A GROUP of children from Lincolnshire Montessori School in Caistor are celebrating after winning a county award.
The Eco Schools Committee – who have named themselves the Eco Friendlies – secured the Young Environmentalist trophy at the Lincolnshire Environment Awards.
Organised by Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, the awards celebrate environmental awareness and action in the county with a special award for schools and junior entrants.
The five children, aged 7 to 10, who make up the group, have been working hard since September and have organised a recycled clothing pick-up with Bags2schools which raised £160.
They have decided to use this to buy bird box kits and make the boxes to attract birds to nest in the school grounds.
The group also organised for the school business manager to install a recycling bin for all cardboard, plastic, tins and glass.
Window monitors were assigned to check windows were closed to preserve energy and a litter pick was organised in the school grounds. Signs have been put up to encourage energy saving.
Other projects have included supporting Caistor In Bloom by planting more than 200 bulbs in the churchyard, installing composters for kitchen waste to use in the school allotment, and working with "friends of" the school to install a cartridge recycling point in the reception.
The group, who were thrilled with the result, were presented with the award by well-known botanist and presenter Dr David Bellamy.
Group member Max Johnson said: "We are really pleased. I really didn't think we had a chance – but we did it!"
Head Theresa Ellerby said: "We are thrilled for the children's work to be acknowledged in this way. It is a real springboard for future work on our Eco Schools plan."
