Issue 41 | Spring 2020
News from Bablake Junior and Pre Prep School
Chongololo Experience
A
s a young boy I was always intrigued by the chongololo, the African millipede we can see in the picture. In the tropics they used to creep around our houses, especially in the rainy season.
I am sure they would have preferred forest floors. The one that visited our school earlier this term was a monster, as thick as your finger and segmented in armour. Like a train they slink around corners and bend and weave between obstacles. They are a wonder of nature and apparently make good pets! The chogololo does not have many predators. At a push they might be eaten by a mongoose, but their strong shells and bitter taste make them immune to all but the most desperate of beasts.
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I know all of this through experience, although I could have learned it from books or the telly. This was of course before the internet. Spring is coming and with it great opportunities to explore and to be outside. There are millipedes in Britain and the humble woodlouse is a well armoured, unusual creature. Our Forest School experiences are proving very popular here at school and I believe children enjoy and benefit from time outside; in the garden, in the woods, hills and dales. Connecting with nature is meant to make us happier too. So let’s get outside this holiday, enjoy the Spring, seek the creatures and connect with nature. Mr Neil Price Headmaster