November 7, 2005
Meghan goes back to school
On Wednesday I visited Room 6 from Porirua School to talk about some of the problems facing our Oceans. The class had been working on environmental issues, and after learning about local matters they have advanced to global environmental concerns. While many adults may struggle to get their head around issues such as climate change, toxics, GE, deforestation and pollution of oceans, then spare a thought for this brave class of 6-8 year olds! It was a truly fantastic experience to see the next generation so interested in the health of our environment. It is important to remember that these young people are the inheritors of the world, and just as we all contribute to what will be passed onto them, they will also be responsible to hand on the torch to the next generation. So I must applaud Porirua School and the wonderful teachers of Room Six, who have taken on such an enormous task; to educate and inspire the young people of our country and encourage them to think about the environmental responsibility that we all share for our planet.
During my visit, we talked about the dangers facing our oceans: pollution, climate change, over fishing and destructive fishing practices. After looking at some pictures of deep sea creatures we talked about the importance of keeping all parts of bio-diversity strong. Everything is connected in the oceans, and the whole world (especially New Zealand!) is so dependant on the bounty of the sea for physical and spiritual well-being that it is imperative to keep it healthy. We talked about the different ways in which we could help protect the oceans and the class came up with some very practical ideas on what they could do for example taking a plastic bag on a visit to the beach to collect any rubbish that is lying around, also to make sure that litter never ends up in the gutter as it will inevitable get into the oceans via storm drains. However, the most important action we can take is simply educating people of the issues facing the oceans. Room Six certainly knew a lot about this, they even taught me a few things!
I was lucky enough to share lunch with the class, and was then treated to the class singing Bob Geldoff's "Do They Know it's Christmas Time?", which was brilliant!
So I wish to say thank you to the teachers and students of Room Six for such a warm welcome and such an inspiring visit to their class. Good luck on you future work, and I hope to keep in touch.
