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Former Blue Peter Gardener Visits Penryn College as Part of Environmental Project

Former Blue Peter gardener Chris Collins visited Penryn College on Tuesday morning, working alongside the school’s pupils to plant trees, as part of a nationwide scheme by energy supplier Octopus Energy to promote cleaner air and a greener environment.

Penryn College’s Environmental Club founder, Mrs Kaack, applied to be a part of the initiative in order to add to the school’s sustainability programme and, in addition, add features to a green area at the front of the school, where the Environmental Club will hold their future meetings.

Pupils from the school’s Environmental Club planted 10 trees on the green area, as Chris Collins – who will be involved in this year’s Chelsea Flower Show – shared his gardening and environmental expertise with students, along with Octopus Energy representative Tim Troy.

Reflecting on his time at Penryn College, Collins said: “It was a fantastic morning – the pupils were very receptive and had a genuine interest in saving the planet.

“Young people are fantastic when it comes to helping make the planet greener, and if I can make an impression on a handful of the children here at Penryn College then I’ll be happy. The first step in achieving this is letting them know how to enjoy the environment.”

Octopus Energy has visited 500 schools and community groups across the UK in recent years, planting more than 10,000 trees as part of their mission to help increase absorption of harmful CO2 gases and improve local air quality.

And Tim Troy of Octopus Energy reflected on the positive impact that extra-curricular activities such as Penryn College’s Environmental Club can have on preserving the planet. He said: “The children here at Penryn College are really taking responsibility in making our planet greener, and it’s great to see their enthusiasm.

“All of the children really listened throughout the talks, and embraced the idea of planting the trees in aid of sustaining our planet. An environmental group like Penryn College’s can have a great impact on a community.” 

For more information on Octopus Energy, please visit: octopus.energy.