This week, we have been planting some seeds and bulbs in our planters that will bloom in springtime. We hope that these new flowers will create more habitats and sources of food for our local insects. We can’t wait to watch them grow!
The Eco Brigade (Lima, Peru)
This week, our Eco Club children learnt all about the positive changes that groups of children their age are making in communities around the world.
In Lima, there is an area called Lomas de Carabayllo. It is one of the most polluted areas of the city, and there is also a lack of space for children to play.
In the district there is an area called the Lomas de Primavera, part of a chain of hills and mountains which are known as Lima’s green lung. But this area is under threat from land traffickers, people who illegally sell the land to others, and mining companies who are trying to invade the area.
In several local schools there are eco-brigades, whose job is to be environmental leaders and protectors. They do a range of activities to protect the environment.
By planting and protecting trees they are helping the planet breathe.
Inspired by the story of The Eco Brigade, we painted leaves of inspiration for the upcoming academic year. We paid close attention to the intricate design of each leaf, God’s design. We hope that they will inspire us on our mission to care for God’s creation this year.
Ideas for the Year
This week, our Eco Club children shared their ideas for what they would like to achieve this academic year.
After this, we went out into the local area to pick up litter and clean our streets. We talked about how our actions will have a positive impact on our local community and on the environment. We are acting for the good of everyone and helping to care for God’s gifts.
Wildflower Garden in Full Bloom
The children were so excited to see the fruits of their labour when they returned to school after the summer holidays! Our wildflower garden was bursting with colour and wildlife. The bees and butterflies love the new environment we have created for them.
Plastic Pollution Project
Approximately 11 million tonnes of plastic enters the ocean every year. That’s the equivalent of dumping 2,000 bin wagons full of plastic into the world’s oceans, rivers, and lakes every single day!
Sea creatures can get trapped and injured by plastic bags, fishing nets, and other debris. They can also mistake plastic for food, which can lead to starvation or poisoning.
In Laudato Si’, Pope Francis called us to be caretakers of God’s gifts to the world. We are encouraging everyone to REDUCE, REUSE and RECYCLE.
We have created these beautiful works of art using waste plastic to remind everyone how important it is to show love and respect to God’s creatures and to care for the earth, our common home. They will be entered into The Spirted Arts Competition, an annual Christian arts event run by the National Association of Teachers of Religious Education.
Planting Our Wildflower Garden
Our Eco Club have been busy sowing seeds to create a beautiful wildflower garden this week. This project will help attract and support local wildlife, especially important pollinators like bees and butterflies. As the flowers grow and bloom, they will provide food and shelter for these vital insects, helping to strengthen our local ecosystem.
We are proud to be making a positive difference for local nature and can’t wait to watch our garden come to life!
Litter Picking (Local Area)
More than two million pieces of litter are dropped in the UK every day. The cost to the taxpayers for street cleaning is over £1 billion a year.
Litter is anything from a crisp packet or empty bottle to a bag of rubbish. All litter is unsightly and makes our local areas look untidy and uncared for. It can take years to degrade, causing harm to wildlife and habitats. This has a harmful effect on our environment.
In an effort to reduce the impact of littering in our local area, we took to the streets to pick up all the litter we could find. We aim to become stewards of creation and care for our common home for the good of everyone in our local community.
Faith Stones
We are very excited to be having a new garden area built in our school. This area is designed for children to visit for some quiet prayer and reflection time.
We teamed up with the Mini Vinnies and children from Years 5 & 6 to prepare for our new Outdoor Prayer & Reflection Area.
Linking with our Jubilee Year of Hope, we painted beautiful faith stones with words, symbols, and colours to inspire others. These stones will be placed in the garden and around our outdoor spaces to bring comfort and peace to anyone who visits. We hope they will be used during prayer and help others feel close to God.
Seeds of Hope
This week, we took an exciting step in creating our outdoor prayer and reflection area. We are excited to be building a new garden in our school grounds. This will be a quiet, outdoor space for children to pray, reflect and spend time with God in the natural environment.
We sowed seeds of hope for our new garden, choosing special plants and herbs with lovely scents to make it a calming, sensory space. These plants will remind everyone of the beauty of God’s natural world and create new habitats for insects. We will carefully nurture them as they grow, ready to plant in our garden in the summer.
Biodiversity Mapping
We explored our school grounds and used a special map to record all the plants and habitats we could find. We talked about how important it is to care for God’s creation and how looking after nature shows love and respect for the world He made.
This map will help us to track the positive changes we make as we help more wildlife feel at home here and improve the natural environment in our school.
