YOUNG REPORTERS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT NEWS ARTICLE COMPETITION

1. YOUNG REPORTERS FOR THE ENVIRONMENTNEWS ARTICLE COMPETITION www.youngreporters.org

2. YOUNG REPORTERS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT • Every year, Young Reporters holds its annual awards, where every country involved submits a number of written and photographic articles to the International Jury. • In Wales, the schools’ journalistic articles were initially submitted to the National Jury, which met in Cardiff in April and consisted of an environmental journalist, a children’s BBC TV journalist, a photographer, a communications officer, a Trustee from Keep Wales Tidy and an officer from our funding partner Countryside Council for Wales. The Jury discussed in great detail the merits of each article, and finally selected a Welsh winner and a runner-up.

3. The aim is to investigate a local environmental issue and report on their findings. You can use the internet and new technologies as education tools to research and gather information, as well as producing their journalistic articles and photographs and then communicating their findings.

4. You need to carry out an investigation into a local environmental problem / issue. There are a number of topics to choose from. The topics investigated must be related to a local issue that can be connected to the young reporter’s daily lives. Pupils will need to research the issues, gather information, consult experts and carry out surveys etc.

5. Main Topics • Biodiversity • Agriculture & Nature • Coastline • Climate Change

6. The Report Pupils then produce a journalistic report. This can be in the form of a photograph with accompanying text OR through a written journalistic article with accompanying photos and graphs etc. This ensures that complicated information can be made accessible to the public in a short and clear way. Journalism is also a way to deliver independent information, on the grounds of reliable scientific sources and data. A POSITIVE approach is necessary as a YRE investigation cannot raise problems without investigating solutions too.

7. GUIDANCE FOR YOUR ARTICLE • Consider the 6 W’s—Who, What, Why, When, Where, How. • Articles must be pupils’ own work. • Include scientific statistics and quotes. • Ensure articles are well researched, with fair and balanced views. • Written articles—ensure photos are referenced and that you have permission to use them. • Photographic articles—ensure photos are taken by yourself. Remember that the picture leads to the story. • Maximum number of words • - for written articles—1000 words • - for photographic articles—150 words to accompany the photo • FOR MORE GUIDANCE PLEASE REFER TO THE WEBSITE • www.youngreporters.org/IMG/pdf/1writing.pdf

8. Communication Pupils then have to communicate their findings to a local audience – information is meaningless without an audience. They will need to inform the whole school and the local community. This can be through a variety of media including: newsletters, website, newspapers, radio, television, magazines and displays. Today journalists play a major role in environmental awareness. A local investigation will play a positive role, through information, awareness, change in mentalities and behaviours, when addressed to a local audience.

9. Ideas for investigation

10. BIODIVERSITY • Ancient trees hunt – www.ancient-tree-hunt.org.uk • Garden birds • RSPB Big School Birdwatch – www.rspb.org.uk/schoolswatch • Local Biodiversity Action Plans (LBAPs) - www.ukbap.org.uk search for your own Local Authority • Nature’s Calendar – record spring sightings – www.naturescalendar.org.uk • Loss of ponds – affect on life-cycles of frogs, toads, newts, dragonflies etc. – www.pondconservation.org.uk

11. Coastline • Erosion – loss of habitats, buildings, rights of way – www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/107495.aspx • Pollution – shipping, shipwrecks, rivers & estuaries • Estuaries – silting up • Dredging of sand for construction • Offshore windfarms – opinions, advantages, disadvantages • Marinas – • Severn Barrage – advantages, disadvantages • Sewage & Surfing – do they mix? – www.sas.org.uk – Surfers Against Sewage

12. Climate Change • Weather comparisons – www.metoffice.gov.uk/climatechange or www.metoffice.gov.uk/education/teens • Affects on wildlife migration, breeding times, food sources etc. – www.rspb.org.uk • Renewable energy – in school, at home • Flooding, surface water harvesting • Transport – methods, availability • Designing a Climate Change garden – www.rhs.org.uk/gardening/sustainable-gardening • Holidays - is it acceptable to take a plane to go to a holiday destination?

13. Agriculture & Nature • Hedgerows – value as wildlife corridors, loss of hedgerows, management – try searching on web for ‘loss of hedgerows Wales’ • Loss of farmland birds – methods of farming affecting birds, reasons why, effects locally • Orchards– loss of orchards, value for wildlife, Welsh and British varieties of fruit, decline of mistletoe – www.marcherapple.net or www.commonground.org.uk • Proposed badger cull in Pembrokeshire – peoples’ opinions, affects on farming • Fox hunting – peoples’ opinions, affects on farming and local economy

14. Help on your issue? If you require help with the article please see Mr A. Thompson Mrs E Richards Miss L Gibbs Mrs H Llewellyn

15. Deadline • Closing date for the article is March 12th