A GROWING group of environmentally conscious local citizens have built a mountain of plastic tree protection guard waste on Kimberlow Hill at the University of York.

Over the last year, the volunteers have collected litter on the hill, and plastic tubes which guard tree saplings and compiled it into a mountain to generate a bigger conversation about climate change.

The volunteers range in age and are from all walks of life, from 81-year-old avid tree planter and Woodland Trust champion Derek Utley, to the 11-year-old schoolchildren at Lord Deramore’s primary school children in Heslington, and students from the university itself, coordinated by Gordon Eastham, the university’s grounds manager, and Miki Storey from environmental charity John Lally International Foundation (JLIF).

Miki said: “It is a promotional project to highlight the message of climate change, we can’t just ignore it, someone has to take responsibility as we will only pay the price, and children’s futures are on the line.

“The plastic guards degrade, and is poisonous, not stuff we want in our air, waters, soil and food.”

Helen Smith, Lord Deramore’s Year 6 teacher, who brought her class to the plastic mountain, said: “The Year 6 pupils are an enthusiastic group of children who love participating in different activities, and had a great afternoon up at Kimberlow Hill.

“Being involved with recycling the plastic tree shelters was a great project for the children and a chance to reinforce our PHSE work about being a global citizen.

“Many children are passionate about climate change and the environment and this offered them a great opportunity to make a real difference in the fight against plastic pollution.”