THE Somerset Wildlife Trust, HPC CIM funded Somerset Brilliant Coast team, is currently working in partnership the ‘Litter Free Coast and Sea Somerset’ (hosted by the Severn Estuary Partnership and funded by Wessex Water) and with the Carymoor Environmental Trust to launch a new local environmental award scheme, called Somerset Schools Coastal Champions.
Schools who sign up will be supported through a series of activities and challenges which can be closely linked to existing curriculum targets and will fit well with and complement other schemes, like EcoSchools and Plastic Free Schools.
The award has a distinctive coastal slant and will help connect young people with their amazing but often neglected coastal environment.
It has three themes: Water, Waste and Nature, and there are three levels schools can progress through: Ripple, Roller and Crest. It is ideal for Upper Primary or Lower Secondary pupils.
The launch of this new award is very timely as 2021 is the first year of the United Nation Decade of Ocean Science and with programmes like the BBC’s Blue Planet fresh in people’s minds and with our growing concerns about marine plastic and other types of pollution this could not be a better time to inspire children and teenagers to get active around campaigning for our seas.
The scheme will be trialled with some pilot schools over the summer with a formal launch planned for the autumn term. If you would like to find out more and register to be involved contact Somerset’s Brilliant Coast Project Officer Tilda Gibbs at Matilda.gibbs@somersetwildlife.org
Teachers, youth leaders, students and young people might also be interested in another upcoming event.
Somerset Wildlife Trust and Somerset UK Youth Parliament are hosting Youth Environment Summit Somerset (YESS), an online event on March 27 with some great guest speakers and workshops for participants to share their passion for looking after our planet.
It is aimed at 11-18 years old and young people can register at www.somersetwildlife.org/events/yess.
MARK WARD
Somerset Wildlife Trust
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