The climate crisis has proven to be a tool that is unifying in that it affects all of us. The most recent form of unity has sprung out of the Warminster school’s green team forming links with the local council and the Mayor himself. Phil Keeble visited the school in early September to establish a union between the two organisations and work together in supporting further measures to reduce climate change.

The Mayor was firm in his desire that the younger generations be involved in the wider and broader decisions surrounding the local climate plans, as the “input to help develop our attempts affects the younger generation the most”. He went on further to support the ever-strengthening notion that younger people “bring a lot to the table”. This experience can help the green team and other members of the school community develop their own knowledge surrounding this prominent issue. He hoped the link now formed with the local council and the school would soon see members of the younger generation joining the council meetings, offering their views and opinions and generally voicing their concerns, which the Mayor believes are essential for further progress.

His desire for the wildlife area adjacent to the school to be a project of increasing diversity with all students involved to protect the natural landscape and the “places of tranquillity” have been started. The green team earlier in the year planted trees and wildflowers along the fields to increase the biodiversity of insects and plants. The Mayor commended these efforts and expressed the hope that these efforts and plans put into action would extend outside the school with green team’s help.

Indeed, the government goal of zero net carbon by 2050 is now a unifying goal both within the school and within the broader community. As a result of this fast-approaching target, one of the green teams underlying worries was, what is the most important part of climate change to focus on? However, both they and the Mayor expressed that there is no single most important part, all of the issues are equally important but can only be tackled head on.

The next project our green team will be focusing on in school, is the school pond, which is next to the cricket pitch. The WSPA have kindly agreed to purchase new plants in the spring,  time will now be spent to clear and tidy the pond, in readiness for the new plants.

As written by Rachael Shepherd Year 13