City Children Go Green at Ysgol Glan Morfa

Splott children save the urban House Sparrow to kick start Welsh environmental volunteering campaign.

On Tuesday 23rd March pupils from Ysgol Glan Morfa and volunteers will take part in a green ‘make-over’ to raise awareness of the decline of urban sparrows, marking the Welsh launch of the CSV Action Earth campaign.  The number of House Sparrows has dropped by an astonishing 50% over the past 25 years.

One of the key reasons for their decline is due to lack of safe nest sites in city areas.  The young volunteers will be helping by making nesting boxes to be positioned in local trees by the school.  These homes will provide safe places for the birds to nest and breed.  They will also be helping build bug-houses from materials donated from local businesses including timber pallets, roof tiles, air bricks and plastic pipes.  In cities, sparrows also have more competition for food from larger birds such as pigeons.
 
Action Earth is organised by the UK’s leading volunteering charity Community Service Volunteers (CSV) and supported by supermarket Morrisons.  Each year volunteers across the nation are galvanised into taking action to help the environment.  Grants of up to £50 are available to kick start community projects which have an immediate and positive affect on the environment and can be applied for via the CSV website – www.csv.org.uk/actionearth
 
Mark Harrison, Morrisons Store Operations Director said: “The children from Ysgol Glan Morfa have done a brilliant job of launching Action Earth 2010 in Wales. The school have proved that when given the opportunity, everyone can make a difference to their local environment. We hope that these Sparrow and bug boxes house many residents and help protect many animals.

“Morrisons is proud to support CSV Action Earth and the thousands of volunteers who act to make an impact on the environment. Over the years, we’ve seen that when people contribute to change together it can deliver real benefits to the communities we share, and we hope to do more than ever in 2010.”
 
Debbie Gray for CSV Action Earth in Wales said: "Action Earth empowers everyone in the community with an idea to help the environment to get out there and do it!  Whatever your age, if you have a great idea, get in touch.  We’re really excited to be launching the campaign at Ysgol Glan Morfa and delighted the young environmentalists are taking such an active role in helping wildlife”.
   
The United Nations has declared 2010 to be the International Year of Biodiversity. As part of the year long celebration CSV Action Earth is committed to raising the awareness of the importance of protecting our natural resources and supporting biodiversity. By joining the CSV Action Earth campaign volunteers can make a real difference.

In 2009 thousands of volunteers took part in Action Earth across Wales by planting trees, clearing silt and rubbish from waterways, replanting hedgerows, orchard planting, recycling trees, path laying, making bird tables and nesting boxes, coppicing, and creating outdoor learning environments.  If you have an idea to improve the environment then we want to hear from you, so get in touch!  Have a look at our website, www.csv.org.uk/actionearth for ideas and tips to inspire your own project or for details of others to join.
 
For more information on CSV Action Earth Wales contact Rhiannon 07968 145 508
For further press information: CSV Press Office: Melissa Goss on 020 7812 1338/1337 (M) 07825 808 052