Seed Dogs
WORKSHEET
Vocabulary
Rewilding
The process of returning land to a more natural state by encouraging wildlife to return.Wetland
An area of land where water is present either permanently or seasonally.Woodland
Land covered with trees.Wildflower
A flower that grows naturally in the wild.Regenerate
To restore or grow again.Seed
The small part of a plant from which a new plant grows.Wildlife Trust
An organization that works to conserve nature and wildlife.Inspired
To motivate or encourage someone to act.Backpack
A bag carried on the back, used here to hold seeds.Astounding
Very surprising or impressive.
Grammar Points
Present Simple Tense
Used to describe facts and regular actions (e.g., "The Railway Land Wildlife Trust has been changing the old railway yard").Present Perfect Tense
Used to talk about past actions with present relevance (e.g., "The Wildlife Trust believes they will soon see the good results").Past Simple Tense
Used for completed actions in the past (e.g., "This project was inspired by two women in Chile").Passive Voice
Used to focus on the action rather than who is performing it (e.g., "Seeds are carried in the backpacks").Modal Verbs
Used to express ability, possibility, or necessity (e.g., "We thought wouldn’t it be great to replicate that using our seed packs?").
Activities
Activity 1
Role Play
Instructions
In pairs, role-play the conversation between a competitor and a reporter after the race. Use some of the new vocabulary in your conversation.
Activity 2
Fill-in-the-Blank (Present Simple vs. Past Simple)
Instructions
Complete the sentences using the correct form of the verb in brackets.
The Railway Land Wildlife Trust ______ (create) a wetland and woodland area 30 years ago.
Dogs ______ (carry) seeds in backpacks to help with rewilding.
This project ______ (start) after two women in Chile used dogs to plant seeds.
Wildlife Trust ______ (use) dogs to regenerate the land.
Activity 3
Definition to Word Matching
Instructions
Match the definitions on the left with the correct word from the list on the right.
| Definition | Word |
|---|---|
| 1. The process of helping nature return to an area | A. Regenerate |
| 2. A flower that grows naturally in the wild | B. Wetland |
| 3. To grow something again or make it strong again | C. Rewilding |
| 4. A type of land that is covered with water | D. Wildlife Trust |
| 5. An organization that works to protect nature | E. Wildflower |
Questions
What is rewilding and why is it important?
How do the dogs help with rewilding in the Railway Land Wildlife Trust?
What are some of the challenges the Wildlife Trust might face in this project?
TRANSCRIPT
Seed Dogs
NARRATOR:
Hidden behind the busy High Street in the town of Lewes in the UK is a special place where nature is growing strong. For 30 years, the Railway Land Wildlife Trust has been changing the old railway yard into lively wetland and woodland areas. Now, they have a new and creative way to help with their rewilding work: dogs with backpacks full of wild seeds.
SOUNDBITE - Dylan Walker:
“So these are our dog packs. And you can see that they have two pockets, one on each side. And we're going to fill those pockets with a mixture of sand. Place in here. And this is our wildflower and grass seed. And we've got some holes in the bottom of the pack here you can see and a little bit of shaking, you can see the sand and the seeds coming out readily there.”
NARRATOR:
Inspired by two women in Chile who used their dogs to plant seeds after forest fires, this project is now using local dogs to help re-wild the area.
SOUNDBITE - Dylan Walker:
“In the wild, wolves travel huge distances, sometimes that's 100 kilometres a night, and they carry seeds in their fur and they drop them. And we thought wouldn't it be great to replicate that using our seed packs?”
NARRATOR:
And 11-year-old Myrtle seems to be happy with her new role in rewilding.
SOUNDBITE - Jim Hillage:
“You're having a nice time. You're enjoying being out here. At the same time the dogs are helping to regenerate the place. It's good. So what do you think in Myrtle? Well, she's wagging her tail bit so she doesn't mind. As long as she gets a biscuit at the end of it, she's fine.”
NARRATOR:
The Wildlife Trust believes they will soon see the good results of the dogs’ rewilding work.
SOUNDBITE - Helen Meade:
“Across the board on this reserve and other places that where we work, I think the really key message is that if you create space for nature recovery, nature recovery can happen at an astounding rate.”
NARRATOR:
With a backpack full of seeds and a treat as a reward, these dogs are having a big effect on the local environment.