Two Maltese students placed first in the international Litterless campaign competition while another two were nominated for honourable mentions. Nature Trust FEE Malta, through its Young Reporters for the Environment programme, organised a hybrid event to award the international winners at the Meeting Place in Marsa, while the rest of the participants followed the event online. Notwithstanding the pandemic, students submitted a record total of 330 entries. Videos, articles and photo reportages included themes such as marine litter, single-use plastics, water, sustainable transport, covid related waste and the building boom amongst others.
Brief info on the international winning entries:
1st place winners:
1st Article 15 – 18 years:-
Is sustainability a joke? Isaac Sam Camilleri
A Junior College student poses serious questions about the need of plastic used in the school to follow covid-related protocols. He suggests sustainable alternatives to those in place, and asks whether the environment was considered when implementing such practices.
https://yremalta.org/past-entries/is-sustainability-a-joke/
Best Campaign photo:-
The Bottled Fish Beatriz, Goncalves Marinheiro, St Nicholas College Dingli Primary School
Although the photo looks surreal, it depicts the sad reality of marine life. Our litter is killing marine life, and we need to take drastic actions to reduce it.
https://www.yremalta.org/past-entries/the-bottled-fish/
Honourable Mentions:
Rainbow of Uses: St Jeanne Antide College, Immaculate Conception School Tarxien: Clarissa Balzan, Mireya Zammit, Maya Gafa`, Paula Jane Haber
A group of students dedicated their time, energy and creativity to make better use of unwanted wooden pallets. With the support of our school community they have created this colourful bench, sending a message that there can be various uses to unwanted material. In this way they also made the school grounds more pleasant to be in.
https://yremalta.org/past-entries/rainbow-of-uses/
Hope: Naomi Pace, Gozo College Middle School
Turtles lay eggs in the same beach that they hatched even though it could be a long way to get to that beach. Turtles are soon becoming extinct because they choke on the plastic of the sea thinking that it’s their food: jellyfish. When an adult female turtle lays eggs, around a hundred of turtle hatchlings hatch and set off on a journey in the sea. If we litter the sea and beaches, these poor little hatchlings won’t be able to go on their journey and continue to reproduce. So, don’t litter anywhere and always follow the three Rs; Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. We can eliminate single-use plastic by buying reusable bottles instead of disposable ones.
https://yremalta.org/past-entries/hope/
YRE Malta was included in the Wrigley Litter Less Campaign through which 23 schools were given funds to promote less litter and raise awareness through a Community Action day. This was the last phase of the current campaign; a new campaign is set to start in 2022 and will include a limited number of countries.
Worth mentioning is the high profile that Malta is giving in reporting international conferences. Isaac Sam Camilleri had the opportunity to attend online and report the 3-day Earth Action Hub that was held between the 21st and 23rd May 2021. With over 120 speakers from 36 countries and 6 continents, over 50 sessions and more than 2000 participants, Earth Action Hub was the largest youth climate event FEE has ever hosted.
In his opening address, Mr Vincent Attard, Executive President of Nature Trust – FEE Malta congratulated the students for their unstinting efforts in these trying times. Attending the event was also Ms Gosia Luszczek from the Foundation for Environmental Education, Denmark. She is the International Coordinator responsible for the YRE programme. Present also for the event was Dr Frank Fabri, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry for Education, who congratulated the students during his speech.
Ms Audrey Gauci, YRE National Coordinator, said that during this year, more than ever, the students showed their commitment to the environment as they continued reporting even with the limitations the pandemic created. The creativity and dedication they showed are an inspiration to all adults. The results obtained in the international competition gave further incentive to the same students. Special thanks goes to NTM – FEE Malta for running the programme locally and providing this opportunity for several students.
Special thanks for supporting the programmes also goes to the Ministry for Education, Ministry for Environment Climate Change and Planning, Transport Malta, HSBC Malta Foundation and Wrigley International for running the Litter Less Campaign.
YRE is an international programme run by FEE (Foundation for Environmental Education) and represented locally by Nature Trust – FEE Malta. The main aim is to embed ESD principles in school communities and now even more than ever a means to address the United Nations’ 17 SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals).
For more information and participation log in to; www.yremalta.org or visit our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/youngreportersmalta/
YRE Winners 2020 – 2021
| School | Title | Student/s | Link | Award |
| Press kids photos | ||||
| St Aloysius Primary | Our Home, Reuse! | Neil Portelli | https://www.yremalta.org/past-entries/our-home-reuse/ | 1st Litterless |
| Dingli primary | The aftermath of camping at the cost of the environment. | Jean Pulis | https://www.yremalta.org/past-entries/the-aftermath-of-camping-at-the-cost-of-the-environment/ | 2nd Litterless |
| Dingli primary | Buy directly from the farmer…from the tree to your doorstep. | Christian Abela | https://www.yremalta.org/past-entries/buy-directly-from-the-farmer-from-the-tree-to-your-doorstep/ | Best YRE series of photos |
| Press kids article | ||||
| San Gorg Preca Primary GP | Plastic Try to Reduce Find an Alternative No Excuse! | Gabriel Borg, Lynette Micallef, Elisa Spiteri, Micherie Spiteri, Giulia Farrugia, Mattheas Grech Micallef, Dyan Galea Cristina, Jahel Chetcuti Vella, Shelston Mifsud, Jael Tabone, Alessandro Attard, Matija Lukovic, Maghilan Mathankumar, Thea Walker | https://yremalta.org/past-entries/plastic-try-to-reduce-find-an-alternative-no-excuse/ | 1st Litterless |
| Xewkija Primary | L-Iskola u l-Ambjent | Cristina Falzon | https://yremalta.org/past-entries/l-iskola-u-l-ambjent/ | Best Entry Carbon Neutrality sponsored by HSBC |
| Press kids video | ||||
| St Joseph Junior School Sliema | Say no to paper envelopes | Julia Mizzi | https://yremalta.org/past-entries/say-no-to-paper-envelopes/ | 1st Litterless |
| 11-14 years Photo | ||||
| St Joseph Junior School | Earth is our home – Let’s Save it | Nina Gatt | https://www.yremalta.org/past-entries/earth-is-our-home-lets-save-it/ | Best Entry YRE Reportage photo |
| St. Thomas More College Secondary School Zejtun | A mission to reduce emission | Carol Camilleri | https://yremalta.org/past-entries/a-mission-to-reduce-emission/ | Best Entry YRE Campaign photo – Prize sponsored by Transport Malta |
| Dingli Primary | The Bottled Fish | Beatriz, Goncalves Marinheiro | https://www.yremalta.org/past-entries/the-bottled-fish/ | 1st Litterless Best Campaign Photo |
| Gozo College Middle School | Hope | Naomi Pace | https://yremalta.org/past-entries/hope/ | 2nd Litterless
Best reportage photo |
| St. Ignatius College Handaq Middle School Qormi | Camouflage | Elisa Demanuele | https://yremalta.org/past-entries/camouflage-2/ | 3rd Litterless |
| St Jeanne Antide College, Immaculate Conception School Tarxien | Rainbow of Uses | Clarissa Balzan, Mireya Zammit, Maya Gafa`, Paula Jane Haber | https://yremalta.org/past-entries/rainbow-of-uses/ | Litterless Best series of photos |
| Gozo College Middle School | Hide and Seek | Naomi Pace | https://yremalta.org/past-entries/hide-and-seek-3/ | NTM prize on Flora and Fauna conservation |
| 11-14 years Article Writing | ||||
| Gozo College Middle School | Investigating the ideal environmental conditions for a successful turtle nest | Eco-School Committee | https://yremalta.org/past-entries/investigating-the-ideal-environmental-conditions-for-a-successful-turtle-nest/ | Best Entry YRE |
| St Edward’s College | Compost it! | Jamie Scerri Richard, Eko-Skola Committee at SEC | https://yremalta.org/past-entries/compost-it-making-the-best-out-of-food-waste-during-covid-19/ | 1st Litterless |
| St Augustine College | Keep Calm, Keep Learning, Keep Recycling | Gabriel Pullicino, Yevgeny Spiteri | https://yremalta.org/past-entries/keep-calm-keep-learning-keep-recycling/ | 2nd Litterless |
| St Nicholas College Rabat Middle School | Thousands of single use plastic bags for shopping! | Benjamin Vella | https://yremalta.org/past-entries/thousands-of-single-use-plastic-bags-for-shopping/ | 3rd Litterless |
| 11-14 years Video | ||||
| Gozo College Middle School | Flora and Fauna at Lunzjata | Hannah Vella | https://yremalta.org/past-entries/flora-and-fauna-at-lunzjata/ | Best Entry YRE |
| St Nicholas College Secondary School Ħad-Dingli | My Mask – I Care | Lisa Aquilina | https://yremalta.org/past-entries/my-mask-i-care-3/ | 1st Litterless |
| St Jeanne Antide College, Immaculate Conception School Tarxien | Less Litter, Live Better! | Ena Marie Mifsud (Eco-committee President) | https://yremalta.org/past-entries/less-litter-live-better/ | 2nd Litterless |
| St Edward’s College | Compost it! | Jamie Scerri Richard, Leon Abela | https://yremalta.org/past-entries/compost-it/ | 3rd Litterless |
| 15-18 years Photo | ||||
| Our Lady Immaculate School | iBins and its surroundings! | Giulia Cassar | https://yremalta.org/past-entries/ibins-and-its-surroundings/ | 1st Litterless |
| Cospicua LSC | What are we Planting? | Yasmin Micallef | https://yremalta.org/past-entries/what-are-we-planting/ | 2nd Litterless |
| 15-18 years Article Writing | ||||
| Independent candidate | Is sustainability a Joke? | Isaac Sam Camilleri | https://yremalta.org/past-entries/is-sustainability-a-joke/ | Honourable mention |
| 15-18 years Video | ||||
| Independent Candidate | Il-Qabru | Matthew Luke Asciak | https://yremalta.org/past-entries/il-qabru/ | Best Entry YRE |
| St Monica School Birkirkara | No to Junk Mail | Martina Borg, Stella Borg, Sophie Sacco De Brincat | https://yremalta.org/past-entries/no-to-junk-mail/ | 1st Litterless |
| ALP Paola | Do we care about our sea? | Natanael Aquilina, Gjork Borg, Alix Bugeja, Carl Grech, Youssef Hasan, Rachel Jibiri, Sven Sciberras and Jurgen Vella | https://yremalta.org/past-entries/do-we-care-about-our-sea/ | 2nd Litterless |
| 19-25 years Photo | ||||
| Independent Candidates | Looming Threat | Marie Therese Pavia, Aidan Gauci | https://yremalta.org/past-entries/looming-threat/ | Best entry YRE |
