Earth Day Litter Pick at Ysgol Maes Owen

Three young people wearing orange hi vis vests.

Earth Day Litter Pick at Ysgol Maes Owen

As part of their Earth Day celebrations, the whole school at Ysgol Maes Owen came together to take positive action for the environment through a community litter pick. The project gave learners the opportunity to work together, improve their school grounds and local area, and develop a greater understanding of the importance of looking after their environment. Through collecting, sorting and investigating the litter they found, learners were able to see the impact of their actions first-hand, while developing teamwork, pupil voice and a strong sense of environmental responsibility.

Tell us about your project:

Our whole-school litter pick aimed to improve our school grounds and the local area, while encouraging learners to take pride in their environment and raising awareness of litter, sustainability and the impact that our everyday actions can have.

What did you do and how did you involve the whole school?:

Using equipment from the Brighter Futures Litter Pick Hub in Rhyl, every class took part in a litter pick around the school grounds and nearby streets. Learners worked in groups alongside staff, using gloves and litter pickers to collect and sort rubbish safely. This gave everyone in the school the opportunity to play an active role in making a positive difference to the environment around them.

How and why did you decide on this target?:

We had noticed an increase in litter around the school and felt that we needed to take action. Learners discussed environmental issues and shared their ideas about how we could make a difference. Together, they chose litter picking as a practical and achievable way to take action and make an immediate, visible improvement to our surroundings.

How has the project impacted on your school and your community?:

The area around our school is now noticeably cleaner and safer, and the project has made learners much more aware of the amount and variety of litter that can be found in our local environment. Learners were shocked by some of the items they discovered, including a toilet seat and a large piece of insulation! The experience has encouraged them to think more carefully about littering and the consequences of leaving rubbish behind.

How did you celebrate success and what are your next steps?:

We shared photographs of the litter pick during assemblies and celebrated and praised the efforts of all the learners who took part. We also created graphs to record and explore the litter we collected, which led to a particularly memorable discovery: we collected the same amount of weight in rubbish as a King penguin!

Our next steps are to build on the success of the project by organising regular litter picks, introducing eco-monitors in each class and incorporating more lessons and activities around reducing waste and recycling.

Is there anything else you’d like to share about this project?:

The project strengthened teamwork and gave learners a real opportunity to have their voices heard and take action on an issue that matters to them. It helped learners understand that small actions can make a big difference, while encouraging them to take greater responsibility for the environment around them. Most importantly, the project has helped develop a sense of pride and care for our local environment that we hope learners will carry with them beyond the school gates.