Eight miles from the centre of London, in the suburban area of Mill Hill, a group of three- and four-year-olds at Belmont Farm Nursery School are investigating ladybird eggs. Equipped with magnifying glasses and binoculars, the pre-schoolers are peering into an area of leaves covered in tiny yellow eggs. ‘Look, this one’s a larva,’ one exclaims, pointing out the second stage of the lifecycle. Another group of children are off to visit Henny and Ludo, the resident pigs. ‘Children love to watch them rolling in the mud to protect their skin from the sun,’ explains nursery principal Victoria McAvoy. ‘They’re at the end of the valley so they’ll walk past the cows, sheep, ponies, alpacas and say “hello” to George the llama along the way.’
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