Joe Ford, Northumberland Wildlife Trust Education Assistant with the ‘Gardeners of the Galaxy’. Image by: Demmi Robinson.
‘Gardeners of the Galaxy’ stand up for nature
A group of pupils at St Joseph’s RC Primary School on Wallsend Road in North Shields, who go by the name of ‘Gardeners of the Galaxy’, have joined forces with Northumberland Wildlife Trust to re-build their community and to protect wildlife.
A grant of £4,700 from education charity, The Ernest Cook Trust has enabled the youngsters to work with the wildlife charity’s Green Mentor, Demmi Robinson. They have become ‘Green Influencers’ thanks to The Ernest Cook’s Green Influencer Scheme which funds organisations like Northumberland Wildlife Trust to employ Green Mentors who then recruit Green Influencers. The scheme is match-funded through the #iwill Fund.
With Demmi’s support the pupils have decided the need for litter picking within the school and in their local community. They have created planters from reusing old tyres and are starting to create a wildlife garden that will develop around the school improving the local green space and access for wildlife.
The group will be planting all year round by planting wildflowers, fruit, vegetables, and high nectar flowers for pollinators next spring.
The group will allow new opportunities for other students to learn about wildlife, the environment and connect them to nature through participating in the development of their projects.
The 'Gardeners of the Galaxy'. Image by: Demmi Robinson.
The enthusiasm of the ‘Gardeners of the Galaxy’ has been noticed by fellow pupils who are lining up to get involved with their gardening activities with the environmentally savvy youngsters set to arrange regular community litter picking and recycling events involving residents, family members and friends to prevent it from ending up in landfill sites.
The Gardeners of the Galaxy are creating an eco-greenhouse by reusing plastic waste to make eco bricks. An eco-brick is a used plastic bottle, cleaned and filled with single used shredded plastic. The group’s members have expressed their concerns for the climate crisis and aim towards tackling waste pollution in their local area and through raising awareness to create a healthy environment in their community.
Demmi Robinson, Northumberland Wildlife Trust Green Mentor says: “It’s been a pleasure supporting the ‘Gardeners of the Galaxy’ vision. To see the children so driven and passionate about making a difference to positively influence their community is inspirational. Their next mission is focusing on tackling waste pollution to support the climate crisis which will be very exciting for them.”