SCHOOL pupils spent a day this week highlighting the extent to which inconsiderate dog owners blight the county’s beauty spots.
Pupils from Ysgol Llansteffan, Llangain and Banc y Felin gathered in Green Castle Woods to do highlight the area’s dog mess problem, helped by Peni Ediker and Melissa Holloway from Green Steps Forest and Beach School.
Green Castle Woods, a Woodland Trust property near Johnstown, is a popular destination for dog walkers. While many of these are responsible, sadly a minority either fail to clean up after their pets, or even put the mess in a bag and leave it hanging in a tree, creating an unsightly health hazard for other people using the woods.
Last summer Green Steps ran a programme for the Foundation students from the schools and there was so much dog mess lying around that they had to relocate their session to the school grounds.
“We couldn’t put a mat down for all the dog mess,” Peni said.
Green Steps approached Chris Matts, the regional manager of the Woodland Trust who agreed that action was needed.
He provided the spray paint, which was used to spray all the dog mess.
“We took the pupils on a circular walk up to see the bluebells. We sprayed over 150 dog messes along the way! Once sprayed bright orange, one could really see the extent of the problem. The children thought it was ‘disgusting’,” one volunteer remarked.
In addition, they all made posters in their groups which have been attached to the gate at Green Castle to remind people to clean up. The students are working towards a John Muir Award and have used this campaign as part of their ‘conserve’ aspect of the award.
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