Gone are the days when an environmental project meant collecting conkers for the nature table. For the last four years the ECO-UNESCO & ENFO Young Environmentalist Awards have brought students out of the classroom to develop wildlife gardens, study wind power and build energy-efficient scooters
Last year's competition resulted in 130 projects and promises to be even bigger in 2003, rivalling the success of the Young Scientist Award.
These are projects with real benefits for the environment, not just personal learning gains for the students. Last year's Best Overall Environmental Award was won by a team from Clifden Community School for their work examining the reduction of biodiversity along the Connemara coastline. The team attributed the decline in biodiversity in the Clifden area to pollution caused by the rapid growth of the town, and called for improvements to existing infrastructure and stricter planning to help manage this growth.
Other winners included a project from Friends School, Lurgan, Co Armagh, where students built a wildlife garden to increase biodiversity in their school grounds, a feasibility study on wind energy by St Patrick's Girls Academy in Dungannon, Co Tyrone, and the development of an environmentally friendly scooter by Gairm Scoil in Thurles, Co Tipperary.
Students are asked to choose from one of five environmental themes (energy, water, air, waste and biodiversity) and have from September to February to complete a project on that theme. The projects usually include headings on planning, research and investigation, actions, awareness raising, evaluation and must show evidence of teamwork and initiative. By February, each group must complete a report on their project including supporting material, e.g. photo/video/visual display and research.
Previous projects have seen students developing in-school waste management programmes, running environmental awareness campaigns in their local communities, investigating local sources of sustainable energy and creating habitats for native flora and fauna.
A new CD Rom explaining the five aspects of the competition has just been launched.
All entrants receive a certificate of participation in recognition of the effort made towards helping the environment. The overall winners of 2004 will each receive special prizes. Last year winners each received a top-of-the-range mountain bike.
Five thousand information packs and entry forms have been sent to schools and youth groups nationwide. Additional forms can be obtained by contacting the ECO-UNESCO Awards Hotline on (01) 662 5491 or emailing: ecounesco@eircom.net. This year's participants must register their intention to enter the awards by November 23rd, 2003. The competition is open to schools north and south.
