Schoolchildren celebrate environmental poster win

Schoolchildren celebrate environmental poster win

28 February 2024

CHILDREN at a local primary school are celebrating after winning a major province-wide environmental competition.

The Wild Days Out competition was organised by the The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) and Hughes Insurance.

As one of the winners, St Mary’s Primary School, Aughlisnafin, will take part in an action-packed day in March aimed at highlighting the importance of conservation education within schools, through a range of fun activities from bug hunting to den building, seed planting and nature-based crafts.

The competition was open to schools across Northern Ireland. P5 classes had to submit a poster and 100 words on how they could benefit from the experience and why they should be chosen to receive a visit from TCV.

All of the P5 children at St Mary’s designed a poster, but they voted Cara Steele’s best of the bunch.

The winning entry from St Mary’s focused on the importance of ‘saving our trees’ and how pupils could benefit from outdoor learning and the opportunity to appreciate nature and wildlife.

St Mary’s teacher Peter Higgins said: “We’re over the moon to receive this prize from TCV and Hughes Insurance.

“The children had a ball completing the poster and the conversation that stemmed from this was really beneficial in terms of positioning environmental stewardship.

“We’re very much looking forward to the visit from TCV and learning more about how we can play our part to care for and protect green spaces.”

Dianne Keys, Operations Lead at The Conservation Volunteers, said: “We’re very much looking forward to visiting St Mary’s Primary School.

“We believe it’s crucial to educate children on pressing issues facing the environment and the importance of preservation.

“It’s not just about sharing knowledge. Instead we’re nurturing future generations and inspiring them to take action to protect the planet for years to come.”

She added: ”Unfortunately, Northern Ireland is facing a major threat to its tree species with tree cover of the lowest in Europe, sitting at 8 per cent. We’re delighted to be partnering with Hughes Insurance to protect and nurture our native trees.

“The funding will also enhance our community engagement programme, including volunteering opportunities which enable our staff to connect and engage with communities and together create positive environmental change.”

Emma Haughian, Senior Marketing Manager at Hughes Insurance, said: “The Wild Days Out opportunity is a positive step in educating young people on how to care for and enhance green spaces for all to enjoy.

“Well done to St Mary’s Primary School on their winning entry. We hope they enjoy the range of activities planned.”