Monastery school, Ardee, GreenFlagDay ofAction
MONASTERY National School Ardee held their Green Schools Day of Action for their new Green Schools Flag on Friday 19th January 2018.
The School is hoping to earn its seventh Green Flag for Global Citizenship: Energy this year. Visitors and members of the entire school community were welcomed to the School’s P.E. hall to witness the fantastic array of work on display from classes across the school. Members of the local Tidy Towns’ Committee were also in attendance along with parents of pupils.
The School’s Environmental Committee spoke about their investigations and findings on a variety of environmental topics related to the theme of Global Citizenship: Energy. Committee members were keen to inform us about the importance of looking after our environment in every way we can. They also remarked on how much fun they had researching and presenting their fantastic projects.
First Class was quick to tell us all about the incredible Barn Owl and its features. They explained that deforestation and intensive farming is causing widespread loss of food and habitat for this magnificent species. Crop rotation and a reduction in so-called “factory farming” can help to save these precious birds from extinction.
Second Class was up next with a fantastic collection of tips for saving energy. These practical points would be easily implemented in many homes and schools in the local community and further afield. They kept a weekend electricity log at home and even interviewed their grandparents to compare their electricity use during their childhood.
Third Class delved into the effect that Climate Change is having on our weather system. From our recent Storm Ophelia to hurricanes and tsunamis abroad, this class were able to tell us how our treatment of the environment can contribute to natural disasters globally.
Fourth Class did incredible research into Crayola Twistables and the plastic waste associated with them.
They compared crayons, Twistables, colouring pencils and other such stationary and looked at which is the most sustainable. They discovered that Crayola colouring pencils are the most sustainable option as they are made from reforested wood and are biodegradable.
Fifth Class reported on the carbon footprint of various foods and talked about the air miles that certain foods create via their transportation. They discussed eating locally sourced fruit and vegetables and keeping the top foods on their carbon footprint list to a minimum.
Sixth Class members addressed the crowd and spoke about the effects of animal agriculture is having on our environment. They discussed the continuous deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest for the growth of crops to feed the 56 billion land animals slaughtered every year. This deforestation is causing widespread loss of habitat for countless species.
They made a compelling case for reducing our meat intake to help protect us from the growing climate change crisis.
A very educational day was had by all and the boys were quick to offer clever solutions to some of the key environmental issues facing us today. Their enthusiasm and passion for our planet was palpable. Well done to all the boys who took part in this amazing research and presented these exciting facts to their school community.