15/02/2021
ACS Cobham students perform over 2,600 planet-saving actions
Students at ACS International School Cobham have performed over 2,600 planet-saving actions after signing up to the innovative iDot environmental scheme run by Leatherhead-based charity, Wildlife Aid Foundation (WAF).
The students have saved over 12,780 litres or water, created 15 new hedgehog highways in gardens, eaten 50 meat-free meals and made 39 items from recycled materials. They have also switched off lights and unnecessary electric appliances 234 times, fed birds 68 times and used reusable masks and water bottles 218 times. WAF founder and CEO, Simon Cowell, praised the efforts.
He said: “The concerted efforts of students show what is possible when people commit to doing positive environmental actions. We are often left feeling that the climate challenges the world faces are too great for us to overcome as individuals, but as the students at ACS Cobham demonstrate, we can all make a difference if we work together.”
iDot stands for I Do One Thing. The initiative aims to harness the power of collective action and encourages people to do daily environmentally friendly tasks, which can be recorded on the iDot website, where a counter allows participants to monitor their progress. Individuals and schools can sign up for free and join the expanding iDot community.
Taking inspiration from ideas offered on the iDot website, 57 ACS Cobham students have taken part in litter picks, 27 have made their own masks and 109 have crushed tins before putting them in the recycle bin to stop animals getting trapped in them.
Chloe Welch, Middle School iDot champion at ACS Cobham, says: “We aim to develop students to be globally-minded and to make responsible and sustainable choices for the planet. The iDot programme blends perfectly into this ethos and empowers students to work together to improve the world during a time of great uncertainty.
Within two weeks of launching the programme they had completed over 1,000 actions. It has been a fantastic experience working with Wildlife Aid Foundation on iDot, and we would encourage other schools to engage with the programme too.
Gwendoline Sandow, Lower School iDot Champion, ACS Cobham, says: “After introducing the iDot programme, we quickly noticed discussions emerging amongst our students about actions they could take to help the planet and they began to identify environmental issues at their homes as well as at school. iDot not only helps students understand how to conserve local wildlife, but also helps them realise they can be part of something much bigger.”
As part of the scheme, partner schools receive free curriculum-aligned material, support and inspiration. Mr Cowell concluded: “iDot is all about showing people they can make a difference. If everyone in the UK did one action per day, that would equate to billions of positive, planet preserving actions a year. It’s wonderful that ACS Cobham is on board and embracing the project.”
