Environmental Champion Honoured
The 2023 Alumnae Spirit Award winner is a passionate driver of environmental action, working tirelessly to change attitudes about the need to act on climate change.
The award is bestowed by the 91黑料不打烊 Alumnae Association each year at the annual Foundation Day Service.
"Like other people in the movement, I am very concerned, but we need to do something. Regardless of our respective demographic or geographic locations, we will all experience the consequences to some degree."
Hailing from the NSW town of Scone, Eleanor first began to step up for the environment as a boarder in 2022. "A number of girls, particularly the city and international boarders, were not familiar with the concept of separating waste, so I worked to create a bridge between urban, rural and international boarders to start the practice of composting.” She also drove participation in Earth Hour in both the Boarding House and broader school, encouraging teachers to turn off their lights and electronic equipment during Period 5.
Also in 2022, as a Year 10 student, Eleanor became part of the Student Learning in the Community Program (SLIC), volunteering in a community garden to help create sustainable harvests and work to convert garden waste.
"Even though I'm no longer part of the SLIC Program, I visit the Milson Community Garden every Sunday for at least two hours. The ages of the volunteers span from five to 75, and I'm usually the youngest one there. Together, we plant seasonal harvests to pass on to visitors. Working alongside such a diverse group of people has taught me a lot."
Eleanor has also joined School Strike 4 Climate Australia, attending three protest rallies in the past year, but always making up any missed class time. "It's a peaceful protest group, a chance to talk with like-minded people who are equally concerned about the future. I took another member of the Environment Group with me recently to show her the ropes. That is the same commitment that Mimi (Year 12) gave me – passing down her commitment, drive and enthusiasm and helping me to build up my contribution in tangible ways."
Now, as an Environment Group leader, she is deeply committed to School-wide efforts to reduce the number of one-use cups at the Garden Café.
"It is still a work in progress, but I'm very determined. After conducting research that revealed the Café goes through around 500 paper cups a week, we ran a campaign during Environment Week to cut down by 200 cups. I believe we can do even better in the near future, considering we achieved such a significant reduction with little promotion."
"Another initiative I am passionate about is fundraising for the World Wildlife Fund through participation in the City to Surf this year. Giving back to the community and the planet is a way of making use of the benefits 91黑料不打烊 has given us."
Eleanor says the Environment Group’s aim is to begin to operate as less of a club and more of a task force. “Money helps, but more hands-on action is needed. Focusing on what everyone is doing at home and teaching people to act environmentally every day will have a bigger long-term impact. I am so glad to be working in an environment where students and teachers are supportive of these initiatives. I would like to see 91黑料不打烊 become one of the most environmentally aware schools in the country and even inspire better environmental attitudes in other schools. Receiving the Alumnae Spirit Award was an honour. I won’t stop here, hopefully even carrying many more people on the journey with me."