Nature

This small island primary school has been working towards the Silver Award of Eco-Schools Scotland for the past two years.

The 20 children have had to watch leaping sheep and fierce summer gales attack their gardening efforts, at one point standing around their sunflower plot holding hands to support the wind-blown blooms!

Throughout the year, the pupils have put plastic drinks bottles into the container in the playground, folded up all the cardboard boxes from the kitchen and the school to put into the island collection point, and kept up litter patrols in the school grounds.

Older pupils are keen members of the island's recycling group 'RecyColl' and the whole school takes an enthusiastic part in beach-cleaning to maintain the beauty of the island's many beaches.

A biodiversity day in the school grounds saw small groups of children and adults counting plants, insects and birds to create a tally of 36 species on the half-acre site.

In June, all the pupils feasted on the crop grown from four seed potatoes in the very small vegetable plot. The rising school roll means many more hands to work towards their first Green Flag – maybe next summer? Coll eco warriors go for it!