Iโm thrilled to receive this award. It recognises the hard work of all of us in
@ArdscoilNaMara
&
@IrishSchSusty
who are trying to connect students with the natural world. My journey started in
@hammersmithacad
& it continues. Teaching nature is what keeps me in education.
Celebrating & sharing the story of an inspirational woman, Violet Ann Schunman, who died aged 99 last summer 2021. We just bought Violetโs house & we are in awe of her impact. Share her story to encourage others to leave the same legacy. 1/9
Today I asked two classes which picture theyโd prefer. Nearly all students said the one with the mown grass because itโs neat and tidy. The one with the flowers wonโt last long & what will it look like in the winter. 1/
We will continue her awesome work by planting more native trees & adding a bigger pond & we will bask in nature observing the visitors as she did! Thank you Violet for leaving this space in a much better way than you found it. 9/9
We have conditioned ourselves & our children to think that mown grass, a biodiversity desert is beautiful ๐ญ Our baseline for nature is so egregiously low. How do we rapidly change this? 5/5
Spain has 36% tree cover. We have 12%, mostly Sitka Spruce. Cycling in N. Spain is bittersweet. Itโs exhilarating to be surrounded by trees & to see the land is teeming with life but depressing to return to barren ๐ฎ๐ช The wildflowers on this bridge would be sprayed back home๐
Violet bought her cottage in Waterford in 1997. Aged 74 Violet began transforming this 1.1 acre plot into a biodiversity haven, planting tree saplings by her own hands. In these pictures you can see how the land (plot on the right) transformed over 24 years from 1997 to 2021. 2/
Violet created a space that was as nourishing for her as it was for wildlife. She captured carbon & created a space for wildlife while most likely improving her own mental health. I feel we are just holding this space that she created to pass it onto another steward. 8/9
I didnโt know at the time that they are a superfood for pollinators & that they feed the birds too. When I look at Dandelions now, all I see is food. With some education my values changed. 3/
We saw chairs dotted around the property, connected by a mown strip, where we can imagine her sitting basking in nature. A few weeks ago our dog ran through the meadow & at least 50 butterflies rose up into the air. I have never seen that many butterflies. 3/9
I showed them this video & I asked them to imagine how they would feel sitting on the grass here on a summers day watching the long grass blowing gently in the wind. They said theyโd feel calm & relaxed. I talked about how this is full of life. 4/
Mature Hawthorn trees are found all the way down the South side of the property. May flowers provide lots of food for insects & these trees are dripping with scarlet berries in autumn & winter providing food for birds & mammals. 4/9
A small pond at the front of the property is home to a variety of insects and of course frogs. Weโve been told that Violet invited curious visitors into her wild garden, hedgehogs, foxes, pine martins, and birds, welcoming them with food. Deers pop in too. 7/9
Beautiful dry stone walls surround the property which provide hiding places & homes for a variety of insects. Large parts of the wall are concealed by brambles which provide food for insects birds & mammals & corridors for wildlife to move unseen. 5/9
What a bizarre sight in Kilmeaden. The chemicals are so toxic a full on protective suit is needed. Who cares about the person passing by walking their dog or the children getting their bus to school? All to kill some moss & wildflowers. Hope it doesnโt get into the water! 1/
I told them that years ago a student of mine in London commented on how beautiful a flower was. I turned around to see a Dandelion & I inwardly thought that the student knew nothing about nature. I explained that I was conditioned to see these as weeds. 2/
@flandfau
Yes we do need the education. As you leave Kilmeaden (on the way to Waterford) one side of the road for a long stretch is all brown. Sprayed ๐คฏ I see so many brown stone walls! All sprayed when they could be covered in moss & lichen ๐
My students run an after school Climate Cafe & they were really energised after todayโs session. 3rd week running & numbers are growing. Students, including 6th yrs, chatting climate & nature solutions. Bringing people together is such a feel good thing to do. It spurs us all on.
What a wonderful honour. Our
@HammersmithAcad
Garden changed my perspective on education and my life. It led me to some awesome projects & amazing people. If you are not growing in your school you should make a start, otherwise your students & staff are missing out:-)
Well done to Patrick Kirwan
@growgardeners
who is Highly Commended in the School Changemaker of the Year category and played a huge part in making
@HammersmithAcad
Londonโs Sustainable School of the year!
Growing kits are made for our students and are ready to be picked up when they are out for their daily walk. Looking forward to seeing how they get on with growing herbs at home.
It was time to finish off cutting the grass in our community nature space with my scythe. My dad kindly offered to use the strimmer. I politely declined. The scythe is kinder to nature. It gives wildlife a chance to move on & there are still tonnes of insects on the cuttings. 1/
Last summer I made a commitment not to fly so this year Iโve taken the ferry to Bilbao for a cycling holiday. The trip on the ferry was great (albeit a lot more expensive than flying). Saw some common dolphins and gannets. Hoping to spot some whales on the way back. 1/
"Put your hands up if you want to make a commitment to take climate action". Out of 30 3rd yr students no one put up their hand. Inside I felt despair particularly because we were 5 weeks into an Environmental Influencer course which they had actively engaged with. 1/
On my way to work this morning I saw a man in a full HAZMAT suit spraying the curbs in Kilmeaden. Absolutely nuts๐คฏ We recognise how toxic these chemicals are to us & ignore how damaging they are to the environment. Also potential for these to get into our drains & waterways.
As a kid I dreamt of having lots of land to create my own massive garden. I didn't realise that I could just use the community space outside my door that must be over an acre in size. Absolutely loved planting over 20 trees today under the watchful eye of my furry supervisor. 1/
I have a new Climate and Nature ally in work! ๐ ๐
#DontLookUp
was part of their awakening. For some of us it has been Greta, for others COP26โฆ.we need to keep telling stories and finding new ways to communicate whatโs happening to help people understand and FEEL the crisis.
Really grateful that these courageous women are fighting for all of us. Deeply sad that even at this late stage people have to do this. I canโt help welling up watching this. Investing in fossil fuels makes no sense.
Yesterday, when the worldโs largest fossil fuel investor,
@jpmorgan
, held a โwomen in technologyโ event in Dublin, to demonstrate how โinclusiveโ they are, we were on hand to point out the massive hypocrisy of thisโฆ
I am a very happy man today! The students did an awesome job planting 150 lavender, 9 fruits trees and 15 fruit bushes! Incredible. Many thanks to the staff too
@ArdscoilNaMara
who took their classes out to get stuck in.
#climateaction
#TeachNature
@Irishwildlife
I met a kindred spirit who was promoting outdoor learning & nature at Feilte. Eilish is an inspiring primary principal. Few people visited her stall. I wonder is that reflective of the landscape we are in? We donโt value or love nature or see itโs role in Ed?
If you havenโt tried this app yet do!!!! Itโs AMAZING. It records bird song & identifies all the species present. Recorded 13 species just now & it told me there was a Linnet present. I pointed my binoculars in the direction of the song & there it was. I have never seen one!
Great news from
@NormaFoleyTD1
&
@Education_Ire
๐ All schools in ๐ฎ๐ช will have a qualified part-time sustainability officer. Canโt believe every school will also have a qualified part-time teacher permaculturist ๐คฏ In awe of your foresight & leadership. ๐
โPlantation agricultureโฆhave depleted Lahainaโs streams & turned biodiverse food forests into tinderboxesโฆHawaii spends $3bn a year importing up to 90% of its food. This altered ecologyโฆgave rise to the..blaze that decimated the..Maui townโ
I just love my job
@ArdscoilNaMara
These two amazing lads popped up after school to practise a presentation on the Plant a ๐ Campaign that they are delivering to wellbeing classes next week. They are going to be doing a lot of influencing next week!
@IrishSchSusty
@ECOUNESCO
Great to meet
@GraceOSllvn
&
@EamonRyan
today. Delighted they saw the Environmental Leadership Development Programme in action. Grateful to
@Cristiona_Kiely
&
@MarcKC_Green
for their enthusiasm & support for what we do. Nature should be woven into the fabric of school life. 1/
Register for Teaching Nature 1 day CPD
@ArdscoilNaMara
Dates: Wed Sept 27th, Mon 23rd Oct, Thurs 23rd Nov. Email aoifedenton
@ardscoilnamara
.ie to sign up. Observe a class in the outdoor classroom & see the student leaders in action. Full details here: 1/
This fills me with joy! Our landlord likes a wild garden. The grass is turning straw coloured & on a sunny evening itโs a balm for the soul to cast your eyes upon it. Looking outside the window I see 3 goldfinches feeding on the seeds of the grasses ๐ The good stuff in life.
This is pure joy watching this beautiful queen bee having a feast. One fantastic reason to plant lots of crocuses later this year. Find a little patch of paradise near you and stand still for a few minutes to hear the hum of nature.
I havenโt taught the heart through masking tape diagrams in ages. A really fun activity. Useful to be able to step through the heart to show the direction of blood flow.
Today my 3rd yrs discussed the 'turf wars'. They talked about the 1 billion people in India that are suffering from record heat waves & the 1300 premature deaths in ๐ฎ๐ช that are associated with air pollution. Read their views.
@MichealMartinTD
what is your response?
Some pieces of wisdom from my grandmother on health as she turns 99. Donโt eat too much meat. Donโt drink or smoke. Get out for a walk at some point in your day. What she didnโt say, but I observe is she keeps busy. She is a keen knitter & bingo player!
I have so much love for this furry one. She has lots of spots around the house to snooze in and if she notices Iโm gone from one room too long she picks herself up & plonks herself down beside me until I move again๐
Great start today. 350 cars coming on site last Wed. 240 cars dropping students to school today. A 30% reduction. A fantastic start. Letโs aim for a 50% reduction next week.
@TramoreEcoGroup
@Cristiona_Kiely
@wlrfm
Our Active Travel campaign kicks off today. The weather is on our side, so hopefully, we'll see huge numbers Stop and Stride to school today.
@ERSTIRELAND
@wlrfm
@growgardeners
Tried out my new scythe tonight for the first time. Noticed lots of moths! Leaving the strimmer asideโฆ.hopefully the insects will be better off for it?! Felt like a good workout ๐๏ธโโ๏ธ
I wish I had
@JulietteViode
โs skills! Last year 10% of the students
@ArdscoilNaMara
said they could confidently explain what biodiversity is. I think this will help๐คฉ The front of our school is changing. We now have a pond, a meadow in the making & a more formal pollinator patch.
I had a companion following me around all day today. Itโs such a lovely experience. It fills me with joy. Nature is everything. I left some seed out and the Robin said โIโm happy with me worms. Keep diggingโ ๐
Enjoying a spot of community gardening today. Been dying to get to this job. Itโs time we transform our community spaces from barren desolate wastelands into something that is nourishing for humans & wildlife. Letโs give people a reason to come out of their houses & chat!
A wonderful surprise to find on my desk. We are all teachers & influencers. I feel lucky to be working with an awesome team of students in
@ArdscoilNaMara
. They are taking up the baton teaching climate & ecological literacy & positively influencing others around them๐
Teaching sustainability, climate literacy, ecological literacy, & global citizenship education can be stimulating & rewarding but it is also bloody tough. Sometimes you have to dig deep & find reserves to keep going & continue to try & cut through the apathy & acceptance. 1/
The digging is done๐ช Weโre ready to put down some old carpet and then the liner. Excited to see how all of this will develop. Hoping to get lots of visitors over the spring and summer months.
Some changes can be hard. Other changes are easy, energising & cost little. Lots of bees out this evening. Itโs nice to see them foraging. Our community spaces could be so much more. First picture taken Feb 2021.
Absolutely delighted to receive this at the end of the day from a student. After watching the 5 Mins of Sustainability video on energy they ran an experiment with their family to reduce their energy consumption.They have reduced their C emissions & saved money.
@IrishSchSusty
Running a meaningful outdoor learning programme in a secondary school that changes studentsโ perceptions of themselves & nature is a big task. It requires a lot of resources & expertise. Talk about outdoor learning is growing. Do we need a separate teacher qualification for this?
When I hear the words โlow maintenanceโ garden from friends and family it usually means theyโve scoured the garden of life. This is my low maintenance back garden ๐ A track mown around the garden and all that is left to do is enjoy it.
Students
@ArdscoilNaMara
designed a sustainable school for their EU project. Here they talk about their dream school. Lots of awesome detail in their poster. We need to step ๐ ๐ They just submitted their project & are super proud (as am I) of their work.
@CalmastWIT
Dropped into a local churchyard to check out the mass of crocuses. A treat I look forward to every year. Saw my 1st queen bee this year feasting on the bounty. Dandelions are starting to flower, an important food source for bees. Delay mowing the lawn & the bees will be grateful.
Iโll be 52 in 2033. What age will you be? If you have kids what age will they be? We still have a choice. Everyday Iโm working the problem in my head. In the absence of decent coverage from
@rtenews
how do we activate people to push those with the greatest power to make change?
At 1.2ยฐC of global warming, with current pace, we will hit 1.5ยฐC in 2033 and 2ยฐC by 2060. With last 7 years being warmest on record, 2021 among them, we have strong confirmation of the global climate crisis as shown in excellent analysis by
@BerkeleyEarth
The fossil fuel industry proudly presents:
The
#ExxonFires
.
Let's start to give credit, where credit is due.
๐ฅ "
@exxonmobil
fires" in Portugal ๐ต๐น ๐ฅ
Every time I visit the beach I take a piece of rubbish home with me. This is now on my desk and has become a holder for rulers. Good conversation starter.
@Cristiona_Kiely
Would have loved to have met her! Gave a talk in June in the primary school I went to as a kid and I was telling them about her. A few of the kids knew her๐
Something we can look forward to in Irelandโs future, a lush verdant thriving environment๐ฆ Lots of micro habitats outside the many tunnels full of mosses & ferns. Not a fairy door in sight. No need to teach kids to add to nature. Itโs awesome & captivating as is 1/
It doesnโt take much work to transform a bleak tightly mown grass expanse into something more nourishing for people & wildlife. In our relatively recently constructed pond we see lots of life, including dragon flies. So much to observe!
@WaterfordCounci
is this your work? If so I think tax payers money could be better spent. I personally wouldnโt want to put this person or the passersby at risk for some moss! 2/2
The TY Environmental Leadership Team have been working on the front of
@ArdscoilNaMara
with
@Waterfordpermie
. This area will transform over the spring & summer with our new pond, a meadow, a pollinator patch, & a living willow border. The front porch is also get a makeoverโฆ.๐คฉ
Some students do want to take action, sometimes the majority of the class want to act, but they don't want to do it on their own. They want to take the action together. This is why we need to create a culture of action in our schools. We as adults need to be role models. 3/
Climate & Nature Summit workshop Mon 16th Oct on World Food Day! Get your colleagues & students ready for some fascinating farming conversations. Join the movement. Critical thinking caps on!
@NAPD_IE
@GOAL_Global
@greenearthorgan
Check it out ๐
Enjoyed reading about
@network_will
in
@NAPD_IE
Leader. In awe of
@KCorbett10
's &
@ROConnor42
's inspirational work. 'Every connection opportunity is underpinned by CLICK: Connect, Learn, Inspire, Communicate, Kindness.' 1 in 71 women are school leaders compared to 1 in 26 males.
You always have more seed that you need! Iโve packaged up the excess seed. Iโll be hanging outside my house tomorrow like a drug dealer waiting for neighbours to come & collect it. If you have extra seed why not share it.
#Ecolockdown
That feeling when you put on a feast and the guests are thoroughly enjoying the spread. This queen must have visited every single flower on this red campion. Sheโs having a late night feast at 8.40pm. Sheโll roll into bed tonight ๐ด
โDoing my own little bitโ isnโt good enough. We need to get politically engaged. We need to collectively fight for our future. We have the privilege of being able to switch off but our students & children wonโt have that luxury. Care about your children? Fight for them.
This is still MAY. We are deep in drought here in SoCal. The only way out: fight side by side and to strip power away from the rich corporatists who are leading us deeper into catastrophe, even as their own homes burn. Wake up everyone and join the fight!
I sent an email to a friend looking for support for the ISSNโs Climate & Nature Summit in Oct. I got the email wrong & it went to a man with the same name that works on visualisations for NASA to help people understand climate change. Serendipity ๐คHoping he will be a speaker๐
This is our future. What does a junior cycle or leaving certificate mean if this is what awaits our students. As educators do we really think we should continue as normal? Are we just cogs in an outdated irrelevant machine?
While a car floats away in a flood, and people wade in water up to their thighs, two men are busy beating each other up.
A vision of climate breakdown without a radical shift: chaos, and the most irrational human behaviour, all increasingly spilling into violence.
*Not* pretty.
Earlier in the year I put up one of the bird boxes that our student Environmental Leadership Team
@ArdscoilNaMara
made. I hear chicks inside ๐๐๐