ENVIRONMENT lover and aspiring teacher Emma-Sky Fuller was joined by Hillcrest Primary School’s learners in her effort to save the environment. Fuller and the Grade Seven learners embarked on a recycling project that bloomed into a colourful garden. Situated in the school premises, the garden is the site of a beautiful plantation of fully bloomed flowers incubated in tyres decorated with paintings.

Fuller said the project was overseen by her mentor, who is a class teacher of the Grade Seven group, and she worked with him on this project.
“I feel that the relevance of this project is valid – so the children of the new generation can have a safe environment. Tyres are particularly difficult to recycle and cannot just be disposed of in household waste or landfills. It is important to help them see what is happening to their planet with regards to pollution accumulated by the human race’s rubbish,” she said.

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She continued to state that the project contributed to the subjects that the learners are currently learning in their grade.

“This Social Action Project is also relevant with regard to the Grade Seven curriculum, particularly in aspects of natural science, life science and technology. In technology, it relates to recycling scrap metal, which is also found in tyres. With regard to natural science, it relates to the sorting and recycling of materials, especially as it’s a problem if this is not done properly. For example, with tyres, the burning process releases hazardous fumes into the atmosphere,” she explained.

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Fuller said it was a learning curve for her and the learners. “I was supervising them with an intention to let them be and to allow them to create what they like. They are children who are enthusiastic to learn,” she said.
She said the painting equipment and tyres were donated by local companies. She said each piece of equipment used served a teaching purpose for the learners.

“This project will hopefully open the eyes of the learners, teachers and even the parents of the school to how important it is to make a conscious effort to be careful with how they discard trash items. It will potentially encourage learners and teachers to bring home the idea that the waste that is gathered can be repurposed, at times, or recycled to make more packaging and products that are environmentally friendly,” she said.