Oceans Plastics and Kindergartens

Jen Allaway from Tertiary Students Christian Fellowship, on her return from  the Oceania Creation Care Consultation, immediately began putting some of her learnings from the consultation into action in her local community. She tells her story below:

I was really concerned by the issue of plastics in the ocean and wondered what I could do about it. As well as personal change I also wanted to impact and educate others. I talked with Amy Archer, a former TSCF student and ecology graduate, and we then approached the kindergarten my children attend, offering to facilitate a session on plastics and their impact on the ocean.

At Jonathan Rhodes Kindergarten in North East Valley, Dunedin we utilised stuffed toys purchased in Australia during my time at the consultation – Jackson the Port Jackson shark, Ray the stingray, and Todd the turtle – to tell stories illustrating the impact of plastics in our oceans. We then ran an activity – making reusable shopping bags. The kids choose their own colour of handles and pattern of fabric (we had pre-sewn the bags before going in), and watched intently as we sewed the handles onto each of their bags. Some of the kids were fascinated and watched for nearly the hour and a half it took us to sew handles onto the 40 bags! The kindergarten teachers were hugely appreciative and said they’d love to have us return in the future with further input around sustainability.

Are you too concerned about the growing issue of plastic in our oceans? Want to respond practically? Consider participating in Plastic-Free July or utilise the A Rocha’s Microplastics Toolbook. We would love to hear your stories of practical action!