Strathallan School has been awarded the prestigious Eco-Schools Green Flag celebrating the environmental efforts of its students.
Pupils at the Perthshire school have been awarded the international accreditation for their efforts to rewild parts of the campus and reduce waste in the school’s dining hall.
Already home to deer, woodpeckers and even a family of beavers, improving the natural ecosystem of the campus has been a central focus for the students and staff from the school’s 12-year-old Eco Committee.
They have begun planting bee-friendly wildflower meadows and over 450 native trees in copses and hedgerows to increase sustainable biodiversity.
Pupils also instigated pupil-led campaigns to reduce litter on campus, especially disposable face coverings and chewing gum.
The group then led a food-waste audit, leading to a new conveyor belt system promoting more opportunities for recycling and food-waste management in the school.
Strathallan students were also invited to take part in COP26, – the only school in the UK requested to represent Great Britain – at the UNESCO Futures of Education discussion with leading experts and other schools from across the world on Zero Water Day.
Sixth Form student Dan De Luca, said, ‘It’s important we act now to help make the future more sustainable. The trees we’ve been planting and the work we’ve been doing to make more areas of the school accessible to wildlife will have a real benefit for years to come.’
Members from the schools’ John Muir Trust and the Combined Cadet Force also helped revitalise an important part of the Perthshire school when they dug out the old Curling Pond, helping to improve irrigation on school grounds and creating more habitation for local wildlife.
Paul Vallot, biology teacher at Strathallan, added: ‘It’s a proud moment for the school to receive the Eco-Schools Green Flag. Being close to nature is part of our school’s experience and it is great to see so many pupils wanting to get involved in everything from leading campaigns to bee-keeping.’
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