Little Legends: Year 7 Volunteers Litter Pick To Save The Planet
A group of conscientious Year 7 student volunteers at Dartford Grammar School have been involved in the school Eco Council’s latest litter picking initiative over the past two months.
On 12 October 2020, two Eco Council members from form 7A raised the issue of the amount of litter in the local area, and as a result proposed to their form tutor that they start doing litter picking. The Council members play a prominent role in the school life, having previously held fundraising events such as pancake sales, with regular meetings.
With the initiative exceeding support from over fifteen volunteers, the students have given up their lunchtime breaks in order to litterpick not only on the school grounds but in surrounding areas around the West Hill and on Dartford Road with support from their Head of Year Miss Oakes.
Students found a staggering amount of fast food waste, though more recently, a vast number of used face masks discarded irresponsibly.
With Dartford in the midst of a national lockdown, in addition to the area being set for Tier 3 restrictions at the end of the lockdown, the number of masks were particularly alarming as it could delay and allow the virus to spread further.
Litter is also a pertinent issue for local wildlife, with plastic bags and aluminium cans posing a danger to animals. We have provided information from the RSPCA regarding how to prevent these.
The intention of the litter picking is not just to keep our school tidy, but to also protect animals and give support to our local community whilst preserving our planet for current and future generations alike.
And the boys enjoy their mission too, as Aaryan from form 7A is happy to tell us: “Litter picking is not only fun for us, but also great for the environment. It is fun for both because we are helping the environment.”
The work of the student volunteers reflects the Creativity, Activity, Service component of the school’s International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme that students undertake in the school’s unique MYP and DP studies.
Cover image by © Miss Oakes