After being cooped up inside for so long during the pandemic, it feels truly amazing being out and about and able to get back to nature and the great outdoors. That’s why we couldn’t be more delighted to hear about the Nature Hero Award.
The Nature Hero Award, Ireland’s first and only standalone outdoor learning award, has now launched!
Proudly supported by Glenveagh, Nature Hero Award is a national campaign to support schools with their biodiversity goals and provide a mark of excellence to schools who create an educational space that nurtures a love of nature, develops a knowledge of our biodiversity, and encourages action to help it locally.
The Nature Hero Award is now open to primary schools for registration, and those who sign up will receive a checklist of tasks to be completed to become a Nature Hero. Projects vary, from hanging bird nest boxes to ensuring outdoor teaching time every week and the tasks can be completed as quickly or slowly as you like until June 2023.
Once completed, schools will submit their application and will be awarded a certificate and plaque to demonstrate their commitment to outdoor education. Each year, a smaller satellite plaque will be awarded to recognise the maintenance of standards.
Plus, one lucky school will win a main prize of a school garden/ outdoor classroom upgrade worth up to €10,000, courtesy of the Glenveagh Greencare landscaping team. This will be awarded to a school demonstrating an outstanding contribution to outdoor learning.
Glenveagh is committed to investing in sustainable communities and supporting local schools and businesses around Ireland. The Nature Hero Award is a natural fit with Glenveagh’s community engagement work in education and together with school's partner, Biodiversity in Schools, they are delighted to roll out this green accolade to schools nationally.
For schools wishing to enter, they can simply register via www.biodiversityinschools.com, download the checklist of biodiversity actions and start completing the tasks.
