Staff and students at Tamarside Community College marked United Nations Peace Day on 21st September by showing a major commitment to local wildlife. Students at the college began the creation of a hedgerow around the college site by planting 700 trees in one day; a mixture of hawthorn, hazel and elder and an additional 100 Buddleia bushes. Luckily help was on hand from Dave Wicketts, Senior Groundsman at Ford Park Cemetary, who met with staff and students to oversee the planting of the hedgerow. Mr Wickett’s said: “We were invited to take part in the planting scheme by the college and saw it as an ideal opportunity to encourage more young people to visit the cemetary and appreciate the nature and wildlife there.” The new hedgerow, which will consist of several thousand trees when completed, will be a massive boost to birds, butterflies and bees in the St Budeaux area. The number of common sparrows has declined by 65% since 1970 and many species of butterflies have declined at even faster rates.
Tamarside Community College recently achieved the Bronze Award for sustainability under the Eco-schools scheme run by the government; the college runs the largest schools recycling scheme in the city and has been running a major programme of tree planting since last year’s UN Peace Day.
In 2001, UN member states unanimously adopted the first ever annual day of global ceasefire and non-violence on the UN International Day of Peace, fixed as 21st September – Peace Day. The Peace Day resolution (UN GA 55/282) calls on governments, the UN system, NGOs and most importantly individuals to commemorate 21 September.
College Principal, Mr Keith Ballance, said: “If we are to a culture of peace then we will have to unite around the most fundamental issue that humanity faces – the protection of each other and our environment. 21st September is the starting point. Today we have shown our students that individuals can make a difference. By working together there will be Peace One Day.”
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