 A full morning of presentations by all the finalists and a very high standard of entries left the judging panel with a difficult decision to make. Chair of judges Richard Pennell thanked the children for being so inspiring.
Before announcing the winners, the Bishop commented: "We are here to celebrate who you are and all the good things you’ve done. Your reward will be a world that is able to sustain you and the generations beyond."
Sustainability and improving the environment both inside and outside the school runs through the ethos of the Lisle Marsden C of E Primary School. The gardening club has a very productive allotment where fruit and vegetables are grown organically by the children; the produce from the allotment is used in healthy cooking lessons to make things like strawberry muffins and rhubarb punch; there is a walk to school scheme; and an environmental area with a pond, bird table, bug hotel and planting with native species to encourage bees and butterflies.
One of their successes has been the “Get your Grown-ups Growing Day” where children invited their families to get involved with tree planting , bulb planting, making scarecrows and bird cake, constructing bug houses and collecting leaves. Over 100 adults joined in.
On winning the award the children from Lisle Marsden Primary School described the day as "magic" and "one of the best days of my life!" The children were already knowledgeable and enthusiastic but hadn’t expected to win. They now want to keep working on their projects and develop their environmental area further.
The Runner’s Up in the Young Environmentalist Award were William Chico and the Priory City of Lincoln Academy.
Ten year old William Chico was upset by the amount of rubbish in the River Freshney in Grimsby and the effect it was having on the wildlife including seeing moorhens sitting on a nest made of litter. He has been campaigning for its clean up through the Grimsby Evening Telegraph, to his local MP, to the European Parliament and others. The council have since, cleared litter from the river.
Two years ago, students with learning disabilities at the Priory City of Lincoln Academy started to develop a raised bed gardening project in an unused courtyard. From the success of this project, growing and cooking their own vegetables, they have gone on to help create a sustainable garden within the grounds of a local Order of St John’s Care Trust care home. This included recycling old bed frames as raised planters and planting wildlife-friendly hedgerows. The students have increased their understanding of sustainability, food production and, in their own words, they have "learnt how young and old are all part of the community."
Heckington Saint Andrews C of E Primary School, The John Fielding Community Special School, Imogen Reeves and Worlaby Primary School were all highly commended.
Lincolnshire Young Environmentalists Award 2010
Winner: Lisle Marsden C of E Primary School
Runner’s Up:
Priory City of Lincoln Academy
William Chico
Highly Commended:
Heckington Saint Andrews C of E Primary School
The John Fielding Community Special School
Imogen Reeves
Worlaby Primary School
| 
