Congratulations to the outstanding students from the Wynnum Manly School Education Alliance (WMsea) cluster for their efforts to make Moreton Bay a little bit cleaner on School's Clean Up Australia Day.
Did you know:
At least 10% of the plastic we use ends up in our Oceans
This is equivalent to 700 billion plastic bottles
If we stacked these bottles on top of each other, they would reach further than the sun!
Unfortunately, this plastic is not going to the sun, it is staying in our Oceans.
Students set out to do their part in cleaning up the foreshore to ensure that there is less waste in Moreton Bay.
Students were privileged to meet Quandamooka man and Ranger Jeremiah and hear his welcome to country. He shared his personal connections to this special place. Liz Vang, Marine Park Ranger, explained how rubbish enters Moreton Bay and the effects this has on wildlife. A beautiful green turtle, that had died too young, was one of the topics of conversation regarding the importance of conservation. Students saw first-hand micro plastics and the ways they are infiltrating our marine systems.
Once on land, students cleaned up the foreshore and conducted a litter audit, using the Tangaroa Blue Method. They noticed that although big litter (like plastic bottles and cans) were not as prevalent, there was an abundance of 'small litter'. The top three rubbish items were 578 cigarette butts and filters, 162 pieces of plastic food packaging and 148 pieces of broken glass. These young environmental warriors have ideas and plans on how to reduce these to make a difference.
We loved having a group of excited and environmentally conscious Champions for the Bay on-board and within the community who will endeavour to help educate their peers and families.
Thanks to Lota State School, Tingalpa State School, Wondall Heights State School, Wynnum State School, Wynnum West State School along with Brisbane Bayside State College and Wynnum State High School.