Pupils enjoy marine litter live lesson

Our Marine Litter Art Competition is in full swing following a successful Live Lesson.

Taking place on 14 November, more than 50 primary school classes joined the online live lesson, with around 1,275 pupils enjoying the session which was led by Arlo Sims, our Education and Learning Officer.  

Fifteen Arrochar Primary School pupils were involved in the lesson in Arrochar, with four of them being interviewed on camera, which was streamed live to the primary classes across the country who were watching the lesson.  

Our Marine Litter Art Competition, in collaboration with GRAB Trust, focuses on the Arrochar Litter Sink and encourages pupils to think about litter dropped locally and how it might end up travelling and impacting the community at Arrochar.

Pupils at primary schools, early years and ASN schools across the West Partnership, Argyll and Bute, North Ayrshire and South Ayrshire can enter.

The Live Lesson was to support and motivate their projects, before submitting their final piece in February. 

The top eight schools will each be provided £250 towards attending an event at Arrochar Village Hall on 11 March 2025 to showcase their creation and journey with other schools and local stakeholders.  

At that same event the overall winner will be selected and will receive a trip to the Sea Life Loch Lomond Aquarium in Balloch.

Catriona Rae, our Senior Education and Learning Officer, said: “It was such a delight to spend time on the Arrochar foreshore with pupils from Hermitage Academy and Arrochar Primary School in recent weeks.

"I share their frustration with the litter piling up on the shore, and with the marine litter issue in Scotland in general. Their passion for drawing attention to environmental issues is inspiring.” 

The GRAB Trust said: “We are delighted to be working with Keep Scotland Beautiful on this educational project and were so pleased to be able to bring the pupils of Arrochar Primary to the head of Loch Long yesterday (14 November).

"They all took part in a young reporters workshop with Jacqui [and] some of the pupils were able to join Keep Scotland Beautiful’s live lesson, which was extremely exciting for them!

"Arrochar is a place with stunning natural scenery and yesterday we were treated to a sunny, still November morning which was truly breath-taking. The overwhelming emotions when we discussed the litter sink were disappointment and frustration, but the children were able to express themselves incredibly though songs, poems and sketches – with some fantastic performances!”

Find out more about the competition and watch the Live Lesson.