RECYCLING, art and crafts and waste management are the topics being taught to primary school children in a new educational course.

A mum from Nailsea has set up Hazardous Hedgehogs to teach children aged four to 11 the importance of recycling.

Anne-Marie Pheasant, owner of waste management company AM Environmental Management in Nailsea, set up the scheme after North Somerset Council’s waste education officer was made redundant in July due to a lack of funds.

Anne-Marie, an industrial pharmacist, said: “We had an idea that we would like to set up an after school club aimed at primary schools to teach children about recycling, reusing and waste management.

“We go into places such as paper mills, recycling plants and sewage works and interview staff and film what goes on.”

During the course, children watch a 15-minute video then learn how to turn unwanted items into something useful, such as wellington boots into planters for strawberries or old clothes into scarecrows.

Youngsters also learn about warning labels on lorries and test fruit for ph levels to learn about acid.

Anne-Marie said: “We are trying to change the way children think about waste so they are educated at this young age.

“At the moment, there is nothing like this specifically aimed at primary school children. We try to do it all from a child’s point of view and use examples they can relate to.”

Anne-Marie’s daughter Aimee Whitlow, aged nine, helped her mum to make some of the videos for the course, which has been tied in with the national curriculum. Resource packs for each part of the lesson are also provided.

Hazardous Hedgehogs is now hoping to run workshops and after school clubs across North Somerset. To find out more visit www.hazardoushedgehogs.com