As part of Class 4’s twinning project, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust had arranged for the children to visit “Energy Island”, a small island on the Howsham Hall Estate that was using sustainable energy sources for all its supplies. The children were shown an Archimedes Screw, which enabled water from the Derwent River to pass down a weir and generate hydroelectricity in the process – the children were shown a model to explain the process.
The main feature of the island was a waterwheel which produced energy. The children were shown examples of the old working parts and then produced their own working models to the delight of everyone – this meant getting a little bit wet! Solar energy and other environmentally sustainable energy sources were also discussed. The only item on the island that the children weren’t really keen on was the compost toilet!!!
