Dorchester school children bag ANOTHER eco-award

Children at a school in Dorchester have bagged yet another eco-award thanks to their hard work for the environment.

The pupils were among the winners of a virtual challenge to help clean up their homes and local beaches from Single Use Plastic.

It could mean Damers First School snap up three awards before the years end.

Year 3 teacher Edd Moore is also up for the Times Educational Supplement Environment Champion of the year.

Between May and September, students and their families joined a virtual microplastic beach clean at 36 locations using the Challenge mobile app as their guide. The app is a complete resource with a range of features, challenge activity sheets and a map of the South West with links to photographs of the beaches and hidden Nurdle trommels – the tool designed in the South West by the not-for-profit start-up Nurdle, to collect microplastics - which are also called nurdles.

Both Jamie (Year 4) and Chloe (Year 3) clinched the first-place prize in the Winning Pupil’s category. They were each awarded with an ASD Paipo Elite High-End Body Board donated by Ocean Recovery Project and Fillosophy Ltd. Emily, Nicholas and William were the joint place Winning Pupils.

Jamie said:

“In our house we have always recycled and tried to be eco-friendly and thought we had a good understanding but since doing the challenges, we have learned so much more.

"We have been able to recycle more with the information given and know we are doing things properly with confidence.”

Chloe said: “We are amazed that we have won. It was a joint effort and we feel proud that we completed the challenges as a family.

"We feel much more passionate about saving our plant. So, thank you for helping us on Eco journey."

Richard McIlwain Deputy Chief Executive of Keep Britain Tidy said:

"In a decade within which we need to urgently address some of our most pressing environmental problems, its vital that we not only educate young people about the challenges but also drive development of the pro-environmental behaviours required and the Challenge app is a fantastic example of a resource that does both.

"It’s so important that young people learn about the plastic pollution problem threatening our oceans and I’d like to congratulate the winning students but also all of the schools and students who participated and who now have a chance to put their learning to use in becoming part of the fight back on plastic pollution.’