Student Environmental Conference Exhibition 2021
Did you go on the Climate Change March?
Are you passionate about the environment and want to build a sustainable Guernsey for you and future generations?
Come to the George Crossan gallery above Guernsey Weigh and read all about the conference. Learn what you can do to make a difference.
7-19th June 2021
Thank you to Credit Suisse for sponsoring the low food miles lunch and Alderney students’ travel
Thank you to Insurance Corporation for sponsoring the Sprout pencils and pledges
Thank you to the Ladies’ College for hosting the event, providing media support, IT support and cooking a low food miles lunch
This conference was in response to the Climate Change March 2 years ago. COVID delayed it three times.
Young people want action.
Read about ideas about what you can do on Guernsey for the environment. Read about what the Deputies and Business Directors had to say about what they are going to do to ensure that young people have a sustainable future on this island.
We have photographed and documented this event, which is now on display, along with Photographs from Guernsey Photography Club and the art work from the workshop, at the George Crossan Gallery in Inner Street for 2 weeks from 7th June 2021.
Workshops
Air Pollution
Facilitators: Lindsay De Sausmarez, Tom McGovern
In this workshop you will be accessing the satellite images taken by Sentinel 5 satellite and compare the air pollution and levels of carbon dioxide before and after lockdowns across the planet. You will be able to access up to date information on Guernsey.
Measuring Trees
Facilitator: Serena Ace Hopkins.
In this workshop you will be introduced to the citizen science project Treezilla. We are trying to map all the trees in the Bailiwick and this app makes it very easy. You will be shown how to measure trees and add them to the app We hope you can continue to do this after the conference.
Designing a Nature trail
Facilitators: Becky Ogier and Sarah Allez
You will contribute ideas to make a quirky interactive observation trail, enabling young people to interact and observe the world around them. This will include a demonstration of worm charming and you can add in your own ideas as well.
Invasive Species
Facilitator: Francis Russell
Environmentalists who work for the States have to come up with strategies not only to try and remove invasive species but to stop further unwanted species arriving on our shores and creating problems for the local wildlife. You will be tasked with producing such a strategy with hands on examples of the problem species.
Environmental Art
Facilitators: Richard Woodhouse, Clean Earth Trust
You will be making an environmental sculpture based on the rubbish washed up on our shores. This large structure will be on display in the Inner Street Gallery above Guernsey Weigh in town during June, encouraging local people and tourists to pledge to do something good for the environment.
Waste and litter
Facilitator: Sebastian Graca da Silva
In this workshop you will learn about the extent of the problem involving waste and tasked to come up with solutions that will work for the Bailiwick. Harder then you think as this will also involve changing people habits as well as initiatives to try and solve this problem.
The adults had a low food miles lunch cooked by The Ladies’ College catering manager, as a thank you for helping, sponsored by Credit Suisse. The food was all local and we were delighted to have a bag of vegetables donated by Elizabeth College from their allotment- thank you. Unfortunately the meal did generate plastic waste. It would have been on display, except it was put out the night before, artfully ranged as a plastic mountain and the cleaners efficiently put it in the bin! Some delicious looking pictures of the food donated from the allotment are below.
These are the top environmental Guernsey organisations who are making a difference in the Bailiwick. Find out more.
Click here to try the quiz.
The young people and schools in Guernsey are doing just amazing environmental initiatives. Click on each one to find out more
Alex Herschel, Environmental Sustainability Manager Guernsey Electricity Ltd
What has happened since?
I went on the Climate March in Dec 2019. Has anything happened in the STATES as a result of that?
Sustainability Question.
STATES: How long would you estimate for Guernsey to become net zero and what is the states doing to achieve this. How close is Guernsey to reaching no carbon emissions by 2030? Are you actually doing anything about it?
BUSINESS: What is your business actively doing to promote sustainability?
Plastic Question
BUSINESS: Why is it that the local produce in shops is packaged in more plastic than the produce coming in? Is there a way we could change this? Are there plans to increase the amount of local sourcing that happens for food products in Guernsey to reduce the food miles and if not, why not?
STATES: Lots of cities, places and communities have ban the use of single use plastics including plastic bottles, bags, straws etc. Do you think this is a reasonable possibility for Guernsey in the future?
Transport Question
BUSINESS: What is the most common form of transport that your employees use to get to work?
Sprout pencils (pencils that will grow when you plant them) were given to everyone at the conference. These were sponsored by Insurance Corporation who sponsor the environmental awards on the island every year. You can still pledge online for us to create a digital archive. For ideas about what you can do then google the words “sustainable swaps“.
Pledge Electronically here- your pledges will be on show with the rest after the exhibition
The Environmental Art exhibit and the Guernsey Photography Photos, along with your pledges and photos and information from the day will be on display in St Peter Port in the George Crossan Gallery in Inner Street 7th -19th June. The lovely photos of Guernsey on display are for sale.
How do you talk to young children about our environment? How much do you know? Try this fun kiddies quiz about how humans affect the environment.