Yesterday, Parkside Community College marked Earth Day 2024 with a series of exciting activities to demonstrate their commitment to protecting the planet.
To commemorate the day, students participated in Earth Day themed lessons, wore blue and green clothes to represent the natural environment and enjoyed some special musical performances inspired by planet Earth. Alongside this, students took part in an art competition which tasked them with creating artworks – from paintings to sculpture and even poetry – around the theme of celebrating nature.
In the lead up to Earth Day, students further showcased their commitment to the environment in a project which saw them work with Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, climate scientists from Cambridge University and artist Hilary Cox Condron to create an innovative art installation. Dotted throughout the museum are colourful paper butterflies representing flourishing life whilst black butterflies symbolise six mass extinction events. Since November last year, students have attended weekly sessions to work on the piece as well as to learn from researchers at the museum and at Cambridge University about our changing climate. The installation is free and will be open to visitors throughout the year.
Earth Day is an annual global event which highlights the importance of protecting the planet. The school’s celebration of the day ties in with its wider environmental ambitions to reduce its carbon footprint and become more sustainable. This includes through initiatives to reduce meat consumption in the canteen, introduce effective recycling schemes and manage food waste more sustainably.
Kate Bayford, Head of Geography and Carbon Neutral Champion at Parkside Community College, said:
“A huge congratulations to all the students who threw their passion into Earth Day, it was wonderful to see people enjoying themselves and celebrating how amazing the Earth is!”
Dee Wallace, Principal at Parkside Community College, said:
“The school’s celebration of Earth Day is testament to our commitment to becoming more sustainable. Thank you to Ms Bayford, Mr Cowley, Ms Smith and the Social Action group for all their hard work in organising such an exciting and inspiring day. However, we know that long-lasting change only happens when everyone plays their part every single day. Hopefully Earth Day will be a reminder to all those in our community that we have a responsibility to act and that each small change can have a huge impact.”