Promoting biodiversity rather than skipping school? This is the flagship project of Glovelier, which has set up two full days called “journées buissonières” to (re)create and encourage biodiversity on its premises.

Some of the steps:

Step 2. Carry out a sustainable development audit

At the start of the school year in August, each class received a presentation on biodiversity and the upcoming project. Each student then studied a dedicated area, with the task of taking stock of the existing biodiversity around the school and what was lacking. With the observations of students from all classes, the eco-committee made an audit and identified the objectives to be achieved, both in terms of informing the school community and improving local biodiversity by redeveloping the areas around the school.

Step 3: Create an Action Plan

The Glovelier school decided to tackle the theme of biodiversity through a number of practical initiatives involving all school levels and the whole school community. One of the highlights of the project was the two “journées buissonières”. By building insect hotels and nesting boxes, as well as planting and sowing seeds, among other things, students in all classes were able to learn about the importance of biodiversity and ecology. They were also able to take part with their parents in the planting of a rural hedge in a large-scale participative and convivial project.

Step 6: Inform and Involve

Communication around the project has enabled the whole community to get involved. Posters at the school entrance made the project accessible to students, parents and the local population. Communication was carried out via a padlet for parents, and the regional media covered the planting day with the students. At the same time, fruitful discussions took place with the school board, the local and cantonal authorities, as well as regular discussions with the collège des maîtres, the school direction and the school concierge. Finally, a film financed by the Office de l’Environnement of the Canton of Jura was shown at the inauguration and revealed all the project stages.

Testimonial

“A school project like ours brings people together in every way. We’ve learned a lot from it. Since the project was set up, the collaboration between the teachers has been valuable and fruitful. Our students at different levels have created more links through the activities offered to them. The facilities created make our school playground a pleasant place to be, and one that encourages biodiversity. This new environment is a sustainable, healthy and happy place to work. We hope that our project will gain enough visibility for other schools or communities to embark on biodiversity initiatives.”

Marlène Chalverat, teacher and Eco-Schools coordinator

The entire school community reunited during Water Week, during which conferences and movies were watched in classes.

Some of the steps:

Step 1: Form an Eco-Committee

The Lycée Collège des Creusets is ahead of its time with its Sustainability Group! Indeed, even before embarking on the Eco-Schools adventure, a Sustainability group already existed. Volunteer teachers joined it to create the Eco-Commitee. Following this, the recruitment was done with the help of a presentation video shown in the classrooms, as well as posters and oral presentations. An idea box was created to collect ideas from the whole school community.

Step 5: Links to the Curriculum

Each teacher was free to integrate the theme of water into their lessons. The whole school community came together during the water week, during which lectures and films were shown in class. For an even deeper awareness, each grade was given a topic for discussion, such as micropollutants or initiatives for a pesticide-free Switzerland. The students had to represent real interest groups, to endorse their point of view and to support their position as best they could. All areas of the school (canteen, management, teachers and students) were involved in the organisation of this great week!

Step 6 : Inform and Involve

Some members of the Eco-Commitee went to represent the Creusets secondary school to Mr. Stéphane Dayer, in charge of school-economy projects in the canton of Valais. They were able to discuss what they would like to do within their school, and even on a larger scale at the cantonal level, for the Agenda 2030.

Testimonial

«In a very concrete way, this year with Eco-Schools proved to the young people, who took the lead in the Eco-Commitee – and to the not so young – that, even before having the right to vote, they can build a project that has a real impact and goes much further than their individual actions. In the face of pessimism and resignation, they offer us a breath of fresh air and an impetus to continue thinking and acting.»

Yannick, history and latin teacher at the Lycée Collège des Creusets

Some of the steps:

Step 3: Carry out a Sustainable Development Audit

The Cycle d’Orientation (CO) Le Reposieux in Monthey has brought the community together around a project of living together, which is important in the post-covid period. The CO set up numerous workshops in collaboration with local partners (bird feeder with an ornithologist, aromatherapy workshop, home-made cosmetics or cooking with wild plants). The aim was also to give meaning to the creative and manual activity projects by creating insect hotels or green murals to promote biodiversity.

Step 5: Links to the Curriculum

The teachers made links to the curriculum by developing two large projects: The Tree of Liberty, which aims to demonstrate the importance of nature in history, to understand how trees have a strong impact on certain times, their symbolism and influence. As well as the Tree of Wishes, which allowed students from the resource classes to prepare a project and present it in front of their peers. This allowed them to develop their public speaking skills while getting closer to others by expressing their dearest wishes.

Step 7 : Create an Eco-Code

For the 50th anniversary of the CO and to end their Eco-School project on a high note, a big eco-responsible party was organised to highlight their entire project. An exhibition, eco-responsible local partners and concerts helped to raise awareness among the citizens of Monthey and the school community. In addition to being a rallying event, an eco-code and an end-of-year party, it also enabled the setting up of an eco-point (collection point for recyclable materials) financed by the town.

Testimonial

«Eco-Schools was an experience that brought us closer to each other again around an important theme. A shot of new discoveries, meetings with local personalities who made us discover the beauty of living together through local consumption, through the exchange of knowledge, the sharing of elders and the awareness of their way of life. So for that alone, I say thank you. Thank you for being able to offer this to our youth.»

Laura, AC&M teacher

The students also made furoshiki (a traditional Japanese technique of folding and knotting fabrics to minimise packaging waste) in the ACM class. The whole school got involved. The younger children cut out and decorated the explanatory labels, while the older ones cut out and sewed the fabrics.

Some of the steps:

Step 1: Form an Eco-Committee

To become part of the Eco-Committee, the 6H and 7H students interested in being part of the project were invited to run their own election campaign and to find relevant arguments in order to be elected by their peers and the rest of the school community. They were able to develop their argumentative skills and learn how an election campaign works in practice. The Eco-Committee remained open and several motivated people joined it during the two years of the project.

Step 5: Link to the Curriculum

The students’ competences were worked on in a transversal way, in particular through the following areas of the PER (Plan d’études romand): Health and well-being, Living together and exercising democracy, Interdependencies (social, economic and environmental). Numerous other actions were also linked to the school programme, for example: argumentative work in French lessons, calculation of waste quantities in math lessons or development of an exhibition on waste in science, visual arts and digital education lessons.

Step 6: Inform and Involve

Various regional actors were included in the Eco-Committee: the municipality, complementary childcare services, the caretaker, parents, etc. The whole school community was mobilised for a project in textile design: The students made furoshiki (a traditional Japanese technique of folding and knotting fabrics to minimise packaging waste) The younger children cut out and decorated the explanatory labels while the older children sewed the fabrics. Following the action day on waste, the 189 students, teachers and facilitators each went home with a furoshiki and an explanation of the project on the label.

Testimonial

“I personally had a lot of fun collaborating in this project and am proud that the Martigny-Combe school centre has received the Eco-Schools Award. I also hope that other centres will follow our example and commit themselves to the realisation of beautiful projects such as this one, which have a positive and important influence on everyone.”

Florence Voutaz, local councillor, Martigny-Combe

The children decided to organise a rubbish collection to preserve the lake and its biodiversity. The school community received help from the Association de Sauvegarde du Léman.

Some of the steps:

Step 1: Form an Eco-Committee

Students aged 6 to 12 took part in a real election to form an Eco-Committee. The candidates wrote a speech and made an oral preparation and presentation to the class. Two successful candidates were then chosen from each class. Once the committee was established, meetings were held once every two months. Although the session was led by an adult, all the ideas and note-taking were managed by the children themselves!

Steps 2 & 3 : Carry out a sustainable development audit & create an action plan

The diagnosis was carried out through numerous interviews with the children about different issues concerning water. Based on the findings, the Eco-Committee established an action plan based on two main actions. Firstly, working on the water cycle with the creation of models and texts. The second action followed an outing to the lake, during which the children decided to organise a waste collection to preserve the lake and biodiversity. The school community took many initiatives to receive help from the Association de Sauvegarde du Léman, to obtain funding from the municipality and to have an article published in the local newspaper.

Step 4: Monitor and evaluate

The results of this water awareness campaign are obvious. After being surveyed a second time, more than 80% of the children were able to explain how the water cycle works. The results are also visible in everyday actions: a reduction of water consumption in the toilets by more than 10% by creating small «advice» boards was observed. The school also invested in a water collector for its vegetable garden, after many calculations by the students on the water consumption needed to water a plat.

Testimonial

«I would say that these projects have created more links between classes, inviting them to work more in synergy. The water projects have opened the eyes of the children as well as the adults and our attitudes towards our water consumption have changed.»

Teacher of Montessori Rive Gauche school