Story provided by the British International school Riyadh- Saudi Arabia
The British International school of Riyadh was confronted to an issue : the school could not commit to an expansion of the existing Eco Garden due to planned redevelopment of the school site.
Every member of the school scratched their heads. The eco-committee after working on an environmental review decided on an action plan, focusing for this academic year on the expansion of the existing
eco-garden. To achieve this objective they all came out with one solution : placing plant boxes at various sites around the school.
The solution found, it was up to the whole school to take part to this fabulous project, a real team work as Ms Helen Olds, Principle of the British International School Riyadh, commented "Even those who were initially skeptical and reluctant got involved and seemed to have fun. It’s good to get everyone engaged in our eco work."
The Senior Eco-Coordinator liaised with a parent who worked on a large scale farm outside Riyadh for the delivery of approximately 50 used pallets. Upon receipt of the pallets in May 2019, the school maintenance staff disassembled them, ready for the teaching and administrative staff to construct the plant boxes from during INSET training week in August.
The constructed plant boxes were then handed over to the Senior Eco-Committee who decorated them with the odd touch of paints. Therefore, students developed their art and planting skills, while staff applied their construction skills.
By November, the plant boxes were ready to be placed at prearranged locations around the school site. The Primary Eco-Committee then added the plants they had purchased and took on the task of watering the plant boxes for the rest of the academic year.
This complies with Eco Code motto of this Saudi Arabian eco-school 'green thinking in a brown desert.'