The Green Flag process
The Green Schools Committee takes on the challenge of achieving each Green Flag application. After 2 years of examining what we do, why and how we do it, we put initiatives in place to raise awareness, develop understanding and gradually change behaviours. Visits from an Environmental Officer from An Taisce take place and the final visit either grants or denies our application. Every flag presents new challenges and forces us to change our practices which will hopefully benefit the environment. Habits are not easily broken but the environment is, so we aim to learn more, act faster and be better.
Green Flag for Biodiversity
Many thanks to all of our former Green Schools Committees (G.S.C) and all our past pupils on on achieving our previous green flags for litter, electricity, water and travel since 2012. Our current The G.S.C. evaluated how we interact with the environment from the perspective of biodiversity (flora & fauna) within the school. We carried out surveys of native Irish plants and tress on the school site, in the hedgerows and around the village. We adopted wildflower grasses, erected bird feeders and bird baths, learned about the plants that best support the important work of bees and insects and even assessed the use and impact of common chemicals around the school.
The whole process has been very beneficial and we feel that our bank of knowledge will help us make decisions that protect biodiversity on and around our school for many years to come.
