Earth Week 2023

Creating a sustainable lifestyle isn’t as difficult as it sounds. You probably already started and don’t even know it. It’s as simple as using a dishwasher, remembering to take your reusable bag to the market and using refillable bottles. Sustainability is about being aware of resource consumption and of reducing unnecessary waste; we take what we need without compromising the future generation. At BSKL, Eco-Lions are dedicated to raise awareness and develop sustainable practices in school to ensure our students grow up as responsible global citizens, whose successes will be measured not only by their personal achievements, but also through their contribution to a sustainable environment and community. 

This is the spirit that brought our first Green Market to life this week. The aim of the Green Market was to create awareness about sustainable living through the 5Rs: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose and Recycle. We had students from Secondary and Primary who took part as vendors to support their own charities. It varied from animal conservations to human welfare organisations. We also invited external vendors such as Refiller Mobile, Alam Flora’s 3R on Wheels, Yee Buttons, The Greater Action and Play Unlimited to educate the BSKL community about their respective sustainable work. Along with our vendors, the school’s café also played a role in making this a successful event, by adhering to the ‘no single use plastic’ rule. The whole school also came dressed up in blue and green to celebrate Earth Day. Earth Day is celebrated annually on April 22nd every year. 

Primary  

In primary, the Eco Lion students launched Earth Week by leading the whole school assembly. Eco Lion representatives also took the initiative to discuss Earth Week activities and shared their ideas with the PE and Swimming team. PE conducted a relay ‘recycling’ game and made it into a house competition while Swimming coaches filled the pool with plastic bottles to create an awareness of ocean pollution. Other than that, students partook in Earth week activities in MFL lessons and their respective classes.  

In addition to that, both Secondary and Primary collaborated on a project using paint and recycled items. The 5x7 feet art piece that BSKL students worked on for three weeks can be found above the Lower Hill library. This was an initiative brought in by Jenna Liew from 5D, in support of her conservation efforts with the Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia. 

Ms Sherie Mae Janz
 

Secondary 

We started our celebration for Earth Week with an assembly that focused on the importance of recycling in BSKL and how we can impact positively our environment with simple gestures in our school life. By improving our recycling practice in BSKL, we help reduce the amount of waste that goes to the landfills. We also support “The Beautiful Gates Foundation for Disabled People” who collects and sells our recyclables from the bins located in B1 on each campus.  

On Thursday, a total of 170 students signed-up for four different activities during form time.  

A litter pick-up took place on Changkat Bukit Utama and the students collected an impressive amount of rubbish between New Camp and the guardhouse on Upper Hill campus. A reminder for all of us that we are responsible for keeping our surroundings clean. 

Some students chose to learn how to “crochet” with Sara Hilder and made some animals that were sold later in our Green Market to raise awareness about the importance of biodiversity. 

Sasha and Zac Philip offered a very informative talk about wildlife conservation and endangered species in Malaysia, a topic they are both passionate about. It was well attended. 

Kiran Cabanillas, in Year 11, organised a scavenger hunt with facts about environment. Students enjoyed learning about environment whilst engaging in a fun activity. 

Keira Heys, Ellie Gatenby and Lizzy Yee, in Year 12, ran a second-hand clothing sale at lunchtime as well as during our Green Market, where another four groups of Secondary students had a stall to promote sustainability and support local environmental organisations. 

We are looking forward to more and better recycling in our community for a more sustainable future. 

Ms Blandine Pouchard