Iona students 'making a difference' on the Swan
Have you ever spent an afternoon collecting rubbish from the river foreshore?
That is exactly what Iona Presentation College's Year 11 Integrated Science students recently did, and they were astounded at what they found.
"It was amazing how much we found in such a relatively small area," said Maya Allison.
Having previously worked with volunteers from Earth Carers to survey riverside litter at Chidley Point, the students studying environmental degradation decided to repeat this important community service earlier this month.
"We found all sorts of rubbish, including large amounts of plastic and we were astounded by the number of cigarette butts we collected," said Emily Lowe.
"The students counted and recorded the types of rubbish they found, before identifying the most common items. They then disposed of the rubbish using the correct recycling system," said Stephanie Devenish, Science Teacher.
"As a part of the course, the girls will produce a pamphlet aimed at educating the local community about the rubbish found in the Swan River. This pamphlet will include useful information about how the community can help clean up the Swan River."
"It was an eye-opening experience to see how much rubbish is littering our beautiful river and foreshore. We decided that if we all contribute to protecting our environment in a small way, then all of our small efforts will end up making a big difference," commented Iris Gray.