Walk To School Week Takes Crazy Twist in England
by Kenny Luna, North Babylon, NY on 05.24.07
Walk to School Week in Brighton & Hove England took things over the edge as the road outside their Rudyard Kipling Primary School was closed to traffic and covered with plants, flowers and artificial grass so kids could walk on the roadway as though it were a path. The project itself just may be the first of its kind on the planet to be quite honest. I mean really, who ever heard of covering the road with fake grass just to prove a point about walking to school and sustainability? And from the looks of things it really had an impact on kids, the most important part of any project to get their attention about sustainability no matter how wacky it seems at first glance. How wacky was it? Well, not only was the road covered with fake grass and plants, but the kids were met with strange characters to greet them like singing cowboys and a fish on a bicycle too. So how did teachers and students feel about the whole crazy idea? Well, as Headteacher Barbara Shackell pointed out: “It was absolutely fantastic! There was a carnival atmosphere. The children were incredibly excited. They rounded the corner to come face to face with lots of weird characters and the road all turfed over and covered with magnificent plants. They loved it.” And this brings up a point that’s been running around in my head for the last year and a half. If we’re going to get the message of sustainability drilled home to kids we’re probably going to have to make it as wacky and fun as we possibly can. And that’s because it’s just too serious and potentially overwhelming a topic for many of them to digest in any other way. So here’s to many more wacky, creative projects that make a positive difference in great ways like this one. The world could use a lot more of them!
Were trying to move to a safe neighborhood where we could walk places. Were in an older neighborhood now with half the sidewalks gone and poeple driving 50mph on the wrong side of a 25mph street and the drug user housing the city moved in makes walking unsafe.
Bet the kids had fun!
This sounds like an ougrowth of Safe Routes to School (SRS) which has been very successful in England and the US. Gets kids out of the cars, improves their health and self reliance, and starts habits that can be life long. Check out walkboston.org for more info.
And here's a link to the sodding of the walkway of a bridge. A 2 week art installation that completely changed peoples' relationship to the bridge:
http://users.rcn.com/lisagreenfield/Portfolio_site/site_spec/pages/sod_1.html
actually, a few years ago some artistts in boston used turf to "deasphalt" on of the bridges in the north end. the project lasted a few days, and was part of a statement about the dislocation of artist space in the city during a very tight real estate period. (as i recal)l
lexy
Well it is not so wacky really, win their hearts and minds toward sustainability you bring forth a new generation of green thinking folks.
Education is the true way to stop global climate change and bring forth change in their thinking.
D~W
"Were trying to move to a safe neighborhood where we could walk places. Were in an older neighborhood now with half the sidewalks gone and poeple driving 50mph on the wrong side of a 25mph street and the drug user housing the city moved in makes walking unsafe."
To be frank I would be more worried for your child's upbringing due to how stupid you obviously are...It's "we're", FYI. And "the drug user housing the city moved in"? That doesn't even make sense.
It's a nice idea...
but I wonder how much oil had to be refined to make the several thousand square feet of plastic "turf" ???
We need to actually show these kids what real sustainability is like- not the green-plastic-shipped-from-china version.
That misses the point entirely...
but their purpose was righteous, and that counts for a lot.
Brilliant idea! But I just dream of the day when we can drive around electric cars powered by sustainable energy.. it's totally possible, it's just the big oil companies who are delaying the evolution of cars to other energy sources.
Where I live, it can be easy enough to walk from place to place. But sometimes, it's just not practical. I hate the idea of cars. Driving lessons, insurance, taxes etc. It's extremely expensive and over the years I've been shocked into never ever speeding or anything.
It's put me off completely. Where on earth is the electric car or hydrogen or whatever?
But I wonder how many will keep walking to school after the "carnival atmosphere" goes away.
that sounds like fun.