Vision

The Eco Eagles are running a Climate Action Project. As a team, we decided to use the funds to buy plants for each classroom. We felt this would be helpful to students and staff for the following reasons:

It can improve concentration and memory
It can increase productivity by 47%
It can reduce stress and mental fatigue
It can connect students and staff to nature by bringing the outdoors inside
It promotes health and well-being for all

How do plants help with our well-being? People who surround themselves with plant life and other forms of natural beauty, indoors and out, experience emotional and mental health benefits that have a positive impact on their social, psychological, physical, cognitive, environmental, and spiritual well-being, This aligns with the UN SDG Good Health and Wellbeing. These benefits include:

Stress reduction
Reduced symptoms of depression
Stronger memory retention
Fewer symptoms of post-traumatic stress
Improved symptoms of attention-deficit disorders (ADD/ADHD)
Higher productivity and improved concentration in schools and workplaces
Higher levels of creativity
Fewer symptoms of dementia
Higher intellect
Better self-esteem
Greater quality of life overall.

Action

The plant we have selected is Dracaena Trifasciata, also known as Snake Plant or Mother-in-law’s Tongue. We believe that this would be the best plant because it is a natural air filter, removing moulds and toxins from the air, and it is low maintenance, so you and your students won’t have to worry about too much care and maintenance. We sent an email out to the school community with a Google Form attached for teachers to indicate their interest in participating. Then, based on the number of requests, we prepared a care guide, ordered plants from a local provider, and sourced other necessary materials like plant pots and watering cans to make sure that everyone was equipped. A group of students from our Eco Eagles delivered the plants, care guides and other materials to the participating classrooms. We were able to disperse almost 20 plants to classrooms in our school through this action.

Reflection & Celebration

Students included a check-in at the end of the school year, where they are going to give awards for best-decorated pot, most growth, and best plant name. We will give certificates to these winning classes to celebrate their participation.

As a school community, there has been a lot of excitement and enthusiasm for our new green additions. We are hopeful that this will inspire more indoor plants and greenery to brighten up our class spaces, help improve our health and well-being, and inspire more sustainable living.