The Action

Initially the team researched the issue. They then communicated with the whole school through running an awareness campaign about deforestation through surveys and focus groups. The team tried to involve as many people as possible on the project. They contacted Micheal O Coileain, Kerry County Councils Environmental Awareness Officer to obtain trees to give away to each student. They asked Tom Roche from Justforests.org to give 4 workshops in their school. They created awareness packs to send to the other 7 Kerry ETB schools. These included 3 Power Points on causes, consequences and impacts of deforestation. 3 poster layouts and a sapling for them to plant in their school. They created a video to raise awareness about the alarming rates of deforestation and the destruction of our environment for which we are all responsible.

They drafted a sustainable paper policy and wood policy. During their research they found projects for the Junior Cert and Leaving Cert in their school were using endangered hardwoods such a Mahogany and Walnut. Next year, all woods bought by the students and purchased for the school must be FSC approved. All the timber comes from sustainably managed forests in Denmark and man-made boards such as ply and MDFs are sourced from the UK from waste material. They have also been successful in arranging all paper products in school to now be FSC approved.

The Impact

The Planet savers team gave away 300 hundred trees in their Tree-mendous give away. Castleisland Community College’s wood policy is coming into effect in September. They plan to continue to raise awareness and to highlight to all students why the wood for their projects must be FSC approved. They hope that other Kerry ETB schools that received their pack will follow their example and create a sustainable wood and paper policy. They made it to the Top 14 schools in Ireland with the One Good Idea competition ran by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland.