Environmental Awareness Week

Environmental Awareness Week

27th Feb to 3rd Mar

 
The Green Schools Committee were very happy to have the opportunity to continue their work in promoting an appreciation of the biodiversity in our campus and beyond. The recent nature walks held during the Catholic Schools Week whose theme ‘Caring for our common home’ provided an ideal lead-in to this term’s Environmental Awareness Week. The main focus of the week was to raise awareness about the significance of biodiversity so as to help the school community to connect with the rich and fascinating biodiversity on our doorstep. Connecting with our own local environment is surely a prerequisite to understanding and taking action to solve the more challenging global environmental issues affecting our planet.
This week also involved a significant cross curricular element with events organised by the Biology and Development Education Departments.
 
The reptile show ‘Dave’s Jungle’ organised by Ms Marie Kelly and the Biology Department proved to be a real hit with Second Year and indeed the many teachers who stepped outside their comfort zone to engage with these wonderful creatures.
 
The Development Education activities organised by Ms Anne Payne focused on the devastating effects of climate change. The powerful visual displays located around the College stimulated significant interest as did the senior debate adjudicated by Mr John Sheil and chaired by Scott O’Donohue. The motion that ‘Climate Change Deniers Should Not Be Able to Hold Public Office’ was hotly contested by Robert Kelly, Conor O’Neill and Drummond McGinn who proposed the motion, and Dylan Hutchinson, Shore Oluborode and Michael Ryan who opposed it. The issue will be addressed further when Fifth Year students attend a lecture on Climate Change by Ms Ellen Donnelly, Youth Education Officer with Trócaire. Ms Donnelly will also conduct a workshop with a Transition Year group.

Environmantal Awareness Week

The final element of the week was the creation of a Biodiversity Code entitled ‘Appreciating Biodiversity’ which will be displayed in every classroom. This code is customised to each year by means of a striking image of a student connecting with an aspect of biodiversity.
 
Many thanks to the Biology Department, Development Education and the Green Schools Committee and in particular the TY members, for their invaluable help in organising the week. A special word of thanks to Mr Cathal Copeland, Ms Marie Kelly and Ms Anne Payne for their support in facilitating the week’s events.