The ecoteam of KA Koekelberg gets the word!

Interview with teachers Maarten, Jonas and Pieter-Jan of the Royal Atheneum Unesco Koekelberg

And then there was an idea

Three years ago we moved to this campus. The architects had planned a green area that was managed with grass and brush cutters. We saw that this management had resulted in Japanese knotweed, Canada pennywort and thistles becoming predominant, while indigenous pioneering plants were not given a chance. Then we thought: can't we do the management ourselves in a more ecological way, so that we get more biodiversity and new species? One of the teachers then threw some seeds into the garden, and that's how it all started.

Okay, an idea! What now?

Step 1: a supported idea, is worth two

We got together with some colleagues to brainstorm about what we could do with the green zone. Of course, we also wanted to involve the pupils. We used a poll to find out what they would prefer to do. Whether they would prefer to sow flowers or work with a drill, for example. On this basis, we chose our first projects, which we then developed further with a number of pupils. Thus, the eco-team was born.

The eco-team operates on a weekly basis, but it also works on action days such as 'Thick Sweater Day' or 'Eat Local'. The most important thing is that as many teachers as possible include our activities in their curriculum. Only then does it remain feasible for everyone. In English class, for example, they gave a presentation on water scarcity and the usefulness of rainwater tanks.

Step 2: now very concrete

With the ecoteam, we have now planted a herb garden with a rainwater barrel. We have also planted 300 indigenous hedge plants at the edge of the campus and every winter we always plant one or two new trees. With a fallen tree, we made a seating area that is always used during playtime. We have made nest boxes and insect shelters, a compost heap, a vegetable garden and a branch wall. We also planted lots of raspberry plants and made an eye catcher.

This year, we are going to make a pond, but how we are going to do that, we will have to think again. We are also a bit naughty, because every year, we move the poles on the lawn so that they are mowed less and less. We want to end up in the director's office. (laughs)

Step 3: an idea needs to be maintained

Every week, we do the maintenance of the green area with our eco-team. Based on the weather, we decide on Sundays when the eco-team will take place. This way, we give all pupils a chance to join in.

It is important to have a permanent inflow of pupils. To this end, we make an appeal in the lessons, especially in the first grade. We also put up funny posters in the school.

What also works is just doing it. When we are busy in the garden, everyone comes to have a chat. And pupils who have punishment studies sometimes have to pull out Japanese knotweed and thistles. They like the fact that they don't have to sit inside.

The impact of the idea

With an app, we detect which organisms are present at our school. In the meantime, we have already observed more than 500 species. I think such biodiversity is unique for a school in Brussels.

It is also fantastic to see the children working and to give them a lot of freedom. They discover their talents and develop all kinds of new skills, such as sawing or working with a drill, and they become interested in STEM. The atmosphere in the team is very good. The feeling of doing things together can be really strong. Planting a tree together, for example, even without saying anything. It also strengthens the bond between the pupils and the school. They prefer to come to school.

To get the Natagora label, our pupils recently gave a tour in French. So that was a task linked to the French subject, in which they were exempted from the lessons. When we received the news that we had been awarded the label, our pupils were very proud.

We also spark ideas. A while back, we planted apple trees here. Then we invited someone from VELT to teach the pupils how to prune. And then a pupil asked if we couldn't learn grafting. Well, we are going to try that soon.

Aaaaaargh! (Fear of an idea)

I think it is particularly important to discuss an idea with several people. When we had put up nesting boxes for swifts here, a colleague said: 'Surely not swallows, they make everything dirty'. We then went to talk to people who know a lot about it, and it turned out that this was not the case with the swift. But you do have to seek out those collaborations with people who know the business.

Involving partners such as MOS, Goodplanet, Buumplanters, Tournesol-Sunflower, Brussels Environment, Natuurpunt or VELT is interesting anyway. They have a lot of knowledge. You also have more impact with the management if you come with such a partner, instead of saying: Pieter-Jan and I want to make a well here. (laughs) But those partners can also be local actors. We are now talking to a sheep farmer nearby who has some sheep manure left over. Isn't that fantastic?

It's best to start with small projects that are realistic and have a good chance of succeeding. We started with three nesting boxes and now we have more than twenty. Or planting raspberries, which costs nothing and is almost impossible to fail. When people see success stories, they also want to join in. Meanwhile, here at the school we already have more than nine MOS employees. So start small. Start with one fruit tree instead of ten all at once. We were glad we started with one, because there was a lot of rubble in the ground, so it was quite a lot of work. (laughs)

A report by Wat Met De Koekjes (2021)