Environmental Awareness Week – 25th February-1st March
Environmental Awareness Week
Monday 25th February – Friday 1st March 2019
Local Action Global Impact
Say No to Single-Use Plastic
The Green Schools Committee is currently in the second and final year of the Marine Global Citizenship Flag. Environmental Awareness Week provided an opportunity to highlight a number of initiatives with reducing single-use plastic in Blackrock a key objective. A wide variety of displays and activities took place during the week to remind us of our responsibilities as environmental citizens and urging us to act now to tackle the urgent challenges facing our increasingly fragile earth.
- Keep-Cups kindly sponsored by the Carne Group and with all proceeds going to the Machakos Programme (€5 and on sale at check-in)
- Power of One Pledge 2nd Year. This year are leading by example with a pledge by students to do one action a day to tackle environmental issues. Let’s follow their example!
- St Patrick’s Hall Displays (Themes included Biodiversity, Energy and Water Conservation, Marine Environment and Reducing Waste)
- Seed Sowing Event in St Patrick’s Hall with larger numbers of staff and students sowing seeds as part of the National Pollination Project.
- Battery Recycling with nearly 3,000 batteries collected so far this year.
- Use of Outdoor Classrooms
- Environmental Treasure Hunt around the College grounds with participants also in a draw to win prizes. Congratulations to winners Eric Pembrey (5th Year), Kai Murtagh (3rd Year) and Charlie Headon (2nd Year)
- Birdwatching walks reminding us of the wide variety of birds that share our campus.
- Posters around the school promoting Environmental Awareness.
The committee is also looking forward to a joint trip with the Dev Ed Group to the Rediscovery Centre, the new Biodiversity Area beside the 4G pitch and the arrival of the first consignment of reusable water bottles (kindly sponsored by the College). Another highlight of the week was the announcement by the College that by Mar 25th paper cups and utensils will no longer be available in the staffroom or staff refectory which is another giant step towards making Blackrock College a campus free of single-use plastic.
Protecting and enhancing our natural environment is very much a whole school effort involving the wider Blackrock College community. Many thanks to all the students and teachers who participated in the week’s activities and to the Green Schools Committee, Cathal Copeland, Lorraine Marrey, Niall Toolan, Terry O’Reilly, Principal and Deputy Principals and the Religion, Grounds, Housekeeping and Maintenance Departments for their invaluable contributions. A special word of thanks to Philip Ryan from the Maintenance Department for highlighting our hive of honey bees which captured the interest of so many students and teachers.
Say Yes to a Beautiful Planet for Future Generations
