Comp for enviro awareness

WEDNESDAY was World Environment Day and to celebrate, members of Ballarat Renewable Energy and Zero Emissions announced the winners of their annual children’s writing competition.

The competition aims to create discussion about protecting the environment and living sustainably.

Grade five and six students responded to the prompt ‘what I can do to help the environment,’ and/or to the World Environment Day theme for 2024 ‘land restoration, desertification and drought resilience.’

“BREAZE thanks those teachers who took up the competition challenge as a class discussion topic,” said Mary Debrett, competition coordinator.

“We appreciate it’s a difficult topic because the problems are so big, but that’s not a reason to avoid it.

“It’s a reason to start the conversation and help our young people to better understand what is happening and the actions we need to take.”

The first prize winner was Annabelle from Mr Pleasant Primary School, and school winners were Alierah from Little Bendigo Primary School, Kobe from Newington Primary School, Jessie from Our Lady Help of Christians Primary School, and Emily from St Francis Xavier Primary School.

“The judges this year were impressed with the quality of the writing and the intensity of feeling in many entries,” said Ms Debrett.

“Several students noted concern about the world their grandchildren would inherit, while others were clearly affected by loss of wildlife habitat, species extinctions and the impact of ocean plastic on marine life.

“Young people are intelligent beings, and they are watching, listening and learning from everything that happens around them.”

The winners’ work will be featured on BREAZE’s Facebook page.