An Arbory School pupil has passed on Sir David Attenborough’s message she received to inspire island students to reduce their plastic waste.

Year six pupil Breesha Jenkins, 11, shared the celebrated natural historian and presenter’s letter during the closing event of Manx Wildlife Week’s ’Voices of our Future’ at the Manx Museum on Sunday (May 12).

The school’s eco council, of which she is head under the guidance of teacher Steve Parry and headteacher Jonathan Ayres, gave a presentation at the event on single-use plastics and its affect on the marine environment.

Breesha had felt prompted to take the message further and decided to seek the help of Sir David.

In her letter, she wrote that ’we want to encourage all children on the island to stop using unnecessary plastics in their everyday lives’.

She thanked him ’for everything you have done to help wildlife and the environment’ and promised that she would do her ’very best to keep your legacy going in the future’.

In his reply, Sir David wrote: ’I am delighted to know that you and your school are helping to fight the plastic and litter problem in our oceans.

’My message to the children of the Isle of Man is: tackling the problem of plastic waste is going to require the help of everyone.

’Right now, eight million tonnes of plastic end up in our oceans every year.

’If we all start making small changes that are achievable, together we can really make a difference.

’I urge you all to join in and think about how you can reduce the use of plastics in your lives.

’With best wishes, David Attenborough.’

In September last year the producer of the film ’A Plastic Ocean’ and co-founder of the Plastic Oceans Foundation, Joanna Ruxton, visited Arbory School.

Following her visit, the pupils have been on a mission by making plastic-reducing changes around school and in their daily lives.

Breesha herself is ’acutely aware’ of the damage being caused to the environment from single-use plastics, such as balloons, as she has spent many hours boating around Manx shores with her family.

Conservation

She hopes that the message her school and Sir David have shared will be heard by as many island children as possible.

The ’Voices of Our Future’ event, which celebrates the contribution that young people are making to the island environment and its conservation, also saw guest speaker Dara McAnulty who is a 15-year-old ambassador for iWill youth social action campaign for the RSPCA.

The Northern Irish naturalist is due to publish his first book next year. He is also the winner of Springwatch’s Unsprung Wildlife Hero Awards,

A number of schools took part in the event with a performance from Junior Manx Bard Holly McRae and music from Manx traditional youth band Bree.