Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it a jellyfish?

No!  It's a plastic bag! 

Year 5 at Oldmixon Primary School in Weston-Super-Mare had no idea of the damage that plastic waste in the sea can cause until their sustainability lesson as part of Trout and About project last Friday.  They discovered how important it is to recycle when they saw the photos of wildlife harmed by plastic carelessly thrown away.


Hundreds of thousands of sea turtles, whales, and other marine mammals, and more than 1 million seabirds die each year from ocean pollution and eating or being tangled in plastic waste.  This waste tends to accumulate in areas of slow spiraling water and along the coastlines.  One current has collected a "plastic island" which is the size of Texas covered in rubbish and up to 6 metres deep into the sea.

Year 5 pupils also looked at how they could save water.  To be fair, it did feel as though SW England has had its fair share of water over the last couple of weeks - learning about the importance of saving it might have been easier in a drought.  None-the-less, they were set the challenge of carrying a large bucket of water round and round the playground ten times without spilling a drop, just as the children in parts of Africa need to walk up to 6 miles every day to get the water they need.  How did they get on?  Watch this space!

Cathy Mayne and Year 5 from Oldmixon Primary