Wild Connections: The Flora and Fauna of Ireland
Year Awarded
2021
Amount
€72,987
- Organisation:The Birr Scientific and Heritage Foundation
- Audience:Primary Students
- Format:Non-formal Education
- Location:Galway, Kilkenny, Laois, Limerick, Longford, Offaly, Roscommon, Tipperary, Westmeath
Project Summary
Birr Castle Demesne (BCD) has a mission “to preserve and to protect, to educate and to inspire..” and has an extraordinarily rich natural heritage on site that will be explored and studied through Wild Connections. We will embark on a quest to educate and connect students, teachers and members of the public to the outstanding Irish biodiversity within the region encouraging a deeper knowledge, appreciation and connection to our natural landscapes, native flora and fauna.
This will be achieved through the following initiatives:
– Wild Connections for Schools: Opportunities for students and teachers to engage in curriculum aligned programmes to study the ecology of Birr Castle Demesne with blended learning, field work, sessions in science-inspired creativity and specially designed resources both separate and linked to livestream observations from our purposefully installed wildlife cameras.
– Wild Connections for All: Opportunities for members of the public to explore our Interactive Biodiversity Discovery Zones and engage with experts in conservation through webinars, workshops and field research encouraging confidence and enthusiasm for citizen science initiatives and conversation on environmental science.
– Wild Connections for Wellness: A safe space project for restoration in nature and formal engagement in biodiversity themed activities and studies for vulnerable and less-included members of our community.
Wild Connections is the first step in a long-term initiative that aims to communicate the scientific and social value of our native species and habitats, opening conversations in conservation on a regional and national scale.