From litter picks to otter poo, there’s been plenty going on at schools on a Thursday afternoon in North East Lincolnshire this year.
With help from The Canoe River Cleaner James Elliott, working in partnership with North East Lincolnshire Council, hundreds of children have been educated about our natural environment and the waterways around it.
Speaking to Primary Schools, he has brought the River Freshney and the animals that live there to life. Local areas have also been made cleaner with the litter picks and gifting of equipment at every school he’s visited.
For James, it’s a brilliant way to get the message out there that we need to look after where we live.
He said: “Throughout the school year, I’ve spoke to countless young people and have been impressed by them every week.
“They’ve listened, understood and then put everything into practice when we’ve gone out to do a litter pick.
“Most have been quite surprised by how much we’ve found in such a small area in a short space of time. Hopefully, with the addition of a litter picking kit for each school, they can continue to make a positive difference to their local area.”
Aside from the litter picks, James has been educating the classes too. “We talk about what animals live in our river and why they’re so important. For example, I teach them about the apex predator of the River Freshney – the otter.
“I do also get the teachers to sniff some otter poo that I bring along, just so they don’t feel left out!”
He added: “This scheme has been brilliant for children to understand more about their natural environment, but also for me to spread my message to as many people as possible.
“The place we live will only improve if everyone works together and does their bit and I hope my work with the Council will help to achieve that.”
Since starting in November last year, James has visited 17 primary schools, a preschool and even carried out eight community picks across 12 wards.
For Councillor Bob Callison, the work The Canoe Cleaner has been carrying out is completely invaluable. “I would like to thank James for his work in the community.
“It’s so important that people of all ages learn about the importance of looking after our environment, but especially the younger generation.
“They will grow up to live and work in the area and we want them to be proud of it.”
He added: “This project has been a huge success and I cannot wait to see how it grows and improves in the future.”
If you are a teacher and would like James to visit your school, please email [email protected]
For more information on keeping North East Lincolnshire, clean, green and safe, visit Keeping our area clean, green, and safe | NELC
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