SCHOOLCHILDREN in the Okehampton area are being encouraged to bring old Yellow Pages directories to school during the next few weeks, in an attempt to win their school a cash prize.
Yellow Pages has a £50,000 fund of prize money available through the Yellow Woods Challenge environmental campaign, which it is donating to schools which collect the most old directories.
The campaign is being run in association with Yellow Pages, the Directory Recycling Scheme and Woodland Trust.
And for every £1 donated to schools, a matching £1 will be given to the Woodland Trust to help keep the UK's native woodlands growing.
West Devon Borough Council is organising this year's challenge in the Okehampton area.
Recycling officer Jane Savage said: 'We are really looking forward to taking part in the Yellow Woods Challenge this year.
'I encourage everyone to do their bit for the environment and support our local schools by giving them their old Yellow Pages for recycling.'
Mrs Savage said participating schools could win up to £300 locally — and then compete nationally for a chance to win up to £2,000.
The Yellow Woods Challenge aims to build on last year's success, which involved 250,000 schoolchildren from across the UK. Participating schools are given free environmental educational materials which, along with the campaign's fun mascot, Kirk, help bring recycling and woodland conservation messages to life in the classroom.
Primary schools at Okehampton, Hatherleigh, Lewdown, Exbourne, Spreyton, North Tawton and South Tawton will be collecting the directories from now until October 20, when they will be recycled into animal bedding.
Yellow Pages can also be recycled using the skip at the borough council offices in Okehampton.