Local students dig deep for environmental competition

FOURTH year students at a Northside school are leading the way for a greener world with their entry into this year’s Young Environmentalists Awards competition.

The students at Pobalscoil Neasáin in Baldoyle have been developing the school’s first environmentally friendly sensory and well-being garden in the school’s grounds and hope to win first prize at the awards.  

Group members Deirbhile Twomey, Luke Hampson-Byrne, Dakota Broker, Olivia Bolliger, Jack Roche, Wojteck Sychowicz, Dylan Nicholson and Louise Dowling haven been working hard with the aim of making their school an environmentally sound and eco-friendly area. 

The idea for a sensory and well-being garden was borne out of their concern for the local environment and also the fact that many students at Pobalscoil Neasáin have different special educational needs.  

They see the garden development as an area in which students can relax and ease some of their stress during the day, and as an area that can cater for students with particular sensory and visual needs. 

It will also be an area for students to enjoy, especially those who are sitting their Junior and Leaving Certificate exams.    

As student health and well-being is now a significant part of the Junior Cert curriculum, these young environmentalists have made the first and most important step in ensuring the well-being of students by taking it out of the classroom and creating a real and vibrant space for all. 

By re-using and recycling old material for the garden and planting new seeds, they are ensuring that the area is environmentally sustainable while also creating an attractive and useful space for the future.  

The final of the competition will take place in May and hopes are high for this year's entry from Pobalscoil Neasáin and all of the students involved feel they can definitely ‘sense’ the outcome!