I'm trying to save my local lakes

When Press Packer Olivia found out that a power station was going to dump some of its waste into her local lake she decided she wanted to try and stop it from happening.

So she organised a petition and presented it to people at the power station in front of reporters, photographers and TV cameras.

Here she tells us why the lakes are so important to her and how she organised her petition.

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"I heard my parents talking about what was going to happen to the lakes and I got really upset, so I decided to do something about it.

Wildlife

Olivia walks and cycles at her local lakes all the time

The lakes are really beautiful and I didn't want them to get messed up.

I've seen herons, swans, ducks, geese and lots of fish there and I was scared about what would happen to all the wildlife.

I'd heard that people had sent letters in, but that not much had happened.

I thought that a petition would be more surprising and that the people at the power station would take more notice of it.

Research

Olivia wrote her petition on her computer

I did some research on my computer and then I made a speech about the lakes in front of every class at my school - I explained why I thought the lakes were important.

After I'd done my speech, I handed out my petition.

I was very nervous so I went around with a friend.

TV and radio

I spent two weeks collecting signatures and I collected 190 signatures in total.

When I handed the petition over to people at the power station there were TV, radio and newspaper reporters there as well as some photographers.

I felt very excited and a bit nervous and scared.

As I handed it over I said: 'This is a petition to save Radley Lakes'.

Determination

Olivia thinks her petition has helped to raise awareness about the lakes

My advice to other children who want to organise a petition is to be determined and don't give up - it might just make a difference.

You also need to be confident and prepared.

I was very nervous when I was doing it but I enjoyed it a lot.

Although the waste ash is still going to be dumped in the lakes, I think that I helped people to learn a lot more about it.

It was quite a lot of work but it was definitely all worth it."

Olivia, 9, Abingdon

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