Pupils urged to get close to nature

Pupils from five schools, groups and organisations yesterday participated in World Environment Day on Commonwealth Park urging everyone to “get close and connect to nature”.
A variety of events were organised by the Department of the Environment and Climate Change and saw pupils, parents and guests joining in.

Over a number of years the celebrations on the Rock have included the schools and Education, Environment and Climate Change Minister Dr John Cortes told the Chronicle this was the right thing to do – “I feel it is good because the children enjoy it and they spend lots of weeks preparing for i. By learning all these songs about the environment they are also learning about the environment and taking the message home to their parents and family and to future generations.”
“When they grow up they will be aware and this is vitally important. I also feel the location of Commonwealth Park is absolutely amazing,” he added.

Earlier he had addressed the children explaining the park was once a car park “full of dirty cars and diesel fumes” and now it was a place to “connect with nature full of trees, green grass, fish and birds.”

A fan of Pokemon, Dr Cortes, told the children how they were very similar to some animals which exist in the real world.
“Every time you play Pokemon Go or Plush Pokemon remember the animals in the real world that need you to look after them.”

The event in the park was not just supported by the schools but also by the Nautilus Project, MMIRC, the ESG and the Alameda Gardens and Wildlife Park.

First up the band stand was the Governor’s Meadow School Choir who sang about sharing the earth and animals in danger just like the pupils from St Bernard’s First School pupils who told the story of the fisherman. Other schools taking part were: Anne’s Middle School, St. Mary’s First School and St. Joseph’s First School.

There were a number of stalls on site and the day also saw some talks from the Nautilus Project on the dangers of plastics in our oceans and climate change and by the MMIRC Talk about the dolphins in Gibraltar Waters and Cetacean Protocol.