Inspired by COP26, the 26th meeting of the United Nation’s annual climate change conference, pupils from Eden Boys’ Leadership Academy, Bradford took part in a series of activities to raise awareness of environmental sustainability.
Members of the school’s Eco Committee visited a picturesque village in the Yorkshire Dales. During a day exploring the village of Austwick, pupils enjoyed a host of activities including a woodland walk, woodcraft activities and whittling. After building a fire, the pupils went back to basics and cooked their lunch on the campfire.
The whole school participated in a ‘COP26 Sustainability Day’ to explore themes around climate change, connecting with the environment and reducing our carbon footprint. A series of experts visited the school to impart their knowledge and inspire pupils to instigate change.
Representatives from Green Robin – an eco-friendly social enterprise that delivers zero waste workshops – and Yorkshire Millennium Trust – a charity that protects the landscape and
wildlife of the Yorkshire Dales – spoke to the boys about practical ways they can take ownership of climate change by reducing their own carbon footprint.
Each year group focused on one area of sustainability. The school’s Eco Committee members, who visited Austwick, supported their retrospective year group peers by utilising the leadership and practical skills they had gained during their visit.
Yorkshire Millennium Trust led a ‘connecting with nature’ workshop with Year 7 and 8 pupils to make bird feeders and beeswax wraps. In true Dragons’ Den style they pitched their sustainable projects to persuade businesses to stock them to help protect the environment. The project involved marketing the products, including designing a logo. One group devised a snappy slogan for their product – Better for you, better for the environment.
Pupils in Year 9 turned their hand to upcycling, using old fabrics to make baskets, while Year 10 pupils took part in a ‘crisp packet project’ which saw them learn how
to transform empty crisp packets into blankets. Crisp packets can take 80 years to decompose so finding a sustainable use for them has a positive environmental impact. The pupils’ blankets will also have a social benefit as they will be distributed to homeless charities.
The Sustainability Day helped the pupils become more aware of how they can support sustainability efforts as a school and individually. They were left with the inspiring call to arms that:
“No one can do everything, but everyone can do something!”