Lower School Carymoor Trip
Lower School jumped into their Eco-Festival experience in fine style this week with a day out at Carymoor Environment Centre.
Upon arrival, the children were encouraged to consider the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) through a range of games and activities and found out more about the landfill site and its history. We then donned our wellies, hard hats and high vis jackets and headed out on the site. The children had the chance to stand on the weigh bridge that the recycling trucks visit on their way into the site before heading into the sorting area of the plant. We found out all about the recycling process and en route back to the main building stopped by the compost heaps, discovered animal footprints and went ‘underground’ in a container which showed all the different types of waste that have been cast aside in the last 50 years and how the contents of the landfill site have changed overtime. There were some very nostalgic staff and very intrigued children! Technology and toys certainly had more physical buttons 30 years ago! You would never have imagined that we were standing on top of the landfill sites, previously known as Dimmer 1 (55 football pitches and 17 metres deep) and Dimmer 2. Our guide shared lots of eye-opening information throughout our walk. Back at the main centre, we enjoyed our packed lunches then spent time sorting all of our waste into the appropriate recycling containers – we made it onto the ‘School’s Top 10 Eco Board’ for lunchtime recycling! In the afternoon we used plastic bread bags (which our kitchen staff had kindly been gathering over the last few weeks) and transformed them into kites before testing them dashing down the hill. We had a chance to explore different objects from around the world that had been made using recycled materials; from pencil cases and shoes made from tyres to paper jewellery, ring pulls and key rings.
It was a great day out for everyone and helped the children to develop their understanding of what happens to things that we throw away, but it also challenged them think about how their actions (however small) can help to create a more sustainable future for our planet.
