Students dig the eco-friendly approach

BARNSLEY College students are becoming conscious of sustainability and turning every scrap into valuable raw materials for their green projects.

The horticulture students at our Wigfield Farm campus gain a unique perspective and understand that it is not just about plants, but an industry where no resource should ever be wasted and can be used to help the environment.

Under the guidance of horticulture teacher Carlo Turner, students renovated dog sinks that were discarded during a renovation, giving them a new life as planters. The sinkholes now provide a great drainage system for the plants that are replanted by students during the changing seasons.

It’s not just the dog sinks that the students have transformed, they are actively collecting plastic containers to reuse and upcycle into planters. Their eco-friendly initiative not only helps minimize waste sent to landfills but also reduces carbon dioxide emissions by extending the life of the material.

In his commitment to sustainability, Carlo showed the students how to make their own compost and now they use everything in their garden, from grass clippings and weeds to prunings and torn cardboard. The students also have the advantage of being able to use the vegetable kitchen waste and animal manure from the farm cafe to form a healthier soil and improve the student’s plant growth.

Carlo said: “Horticulture plays a vital role in preserving the environment and these students are entering the sector, so it is important for us to integrate this into the curriculum.

“Last year we turned used pumpkins into seasonal flower displays. I still have the pumpkin seeds here that students started planting this year to grow new crops – this continuous cycle will continue.”

Peter Wood, Head of Land-based Industries, added: “Carlo’s idea offers our horticulture students the opportunity to think outside the box and integrate sustainability into their studies.

“Students are always looking for scraps of wood from broken fences or old boxes that they can convert into functional and creative pieces, such as planters and birdhouses, which are often sold at the student shows.”