The Gozo College Xewkija Primary has been presented with the the LEAF Award as a sign of recognition for the action it has taken to spread environmental education concerning trees and all their values among the students at the school through the action-oriented, participatory and positive methods as envisaged in the LEAF Programme.
The presentation was made to students by President Marie-Louise Colerio Preca.
LEAF is the programme which reflects all the functions forests fulfil for people: culturally, ecologically, economically and socially.
Students at the the Gozo College Xewkija Primary school spotted that something was wrong with the schools’ Palm Trees, when its large leafy branches were falling down.
This lead to the identification that the school palm trees were being infested by the Red Palm Weevil. A a series of activities were then organised to raise awareness among the school community, as well as among the local community, about issues related to tree conservation issues and to the importance of trees. One of the activities was a seminar that delved deeper into the problem created by Red Palm Weevil.
Following the seminar, Year 4, 5 and 6 students wrote up reports on the ways the Red Palm Weevil infests and kills Palm Trees. Student’s parents, the local Council were also included in this awareness raising campaign.