Helena Kempereflects on 30 years with Puddleducks

This Saturday marks ‘International Youth Day’ 2023, a day which focuses attention on a given set of cultural and legal issues surrounding our youth.

And with this year’s theme underlining, ‘Green Skills for Youth’ and working towards a more sustainable future, I spoke with Helena Kemper from Puddleducks Kindergarten at Camphill in Clanabogan.

Since 1993, Helena has dedicated her life to educating young people in working towards a more sustainable future as well as the practices of self-education, schooling their positive thinking, culturing the imagination and fostering self-evaluation, all whilst offering a high quality education courtesy of the Waldorf curriculum.

A native of Germany, Helena explains, “When I was 17, I wanted to get away for a while and a friend of mine had been to Camphill for six weeks.

“He came back saying how wonderful it was, and I was at a loose end at the time, so I first came to stay at Camphill in Kilkeel.

“Eventually I returned to Germany to train as a teacher for three years before I went back to Kilkeel and set up a Kindergarten there for the staff members’ kids.

“It was around that time that a friend of mine moved from Kilkeel to here in Clanabogan to start Puddleducks, but after a year or so, they moved to America and needed someone to take over.”

Helena then explained how the place has grown throughout her time in Clanabogan saying, “When I first arrived, there was eight kids here, but we now often find ourselves over-subscribed, and currently we have 22 kids in attendance.

“It’s really all about sustainability and inspiring children.

“For myself, it’s about enhancing work and my personal life and bringing them together, as I believe that this is a much more productive way to live.

“I live in the same building I work in, which is important to me as I can dedicate myself to maintaining the area and making the most of it.”

Music also plays a big role at the Puddleducks Playgroup, and every year, they celebrate their annual fundraiser with ‘Puddlefest’, an event which has grown substantially in recent years and welcomes the community along to enjoy performances from some of the finest local talent in the area, all in aid of a great cause.

“We used to hold the festival here,” explains Helena, “However, it got too big, so now it is held on the local GAA grounds.

“Music has a special place in our hearts here at Puddleducks, as we sing every day before carrying out numerous activities.

“This is something that the children have also brought home with them, and inspired their families to participate in, which I have been told over the years is most welcome by parents.”

Offering a guided tour of the area, Helena shows just how productive and imaginative one can be when it comes to sustainability and inspiring a greener future. Upon entering the garden, this is immediately obvious: Barrels collect rain water that will later be used to water plants, and tap water is sourced from a well. But, perhaps most impressively, sits a home-made pizza oven, made exclusively from newspaper, clay and a willow basket.

Helena explains, “We built the oven using our own clay.

“We weaved a willow basket, turned it upside and layered it with clay and newspaper.

“After it settles, we use fire to burn away the paper and willow, leaving us with this beautiful, convenient little pizza oven for all to enjoy.”

As the prospect of mouth-watering pizza proves itself somewhat distracting, we move onto the beautiful pollinator garden. Helena continues, “Last year we got funding for developing this area into a pollinator garden, so I bought a lot of new plants.

“I decided to plant them in a circle so the area can serve both as a pollinator garden and a place for the children to play.”

Surrounding the area is a stunning display of wild flower meadow, a treat to the senses.

Helena informs me that, “I wanted to base it on the idea of a sensory garden with the smells, textures, colours and sounds of the wind chimes offering a place to relax.”

A small shed, recently renovated into a green house in which half of the room is exposed to the sun for the benefit of the plants, whilst the other half is covered to protect gardening equipment, sits in the corner of the garden.

It’s obvious that this little shed, containing all those blossoming plant pots and tools is by no means going to waste, as the garden surrounding it boasts stunning colour and life with a wealthy display of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries, as well as a whole range of our favourite herbs such as rosemary, sage, thyme, lavender and mint.

“We also have natural blackberries that grow around the grounds that the kids pick every Autumn,” explains Helena.

“It’s simply wonderful to be blessed with such stunning surroundings that allow us to go out for nice walks and carry out such rewarding tasks whilst learning about the importance of nature.”

A beautiful picnic area decorated with numerous bird feeders exemplifies that at Puddleducks, absolutely nothing will go to waste – and that sustainability and connecting with mother nature holds many valuable lessons in a world in which we can often, all too easily, lose touch with our surroundings.

Since its foundation, Puddleducks has grown and diversified to include a Parent and Toddler Group, regular craft sessions and parents’ evenings, all of which foster parental involvement and recognise the fundamental importance of a united approach to the education of children.

These activities have had the additional bonus of encouraging cross-community friendships and providing a valued social outlet to a wide spectrum of age groups within the rural community.

If you would like to find out more about Puddleducks, you can do so by visiting www.camphillclanabogan.com/ puddleducks