Climate change honour for Selkirk High School
Taking lessons on climate change out of the classroom and into the real world has won a Borders school a prestigious national award.
Selkirk High School took the Climate Change Champion Award at this year’s Scotland’s Finest Wood Awards for their passion and drive to educate students on how climate change and global warming is affecting us on a localised level and providing simple measures to address those effects.
They built on their success of last year, when they won the Schools Award – this year they also enjoyed being selected as runner up in that category.
Two members of school staff, Maddy Pope and Anna Johnson, said they saw an opportunity to use winning the Schools Award last year as a platform to highlight how the “simple act of planting a tree can not only benefit local wildlife and improve biodiversity but also have a direct positive effect on climate change”.
They already offered the Junior Forester Award to S2s and Horticulture and Rural Skills to S3 and above, and now they have developed a range of new courses, right up to the senior phase of the school.
Seed harvesting and propagating has seen the school growing bananas, dates, lemons, pomegranates, avocado and many native Scottish trees as well as vegetables and fruit, available to the local community.
There are also weekly Forest School sessions.
The judges said the entry was “a compelling account of coherent actions taken to raise awareness and engage in activities to tackle climate change – with trees as a focus”.
They added: “This included comprehensive and concerted efforts to develop a new curriculum, engage pupils of a range of abilities in relevant activities, and signpost routes to careers in forestry and horticulture as enduring responses to the climate crisis.”
Jean Nairn, Executive Director of Scotland’s Finest Woods, said: “This has been an exceptional year for Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards.
“From young foresters to crofters, commercial plantations to trees making our cities breathe, the work we have seen has been inspiring.
“Scotland’s woodlands and forests are growing stronger and better every year – it is great to be able to champion them and encourage more achievements in the future.”
Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon presented the awards at the Scottish Parliament event.
She said: "What a fantastic celebration these awards are – they showcase the very best of Scotland’s woodlands.
"The enthusiasm and passion of all those involved in managing their woodlands shines through each year.
“The awards cover a vast range of woodland types from quality timber, native, community, farm and urban woodlands, to woodlands for schools and early years children.
“The breadth of the awards itself demonstrates how forestry today is woven into so many aspects of Scottish life.
“Congratulations to all the winners and especially to the schools and young people - you are our foresters of the future and your work is very inspiring.”