A group of ‘Eco Leader’ pupils from Taunton Preparatory School have planted an orchard of apple trees on the school grounds so they can bottle their own apple juice in the future.
In glorious spring sunshine, twelve juicing apple trees of different varieties were planted in a small area of the school grounds. TPS Eco Leaders Ashie Quartly and Daisy Stout together with Freya Bartells and Esther Kane helped dig holes and plant the maiden trees under the watchful eyes of Head Groundsman Mark Joliffe and his ground staff.
Once established, the apples will be juiced, bottled and pasteurised by TPS Eco Club members. Head of Science at Taunton Prep and Eco Club Co-ordinator Tom Raven said: “It will be some years before their labours will bear fruit, but this is part of a school eco initiative to show pupils the benefits of sourcing local produce to help reduce carbon footprints.”
Taunton School is leading the way with its commitment to the environment, recently taking steps to eliminate all waste from the School going to landfill. Headmaster Lee Glaser says “Being a responsible and caring member of our wider community is a key element of our school values. We educate children to embrace a global outlook, and doing our bit to safeguard the planet for their future is something we take seriously.”