Hundreds of school pupils from across Falkirk attended an eco event in Callendar Park on Friday that was organised by two teenagers. Erin Henderson, 17, and Tamsin Gold, 16, agreed that the stress of putting everything together had been well worth it as they watched waves of pupils pouring into 'Know Your Eco Falkirk'.
Held in a large marquee in front of Callendar House, the tent was lined with stalls from organisations such as Young Scot, Eco Schools and Fuel Change. The girls' aim was to get a positive message across in the face of climate change messaging that can be a little overwhelming.
Standing in front of busy stalls with lots of young visitors from schools across the Falkirk, the girls were delighted to see their idea become a reality. Tamsin said: "A lot of the talk around climate change is about the planet dying and our idea with this was to show the solutions are out there. And I can really see that they are taking that away with them!"
When they could literally hear the buzz of excitement from the younger pupils in particular, they knew they had succeeded.
Erin, who is in sixth year at Larbert High School, said: "We've had little passports that they can get stamped when they visit a stall and that has really caused a buzz! The primary school pupils in particular absolutely loved it although I think there were a few quiet smiles from the older pupils too," she said.
Falkirk High pupil Tamsin, who is a Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament (MSY), agreed, saying: "I can hear them all talking about what they've found out as they are leaving. We feel like we've achieved that positivity - we're presenting it in a way that's manageable, with small steps we can take in everyday life."
Erin was particularly pleased to see the young visitors making a beeline for Strathcarron Hospice's pop-up boutique, which she says has been a great introduction to the joy of shopping in charity shops. There was also a swap shop where people could donate unwanted items and find something new to wear in a sustainable way.
Other stalls included Falkirk High's Changemakers, with pupils Diana Kaliukeviciute and Rebecca Robertson hosting a game to test people's knowledge of climate issues. Pupils from Braes High School's Eco committee also had a stall to tell people more about what they do year-round to help promote sustainable living.
Several Falkirk councillors were also there to show their support, along with Central Scotland Green MSP Gillian Mackay. All of the children attending were given a wrist band and towards the end of the day, Erin gestured to the ground as a small sign they were getting the message across
"Look, there's no litter!," she said. "You can tell that they are all really tuned in and they are all keeping them and putting them in their pockets." On the day, lots of people also signed up for tree planting which is the girls' next project.
They also look forward to seeing the results of the competition to design a mural for Falkirk town centre which has attracted lots of entries. "I was very stressed this morning and it's been a long, eventful day but I've really enjoyed it," said Erin. Tamsin added: "Even if people just take away one thing from today it will all have been worth it!"
