*Photograph: John Sims
A NORTH CLARE school was one of two secondary schools in the country chosen to partake in a recent science event.
As part of the Festival of Professional Learning organised by the JCT Science Team, a live event was held in recent weeks under the theme ‘Are Bioplastics a solution to traditional single-use plastics’.
Mary Immaculate Secondary School in Lisdoonvarna was one of two schools chosen to host this event. During the event there was live streaming from there and a Dublin school where several students made the bioplastic from potato starch. Toward the end of the hour, the students heard from a number of guest speakers.
Among the guest speakers were Ella Enright and Áine Kelly who spoke about their BTYSTE project entitled ‘How much plastic is washed up on our shores’, post-doctoral researcher at the Atlantic Technological University, Dr Joao Frias who discussed bioplastics and Dr Nóirín Burke who oversees education in Galway Atlantaquarium. They both talked about the effect of plastics on marine life and what are bioplastics and are they a solution.
Clare students, Ella and Áine then went to Fanore Beach and recorded an interview on their project which was used at a second event for teachers.
