AS the summer term came to an end, children from West Linton Eco group and Newlands Primary have been working hard on a special project: “2000m2 - food for one year”.

West Linton ended term with “Eco Heroes day” Bean Challenge, planting 20 metres of their school fence with climbing beans.

Newlands Primary were busy testing out their green fingers in their school polytunnel and at Whitmuir.

2000m2 is the amount of arable ground each of us on the planet has for their vegetables and cereals each year. It is part of an international programme to teach children and us adults about how we can better look after our planet.

Project Manager Kate Orchard said: “Every year Scotland alone throws away 566,000 tonnes of food and drink from our homes, most of this could have been eaten. This year, with the enthusiasm of two local school communities we aim to save 30 tonnes of carbon: reducing what ends up in landfill, growing locally, sharing and cooking food and starting a rural food waste collection in the Autumn.” In December 2015, 196 countries will meet to sign a new climate change agreement. But how likely is it that it will be meaningful and make a difference to climate action on the ground?

West Linton and Newlands Schools are promising to make a difference and tackle climate change in their community joining Aileen McLeod, Scotland’s Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform their pledge will be sent to Paris.

The children have a simple message for us all: three times a day, every time you eat you can make a difference. If you want to find out more or join the grower volunteers at Whitmuir Community Farm please email: contact@whitmuircommunityfarm.org