Derry school marks ‘Compost Awareness Week’
The ‘No Dig Garden’ at Hollybush was created 18 months ago alongside pupils and staff who’ve been nurturing it
Hollybush Primary School marked ‘International Compost Awareness Week’ on a sunny Tuesday morning in the school’s gardens with the return of Sharon McMaster, Community Growing and Outreach Manager at Natural World Products (NWP) to help reinvigorate the school’s ‘No Dig Garden’ with the school’s P3 and P4 pupils.
The ‘No Dig Garden’ at Hollybush was created 18 months ago alongside pupils and staff who’ve been nurturing it.
Natural World Products produces sustainable compost from effective household organics and green waste recycling.
The young Hollybush pupils were also given talks and information about food waste, composting and they even got to meet the worms!
Ms. McMaster explained to the pupils what ICAW was and why it was held on this date.
This year’s theme was inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal and is named 'Sustainable Communities Begin With Compost'.
This topic was chosen with the goal of highlighting composting in all kinds of communities at any scale – from the backyard home composter to community composters, to large-scale facilities to all those who recognize the many benefits of using compost on our soils.
Congratulating the children and thanking Sharon for returning to help ‘spruce up’ Hollybush gardens, Mr. Feargal Friel, Principal said: “The pupils and teachers had a wonderful day getting involved and learning about compost. They planed maincrop potatoes for an early autumn harvest and sowed peas to be planeted out in a few weeks.”
Heather Sutherland, the school’s eco co-ordinator has been helping to care for the garden and is also enjoying learning how to grow with the pupils.