Mercy Kilbeggan wins Green-Schools prize for biodiversity

Mercy Secondary School Kilbeggan has been selected as the winner of Green-Schools Secondary Biodiversity School of the Year.

This is the second year that Green-Schools have selected one primary school and one secondary school to be awarded as the Green-Schools Biodiversity School of the Year, and St Naul’s NS in Donegal won the primary school prize.

Mercy Secondary was chosen from the 120 schools who were awarded Green Flags for Biodiversity this year, after working on the programme for at least two years and following a seven-step programme.

The two winning schools went above and beyond on their work to improve their school grounds and communities for wildlife through practical actions and awareness raising.

Mercy Secondary received their award during the Green-Schools awards event in the Radisson Blu Hotel in Athlone on May 21. Students Kate Sinnamon and Eanna Cullen and teacher Shaun Horan accepted the award on behalf of the school, from Green-Schools coordinator, Rob Nelson, and Westmeath County Council environmental awareness officer, Shane Boyne.

As part of their work on the biodiversity theme, Mercy Secondary added a variety of habitats to the school grounds; they planted 80 trees, which will provide benefits to wildlife and present opportunities for education and enjoyment. The school also created smaller habitats such as wild grass areas for pollinators, log piles and bird and bat boxes.

Additionally, students improved links with their community, and the legacy of their work on the Biodiversity Theme will be a continued focus on nature and wildlife in the school with a lasting impact on the biodiversity in their grounds.