CAMPAIGNING Horwich children are to team up with schools in Canada . . . thanks to environmental campaigner Dr David Bellamy.

The television celebrity was impressed with the Lord Street primary school children's work calling for the protection of Red Moss during a visit there.

Now he is putting them in touch with pupils in Vancouver who are opposing plans for a toxic waste dump on a massive peat bog.

The children wrote poems, made posters and put together creative writing pieces.

They gave three cheers for Red Moss when they were invited to meet Dr Bellamy.

They also voiced their support for the Red Moss Action Group, the council and Lancashire Wildlife Trust.

The visit to the moss to see the presentations was arranged by the chairman of the Red Moss Action Committee, Barry Thornton, following their involvement in the campaign through an art competition on the Red Moss theme run in several local schools in Horwich and Blackrod.

The children also wrote poems, made posters, took part in creative writing exercises and were left to make up their own minds on the Red Moss debate after listening to both sides of the argument put by their then teacher Nina Arkwright.

The pupils, who were aged eight at the time, said an emphatic "no" to the development plans for the moss.

The teacher talked to them about the history, the natural habitat, the archeological finds and the environmental issues and also put forward the arguments by UK Waste. Their teacher Nina Arkwright said the children had looked at both sides of the argument about the plan to turn Red Moss into a supertip which would take waste from all over Greater Manchester.

She said: "They formed their own opinions and there was an emphatic 'no' against the supertip.

"They were very concerned about the effects on the wildlife. They went into all the aspects very carefully and put their whole hearts into it. They were concerned about the future of Red Moss and became incensed." THE following poem by Emily Westwood echoes many of the thoughts of her classmates.

Rubbish rubbish everywhere

Everybody should think and care

Deadly poisons in the air

Many smells here and there

Only some wildlife will remain

Some animals may suffer in pain

Stray dogs might step on something sharp

The dogs may howl in pain and bark

I think they shouldn't build this bin

Please don't let the supertip win.

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