Students at Castle Manor Academy, Haverhill support a call t ban the use of pesticides

Environmentally-conscious students at a Haverhill school have written to a council to outline their opposition to the use of pesticides in the town.

The Eco Club at Castle Manor Academy, made up of seven students in years eight and nine, wrote the letter to Suffolk County Council in support of the call made by Haverhill woman Nan Eshelby two weeks ago for it to stop using pesticides in the town because of the harmful effect on bees, other insects and also humans.

The students’ letter says: “Pesticides have a lasting effect on all species, including humans. Exposure to pesticides can cause respiratory irritation, allergic sensation, eye and skin irritation, nausea and headache.

“Some cases of cancer, depression, anxiety and Parkinson’s disease have been linked to long term exposure to pesticides.

“It is estimated that around £30 million per year is spent by water companies removing pesticides from water? As for the effects on insects (including bees), the smallest amount of contact is immediately fatal.

“Pesticides also come into contact with bees during pollination. How many individual bees will that cost the lives of and how many plants and crops will have difficulty getting pollinated and will lose availability?

“More specifically, a honey bee will take contaminated pollen back to its hive, poisoning both the honey that humans will use and every other honey bee living there. The Queen of the hive also dies too.

“However, there are many alternatives to pesticides. Do we really want to be the town that goes backwards and destroys our progress?

Castle Manor teacher Angelica Cofer, who leads the Eco Club, said: “We have done a variety of activities, including organising a litter pick during lunch as a house competition, cooking plant-based pasta to reduce our carbon footprint, an educational activity with the RSPB and LEGO about native UK birds, and we are currently working on an assembly about the importance of bees.

“We are working on a documentary about the environment.

“We've collaborated with Nan Eshelby on our bee assembly to educate the school community about bees and how to protect them. We plan on giving out seed paper to the school to plant at home.

“It's a lovely club to run. The students are enthusiastic and passionate.”

The letter, in full, is on pages 28-29 in this week’s Haverhill Echo.