Schoolkids are learning fast

Education is the largest service in West Lothian Council and many schools are taking a leading role in showing ways to help protect the environment.

West Lothian Council was awarded the Bronze Food for Life Served Here award for its primary school meals for using local produce to promote sustainability.

Bottled water and cartons of milk are no longer served in primary schools, with reusable plastic cups and jugs used instead.

Many West Lothian schools have eco-schools Green flags to show their commitment to ecological causes.

Examples include Southdale

Primary in Armadale who have been looking at what is happening globally and how their actions can impact on others as part a whole school focus on sustainability.

This has included the school’s garden club working in the local community alongside Armadale Community Council to maintain the Scotland in Bloom planters at Armadale Cross; working with The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) to encourage pupils and parents to care more for the environment such as reducing plastic pledges to taking part in woodland and beach cleans.

Dedridge Primary in Livingston has been working to ensure all classroom rubbish is recycled in some way.

This includes collecting crisp packets to be returned, composting food and pencil sharpenings, sending off old pens/glue sticks to be recycled. Nonrecyclable plastics are put into eco bricks.

The school also grows their own food under a poly tunnel and their primary 6/7 class has written a song about global warming to raise awareness.

Secondary pupils also have environmentally-friendly work as a key part of their curriculum.

Armadale Academy N4/5 practical cookery course students have been learning about food sustainability through a partnership with Beech Brae woodland in Blackridge.

Senior pupils have helped with preparation of ground for the orchard and helped harvest fruits and vegetables. They also learned about the benefits of organic farming and about using the whole plant where possible to avoid food waste.

They have also taken the food they have grown back to the classroom, giving lower year pupils the chance to try a tasty stir-fry with purple carrots, beetroot tops, chard and tender stem broccoli, as they learn more about the environmental benefits of growing and sourcing our foods locally.