The Eco Emeralds are a group of environmentalists aged 9-11 from All Saints Catholic Primary school in Anfield. Started by nature lover Elliott and his schoolfriends, they are transforming their local community. Their mission to connect all children with nature has gained the support of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, national NGOs and business leaders. They have inspired over 750,000 hours of nature engagement, helped sign up 15,000 young nature guardians, partnered with children internationally and reached a global audience of 500million with their message ‘Your patch, your planet’.
Their inspirational story started in 2018 with Elliott’s playground petition against palm oil in the school’s ice cream. He formed a group with his friends, asked school for support and they created the Eco Emeralds. Along with other leaders they contacted the Managing Director of Iceland Foods, Richard Walker. Their passion to get other children involved in protecting nature and their impressive ideas saw them hired as consultants by the Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation (IFCF), directing and launching a national environmental campaign for children, which gained international attention when it was supported by HRH the Duchess of Cambridge.
In the community
The Eco Emeralds have become go-to young commentators for BBC Radio, being interviewed on biodiversity and air quality. They helped their school win the Liverpool Echo 2020 Green School of the Year Award and were a runner up in last year’s Global Good Awards.
They have formed partnerships with other groups, from the Ullapool Sea Savers in Scotland to children in China and Belgium- and a school in Edest, Sierra Leone, whose pupils have been planting flower seeds through Covid-19.
In 2020 the Eco Emeralds found and took over their first local patch, the derelict Thirlmere Park, close to school. They involved the entire school in turning it into a wildflower meadow. When it was destroyed by local youths in November, they raised the funds themselves to start again. They aim to organise a Meadow Concert in the summer to thank the community.
They are now working with volunteer group Anfield Alley Angels to design a school allotment and with ScouseflowerHouse (Eden Project), Liverpool City Council and Torus Housing to plant meadows on more local redundant sites. They are partnering with another school to share a local green space and will submit a planning application to the Liverpool Mayoral Neighbourhood Fund.
They have even been contacted by the Vatican and have sent their story to His Holiness the Pope as an example of community environmental activism.
They are now mentoring other, younger children to become environmental leaders.
May 2022
As we begin the summer term, the Eco Emeralds continue to be very busy. Some of the Eco Emeralds are travelling to London in May to celebrate the 3rd Birthday of Backyard Nature. As part of the celebrations three children will be joining the new Green Youth Board which will act in an advisory role to housing associations across the country.
The Green Youth Board will help train children and adults as to how they can look after their green spaces as well as provide advice for funding and planning.
In addition, the Eco Emeralds are taking over their new patch on Blessington Road, we’ve had members of the local community contact us and ask if they can use some of the space. We hope to form a team with other schools in the local area to share the maintenance and care of this space.
The seeds will be sown on our new patch on Lower Breck Road in May and our Oak tree is still standing. We have yet to name our patch on Lower Breck Road and hope to run a naming competition this summer.