Students and staff of the Gizo Primary School in Western Province on Thursday joined the globe to mark the World Environment Day by conducting a clean-up drive through Gizo Town.
World Environment Day falls every 5 June with the theme; ‘Putting an end to Plastic Pollution and Beating Plastic Pollution’ which highlights the importance of reducing plastic pollution in the environment.
The students and staff of Gizo Primary School began with cleaning up around the school and also picking up the plastic around the main road from the school to the main township road in Gizo.
This was to highlight the importance of protecting the environment, especially the forest, vegetation and marine resources.
According to the Gizo Primary School Headmaster Dickson Nathan, plastic is causing so much pollution in the environment especially the sea and land.
So its important to ensure everyone had a role to play in maintaining cleanliness in the environment.
As part of the celebration the students armed with plastic bags went through the streets of Gizo to pick up plastic wastes to show the importance of keeping the environment clean, he said.
“This is part of the practical side for our children to put in the habit of cleaning the environment, and to inform the student of the danger of plastic pollution to our earth and to our ocean and marine species.
“Plastics do not rot but remain for a long time and pose great danger to marine lives,” he added.
The school boss said, its important to train the children now so that future generations can continue to keep the environment clean and healthy.
“Its important to understand that everybody has the responsibility to keep our environment clean especially the land and sea,” he said.
World Environment Day was first celebrated in 1973, in Geneva, Switzerland.
By AUGUSTINE PENEVOLOMO
Solomon Star, Gizo
