Meet the kids helping Cork children to go 'green'

PROTECTING our planet is a job for all of us — no matter how big or small we are. That’s why we are introducing a new column to KidzZone every month, encouraging our young readers to be more environmentally friendly.

The column, which will run on the last Thursday of every month, will be written by identical twins Oscar and Noah Wilson, aged 11, from Midleton. 

They will be our Green Ambassadors over the coming months and will be sharing their knowledge, tips, and tricks on how we can all help the environment — one small action at a time.

The two boys attend Gaelscoil Mhainistir Na Corann, in Midleton, which is involved in the green flags scheme and is very environmentally focused.

We featured the boys recently when they showcased their business, The Not So Perfect Carrot, at the Reuse Republic exhibition at County Hall as part of National Reuse Month. The exhibition brought together some of Cork’s best upcyclers, reuse initiatives, and eco businesses.

Oscar and Noah buy old frames from charity shops etc, colour and design them and fill them with inspirational quotes, and sell them on to family and friends. The money they earn goes to animal welfare charities. Each frame has the boys’ logo — a wonky carrot — displayed on it. They also sell pen holders and notebooks.

Mum Catherine Sheridan said the boys love all things outdoors and the natural world — they enjoy going to the beach, swimming in the sea, walking in the forest. They go horse riding once a week and also love visiting the Care Farm in Castlemartyr where they mind the animals.

The boys are encouraged at home by mum Catherine, who is an engineer, and dad Dean, a glazier, and are also taught by their school to protect the environment. So they bring bags to the beach to pick up litter, refill their water bottles daily, and shop for their toys and books in charity shops, returning them there again when they are done with them. They also use cloth bags when shopping, while Noah refuses to use anything with palm oil in it, as it affects wildlife habitats.

The two boys also attend the Centre for Talented Youths in UCC on Saturdays.

We’re super excited about the stories that the boys will share with us over the coming months. But we want to hear your stories too. Are you or your school/club/organisation doing anything to help the environment? Let us know by emailing kidzzone@eecho.ie.

HOW TO RID YOUR LUNCHBOX OF NASTY PLASTIC

This week Noah shares some tips and tricks on how we can make our lunch boxes more ‘green’.

Hi I’m Noah and I’d like to tell you how you can make a difference in the world. Now, I know all this talk of pollution and climate change may make you feel worried. Maybe you feel that you can’t stop it or nothing you will do will make a difference. But I’m going to let you in on a secret — we all have a special superpower and it is called: Belief! If you believe you can make a difference, then you can. It’s not enough to have a superpower, you need to know how and when to use it.

Your first mission is to rid the school lunchbox of the single-use plastic nasties! Here are your tools:

1. Try not to use single-use plastic bottles in your lunch. Instead, use tap water to fill a reusable hard plastic or even better, metal bottle. You could even add some fruit or lemon to make it really refreshing.

2. Do you bring a sandwich to school? Well try not to cling on to single-use sandwich covers (cling film or sandwich bags). ‘Bee’ smart and use beeswax wrappers or a paper bag.

3. You know what really cheeses me off? Individual portions of cheese in single-use plastic packaging. Why not be a chip off the old block and do what our parents did? Buy a block of cheese and cut off a few slices.

4. Squeezable tubes of yogurt. That is an idea that is past its sell-by date! Put a scoop of yogurt from a big tub into a small container. Yes, yes, I know it’s bland but if you add some topping like maple syrup or jam it will make it taste nice. My favourite topping is strawberries — yum!

5. Do you ever get bored of the same old sandwiches every day? Does your mom hate throwing out leftovers after dinner? What’s the answer?! Food Flasks! When do we want them?! NOW!

So there you go, some easy tips to make a difference in the world just by changing your lunch box.

Next month, on February 28, Oscar will write about the effects of global warming.