It’s been a busy year for the Dulwich Prep Eco Warriors. The club currently runs from Years 1-6 and we’re hopeful that next academic year will see it branch into Upper School.
We have completed our school Environmental Review and are drawing up an action plan for next year with a focus on waste, litter and biodiversity. The boys have had their part to play in removing non-recyclable plastic cups from school and are currently campaigning to stop the delivery of the plastic straws that get delivered with our milk.
They have been introduced to the concept of carbon emissions and begun to learn how we can reduce our carbon footprint. The Middle School Eco Warriors are passionate about saving energy and regularly walk through the school buildings turning off lights at the end of the day. Lower School elected to have class ‘eco plants’ to care for, and Pre-Prep have been active in helping the school submit its Travel Plan to Southwark, counting traffic outside of school and looking at ways to measure the quality of the air in our local environment.
We have taken part in the RSPB’s Big Schools’ Birdwatch, made bird feeders and planted bee-friendly plants. Lower School are proving to be enthusiastic gardeners and all Eco Warriors are passionate litter collectors! A litter assembly was delivered, encouraging snack wrappers to be put into bins and where possible, to bring snacks in Tupperware or look out for those with recyclable wrappers rather than bringing them into school in disposable plastic bags. The school is now looking to provide recycling bins in the playgrounds.
In spring, we were thrilled to be invited back to Dr Jane Goodall’s Annual Roots & Shoots Awards at The Barbican Centre and took away some wonderful ideas from what other schools are achieving environmentally.
This week, a group of Year 7s kindly escorted the Year 1 and 2 Eco Warriors to the local Tesco on Croxted Road to research food packaging and look at the variety of countries that our food comes from. The boys were keen to see which of their favourite foods could be bought locally, in season, and with the least packaging – and were dismayed to discover that English spring onions are the best option at this time of year!
Next year brings a fresh push on recycling and composting. With the new school kitchens also being developed, the boys will be keen to monitor how our food waste is processed. We are working on bringing more environmental coverage into the school curriculum and are delighted that we now have a school governor representative, Mrs Celia Randell, on board to help the boys further promote eco issues close to their hearts.
We look forward to updating you on our progress next term. In the meantime, well done to all our Eco Warriors for their commitment and passion to improving the health of our planet! Please keep up your good work over the summer and encourage others to follow your lead.
