Story by Geraldine Houlton | Photo courtesy of Fir Vale School.
During the week commencing 15th April, students at Fir Vale School took part in assemblies with a focus on litter, in particular the dangers of plastic in the environment.
I was asked to represent Sheffield Litter Pickers and give a talk on the subject. Students learnt about how much money is spent on clearing up litter, and they saw the danger of plastic to wildlife, both locally and internationally. I introduced two ‘heroes of the environment’ – Sir David Attenborough for his work on the Blue Planet II programme which taught about the dangers of plastic in the world’s oceans, and lawyer and local activist Afroz Shah. He lives in Mumbai, India and was the leader of what the United Nations has called the ‘world’s largest beach clean-up project.’
Versova beach was covered in plastic for miles and Afroz showed that no matter how big the task, when everyone works together, and area can become plastic free, safe for the animals and a great place for people.
Students were encouraged to consider what they could do to change the world, starting with the place where they live.
