During autumn 2011, Fingal County Libraries developed two programmes for primary and secondary school students on the topics of nature, gardening and biodiversity with gardener and horticulturist Peter Donegan and on climate change and sustainability with ECO-UNESCO.
Adventures in Green Gardening for Budding Gardeners
Fingal Libraries in conjunction with gardener and horticulturist Peter Donegan hosted a series of classes with 5th class pupils from Balbriggan Educate Together National School to teach them the real facts of nature. The sessions covered topics such as gardening, water, the great outdoors, how plants make their own food and how we grow ours, fruit and vegetables, trees and flowers, making a living edible garden and staying green at home.
Students James Davis and Gráinne Mongey from Balbriggan Educate Together National School making their presentation on Adventures in Green Gardening for Budding Gardeners
The classes gave the children the opportunity to get their hands dirty and do some planting themselves and at the same time have fun while exploring the natural world and biodiversity. Both Peter and class teacher Dan McGee used their blogs to post updates and photographs of the classes.
At the end of the series a ceremony was held in Balbriggan Library where Fingal County Council’s Mayor Councillor Gerry McGuire presented certificates to all the pupils and they in turn made a digital presentation to the Mayor on what they had learned.
http://dans5thclass.wordpress.com/2011/11/23/our-garden-project/
Global Responsibilities programme: Climate Change & Sustainability
ECO-UNESCO in cooperation with Fingal County Libraries delivered a programme of workshops on Global Responsibilities: Climate Change & Sustainability to primary and secondary school students throughout Fingal. The aim of this innovative series of workshops was to heighten awareness of local and national sustainability issues through environmental education and to introduce the libraries as information hubs where young people can research climate change and sustainability issues.
The workshops encouraged the students to engage with the topic of Climate Change and each person’s individual responsibility to minimise the impact each of us makes on the planet and its resources.
The group activities included interactive exercises, role plays, creative arts, open discussion and debate. Mountview Environmental Group from Mountview National School, Dublin 15 produced a Top Ten Tips poster on now to reduce energy consumption in their school and homes. Transition year students in Loreto Secondary School in Balbriggan took part in a role play as board members of a company that was trying to turn their business around so that it would be environmentally friendly.
One pupil said “I found out a lot about climate change and how to talk to people about it”. A teacher commented “They really loved the workshop. It will definitely help them with their class projects.”
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