools’ Birdwatch encourages children and their teachers to discover and learn about the birds that share their school environment. Schools taking part include Manor Field at Burgess Hill, Woodlands Meed at Burgess Hill, and St Mark’s at Staplefield. Last year, 33 schools in West Sussex took part in the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds nationwide survey with a total of 1,276 West Sussex school children getting involved. Don Fuller, RSPB South East Youth and Education Officer, said: “For more than a decade young people have joined in counting the birds in their school grounds. “As well as contributing to our understanding of the changes in bird numbers, Big Schools’ Birdwatch is a brilliant way of connecting young people with nature by getting them interested and excited about what they can see through the classroom window. “It’s all too easy for them to miss those opportunities to get outside and understand the world around them. Big Schools’ Birdwatch gives children the chance to step up for nature.” The survey also provides a purpose for their observations and helps build a picture of birds visiting schools.