11-14

Reusing and recycling different materials

submitted by St. Benedict Middle School : Katia Bugeja  for 11-14
campaign: YRE Entry
dissemination(s): website,school media
filed under Articles

A report on how to reduce litter by reusing glass jars and to use them to sell olives



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Capturing but not living the moment

submitted by Gozo College Middle School : Maia Camilleri  for 11-14
campaign: YRE Entry
dissemination(s): newspaper,school magazine,website,school media,other,Noticeboard, EkoSkola blog
filed under Photos Reporting photo

A lot of people waste magical moments by taking photos which they can then post on the media to say ‘I was there’. Just because we can capture the moment doesn’t mean that it is the best thing to do. The opportunity to stop and appreciate the moment is frequently missed. Think about the meaning of the moment. Value it with the heart and the eyes, and not through a lens. Don’t let capturing the moment stop you from living it!



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Coolest snowman in town

submitted by Gozo College Middle School : Maia Camilleri  for 11-14
campaign: Litter Less Campaign Entry
dissemination(s): school magazine,website,school media,other,EkoSkola Noticeboard, EkoSkola blog
filed under Photos Reporting photo

In December 2017 the Villa Rundle Gardens in Victoria were transformed into a winter wonderland to create a Christmas spirit. This was done with the help of the residents of Santa Marta Day centre and Dar Padova, the primary schools in Gozo and the Ministry for Gozo. Most of the decorations were created using recycled materials such as this happy snowman which was made out of used tyres.



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A Littered Picnic

submitted by Zejtun St Thomas More Secondary School : Yasmin Borg, Anis Riahi, Selma Zinou  for 11-14
campaign: YRE Entry
dissemination(s): school magazine,website,other,School monitor in the reception area
filed under Photos Reporting photo

Enjoying a picnic in a public park and yet surrounded by litter. Is it so difficult to enjoy a picnic in the open air? Dumping litter onto the ground not only is an eyesore but also threatens wildlife. Littering also contributes to water pollution and costs the country money. Litter can also block drain pipes leading to more flooding. Furthermore, litter is also unhygienic and can lead to illness. The presence of litter indicates lack of respect for the other people living in the community. Why should we pay taxes to employ workers to clean our litter when we can all do our mite to deposit our litter in provided bins or take it home with us? Does it have to cost us so much effort and money to keep our country clean?



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The Transformation of Virtual Water to Compost

submitted by Zejtun St Thomas More Secondary School : Krista Gatt, Marija Camilleri  for 11-14
campaign: Litter Less Campaign Entry
dissemination(s): other, School monitor in the reception area, school magazine, website
filed under Articles

A vermi compost bin was set up using shredded newspapers, soil and organic waste. The organic waste was obtained from the remains of fruit and vegetables and instead of being placed in a normal bin, they are placed in a compost bin. Earthworms were placed within the compost bin. It is these earthworms which feed on the organic waste and are converted into other substances which increase the soil fertility.



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Treasures of the Sea or Destroyers of the Sea?

submitted by Zejtun St Thomas More Secondary School : Krista Gatt  for 11-14
campaign: YRE Entry
dissemination(s): school magazine,website,other,School monitor in the reception area
filed under Photos Reporting photo

As time goes by, harbours require maintenance. One such activity involves the dredging of the seabed (the removal of unwanted sediment). Unfortunately, a large percentage of the seabed present within commercial harbours ends up accumulating various items. Most of these include material derived from the loading and unloading of cargo such as steel, rubber pipes and lost cargo. Tyres, which are usually used as fenders, also from time to time end up on the seabed. Sadly, not only visible materials are dredged. The upper layer of the seabed is also contaminated with toxic substances from paint, oil and other chemicals. The attached photo shows materials mentioned above, which were dredged from the Grand Harbour of Valletta in October 2017. In this particular operation, the total amount of steel collected reached 1.8 tons!



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One man’s waste… another man’s treasure

submitted by St. Thomas More Secondary School Zejtun : Marija Camilleri  for 11-14
campaign: YRE Entry
dissemination(s): other, School monitor in the reception area, school magazine, website
filed under Photos Reporting photo
awarded: 1st place Litter less Campaign

Modern societies have adopted a throw-away culture. In Europe, in 2015, each person has generated an average of 477kg of municipal waste. In Malta alone, each person generates more than 600kg of waste yearly. Environmental awareness has helped for disposing of our waste wisely by reusing and recycling paper, metal, plastic and glass. However, we are still wasting resources as we are throwing away organic matter generated in our households through food scraps, vegetable waste, tea bags, dead leaves and twigs. Nature shows us clearly that one man’s waste can be another’s treasure. Instead of filling our landfills with organic waste, we can give nature the opportunity to do its job and break it down into compost. Compost can then be used to enrich soil with the nutrients it needs.



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Gate way to heaven, but is it really heaven?

submitted by St. Thomas More Secondary School Zejtun : Shaznay Borg  for 11-14
campaign: YRE Entry
dissemination(s): school magazine,website,other,School reception monitor
filed under Photos Reporting photo

This photo portrays two different scenarios. There is a path leading to the sea but the path is littered with garbage. There is a very high probability that the garbage will end up in the sea. Consequently fish as well as other organisms may ingest the garbage. A number of harmful substances consumed by the said organisms may find their way up the food chain in a process known as bioaccumulation. Thus this brings up another question: “What are we really selling, buying and eating?” The photo only shows a fraction of marine litter but research suggests that about 12.7 million tonnes of plastic have accumulated in the world’s oceans as stated by an article in 2010. This is quite alarming considering that only 1% of the Earth’s water is suitable for drinking.



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Let us save our Oceans.

submitted by St. Nicholas College Middle School Rabat : Victoria Magro, Kady Galea, Matteo Stagno, Jake Camilleri  for 11-14
campaign: YRE Entry
dissemination(s): school media,other,Whole school assembly, Featured in the Action Planet exhibition at St James Cavalier, Presented to other schools during the Global Week
filed under Campaigning video Video Clips

The video was created using the simple technique of stop motion where around 160 photos were taken. The aim of the video is to create an original fun, simple yet innovative way to convey a very important message: that we are all responsible and that we all can make a difference. Living on an Island makes this topic even more valid. The video clearly shows what the problems caused by Ocean litter are and gives simple ways how to minimize the damage and engage in more sustainable practices.



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Rediscovering the tasty and healthy carob

submitted by Gozo College Middle School : EkoSkola Committee  for 11-14
campaign: Litter Less Campaign Entry
dissemination(s): EkoSkola blog, Ekoskola noticeboard, newspaper, other, school magazine, school media, tv, website
filed under Articles

The fruit of the carob tree is a healthy substitute for chocolate and can be used to make cakes and drinks, students at Gozo College’s Middle School learned during an ecoschool project over the past three months. The students have been conducting research on the tree and learning how to prepare traditional and innovative recipes using the carob pod, the fruit of the carob, an indigenous and protected tree that grows naturally in the local outdoor environment. The school recently held an open day to showcase the work done by the ecoschool committee and Year 8 students as part of the project, which is aimed at instilling in the students, staff and the wider school community a greater appreciation towards the local natural environment, responsible food production and consumption and a more sustainable lifestyle. During the event, students, teachers, staff and parents were invited to taste carob cake and carob-banana smoothies prepared by the students. They were also able to buy traditional carob syrup and cake mix stored in reused jars. An informative leaflet about the carob tree was launched. It includes information about the tree, and six simple, healthy recipes using the carob products, among other information. During this scholastic year, the college’s ecoschool committee is also participating in the Learning About Forests (Leaf) and Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE) programmes, the We Eat Responsibly project and the Litter Less Campaign.



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