Secondary students create native woodland to promote biodiversity
The students and teachers at Drimnagh Castle creating the woodland

Secondary students create native woodland to promote biodiversity

STUDENTS at Drimnagh Castle Secondary School are working on the European PULCHRA project and have aimed to create a small, dense native woodland habitat to promote biodiversity at their school.

The students and teachers at the school will create the little woodland, which will provide the school with an outdoor living classroom and a place where staff and students can connect with biodiversity. The project is being funded by KBI Global Investors and delivered by the staff Environmental Education Unit (EEU) of An Taisce.

The woodland initiative is part of the European PULCHRA project, which is an EU funded project with partners from ten nations. The project encourages and supports students in urban schools to investigate environmental and sustainability issues in their localities with a focus on the topic “cities as urban ecosystems”.

As part of the PULCHRA project, the students are planting their Choill Bheag (little woodland). An Choill Bheag is a long-term educational programme, an initiative of LEAF Ireland and the Environmental Education Unit (EEU) of An Taisce. The An Choill Bheag initiative aims to increase student’s awareness of the many benefits of woodlands and provides a broad understanding of how woodlands play a significant role in our lives and future. Students also learn the necessary skills to maintain, monitor and study these ecosystems.

Speaking about the project, Sean Hawkshaw, Chief Executive Officer at KBI Global Investors said: “KBIGI has just celebrated its 40th year in business. We had been looking to mark this milestone with a long-term initiative, consistent with our leadership in sustainable and impact investing, and the planting of An Choill Bheag fits the bill perfectly.

“The project is very much at the heart of what we believe in as a firm. It has been made possible by LEAF Ireland, An Taisce and the staff and students at Drimnagh Castle, and we are deeply proud to support this fantastic initiative and to partner with the school at a time when understanding and protecting our environment is more critical than ever.”

Rachel Geary from LEAF Ireland added: “Woodlands and forests are critical habitats for the health of our planet. Not only is it important that we educate students about the importance of these habitats, but we also need to create new habitats for people and wildlife and ensure students have the skills to protect and maintain them after we have completed the projects.”

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