A CHILDREN’S nursery has received an accreditation for being green.

The Co-operative Childcare nursery on the University of Sussex Campus in Falmer is now a “silver” eco-school.

The accreditation has come from Keeping Britain Tidy.

It has nominated an eco-committee of children, completed a child-led evaluation of the nursery and created a hands-on action plan to make the nursery a greener place.

It has also started work on a new sustainability project on a topic such as marine life or global citizenship.

Nursery manager Karen Parker said: “We work hard to create the best nursery environment possible for the children and the eco-school accreditation not only helps us make sure we do so in the most environmentally friendly way possible, it also provides brilliant opportunities for children to explore the world around them.

“One little boy even went home from nursery and asked his mum at the supermarket tills why she was using plastic carrier bags because they are bad for the whales and dolphins.

“Stories like this sum up how important and rewarding it is to teach the next generation as much as we can about the world they live in.”

The youngsters have been embarking on real-world learning adventures across the city.

They have been filing out on nature walks, building homes for hedgehogs and feeding stations for butterflies, and learning about practical ways to save electricity by turning off light switches when not in use.

The group has also been introducing taps with automatic sensors to help prevent water wastage from faucets being left on accidentally.

The Co-operative Childcare is working towards all of its nurseries being Green Flag holders – the most prestigious certification.

More than a quarter of nurseries across the network have already achieved ‘silver’ accreditation.

The nursery has children aged from three months to five years.

It opens from 7.30am until 6.30pm.