INTREPID Grange-over-Sands school children are soaking up the sights and sounds of a new culture after embarking on a venture to Japan, reports Caroline Beamish.

A group of 16 Year 6 children from Grange Primary School flew to Nagoya, in mid-Japan, yesterday (Thursday) for a ten-day trip of a lifetime.

But far from being purely a sight-seeing trip, the group are travelling with a mission in mind -to find out how children at Japanese schools protect the environment.

The youngsters, aged ten and 11, are staying with host families in Owariasahi City and will take part in lessons over the course of two days with pupils at the Toei Elementary School.

There they will learn about recycling both at home and at school, and will visit an environmental centre, an aquarium and an area of tidal wetlands.

A return visit by the children from Teoi Elementary School is already being discussed for later on this year.

For full story see February 16 edition of The Westmorland Gazette.