Pilmuir Primary School, Forres earns Keep Scotland Beautiful Green Flag for environmentalism efforts
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A PRIMARY school has been officially recognised for its efforts to help the environment.
Environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful has awarded Pilmuir a Green Flag which recognises nurseries and schools that have demonstrated a commitment to the Eco-Schools Scotland programme over two years.
Acting head teacher, Mrs Helen Thorley, is delighted the ongoing efforts of pupils and staff have been recognised.
She said: “I am so proud of our community achieving the award as the school has been undergoing building works adding challenges for the Eco Team making changes.”
Pilmuir has taken part in activities including litter picks and surveys, recycling and community clean-ups and several gardening projects.
The Eco-Schools Scotland programme raises climate change awareness through engagement with the wider community. To achieve a Green Flag, each school has a choice of environmental topics, from climate action and food to litter and energy. The schools also choose United Nations sustainable development goals.
Pilmuir P1/2 teacher, Mrs Donna Sinclair, formed an Eco Committee to design an action plan incorporating these goals. This included entire school initiatives such as litter picks and demonstrating where positive impacts have been made.
Mrs Thorley said: “We continue to improve our grounds with planting and litter picking, as well as reducing waste. We have paperless days - two we had last term were very successful.
As school-based Covid mitigation allows, we will head out into our community to carry out litter picks and take care of some of the areas just beyond our grounds. We are developing the front of the school to include a wildflower area to encourage bees. And we are tree and hedgerow planting for The Queen’s Canopy.”
