Riverside - Youngsters grow into green giants

16 March 2010

Over 250 Liverpool primary school children joined a race to grow the tallest giant sunflower as part of Riverside’s Eco Week, which taught the youngsters about the environmentally friendly projects happening in their community. The pupils from Mab Lane Primary School took part in Riverside’s Eco Week to learn about the environment and the ways that social landlord Riverside is helping to bring it to life with sustainable green projects. Throughout the week the children enjoyed ‘behind the scenes’ workshops with the architects, Halsall Lloyds, of the new homes on Melwood Drive, which have state of the art environmental features, and they gave their ideas for new planting schemes, designing their own flower borders for Ackers Hall Avenue with Groundwork Trust.

Riverside’s Community Wardens and Clean Team also helped the green-fingered youngsters plant their sunflower seeds and introduced their roles - which involve looking after the homes and green spaces in Dovecot, Deysbrook, and other areas around Liverpool – as well as teaching them the benefits of growing trees, flowers and wildlife in their community spaces. They even learnt how to start composting to reduce kitchen waste and make their sunflowers grow even taller!

Rhoda Wilkinson, community engagement officer for Riverside, said, “Riverside looks after community spaces as well as people’s homes, and working with our partners, we want to create green spaces which people can take pride in and enjoy visiting. Our Eco Week was a great opportunity to show the children and their families the range of work we’re doing - as well as how to save energy in their homes!

“Growing the sunflowers is a really fun and easy way for the children to learn new gardening skills and how to take care of the environment they live in!”

When the sunflowers are fully grown, the Riverside Clean Team will help the children plant them out to create a blaze of colour for their school grounds, and the winners who grow the tallest sunflowers will be rewarded with a trip to a bowling alley.

As part of the project, pupils also learnt about the new eco-friendly homes on Melwood Drive, built complete with state of the art solar panels, insulation and rainwater collection to help save energy and minimise their residents’ carbon footprint. Liverpool City Council rangers also talked to the children about the plant and animal species they will be able to spot in the new Mab Lane Community Woodland.

After Easter Riverside’s Community Wardens are starting an environmental after-school club to help build long term sustainable projects in the area.