OASES received funding from LEAF (Local Environmental Action Fund) to raise awareness of the issue of sea plastic. We collaborated with five schools and six classes in Sunderland. Each participating child earned the John Muir Award by discovering, exploring, conserving a specific area, and then sharing their experiences.
The children learned about the problem of sea plastic and the John Muir Award. They explored Roker Beach, discovering the marine life in rock pools, and contributed to beach conservation through litter picking. In total, the classes collected nearly 100kg of litter from the beach, potentially saving hundreds of marine animals.
Afterward, the classes shared their experiences through an assembly to the rest of the school and by creating sculptures of marine animals using waste plastic, which were displayed around Roker as part of the Sea Less Plastic trail. The following schools crafted different sea creatures from plastic waste:
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English Martyrs: Sea turtle made from plastic bottles
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St Benet’s: School of fish created from plastic bottles
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Fulwell Juniors: Bloom of jellyfish made from an umbrella, bottles, and plastic bags
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Grangetown: Whale made from plastic bags and netting
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Seaburn Dene: Shark made from a wire frame and plastic bags.
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