A new primary school programme to deepen local connections to peatland habitats has been launched by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue today (Friday, June 2).
The aim of the programme is to educate children on the environmental and economic advantages of Ireland’s blanket bogs, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) said.
Children will learn about how bogs can control floods, provide clean drinking water and high-quality food, support biodiversity, store carbon (CO2), and how to actively manage habitats through sustainable farm practices.
The programme will be rolled out in schools in Co. Donegal, Mayo, Galway, Sligo and Leitrim from September following the successful completion of a pilot phase.
Primary school programme
The programme was developed by the Heritage Council as part of LIFE IP Wild Atlantic Nature, which is an EU-funded project to improve the quality of Ireland’s blanket bogs, primarily in the northwest.
Pupils will learn about the key plants and bog habitat, and how to use the habitat assessment scorecard developed as part of the Wild Atlantic Nature Results-Based agri-environmental Payment Scheme (RBPS).
A subsequent field trip to a local bog will be organised where a bog plant identification swatch is used to observe whether the plants found are positive or negative indicators of the condition of a bog.
The scores will be calculated to determine if their local blanket bog was considered healthy or if it required a helping hand from farmers and the local community to improve its condition.
The final phase of the programme involves a follow-up project designed to consolidate the pupils’ learning, the DAFM said.
Wild Atlantic Nature
To date more than €3 million has been paid directly to the 840 farmers under the LIFE IP Wild Atlantic Nature project since it commenced in 2021, Minister McConalogue said.
Launching the programme at Crannóg Buí National School in Ardara, Donegal today, the minister acknowledged the “excellent” work farmers managing these blanket bogs have done in improving the quality of the habitats.
“Ireland is at the forefront in terms of results-based agri-environment schemes in Europe, and is demonstrating how RBPS can deliver co-benefits for farmers and the environment.
“I would strongly encourage other primary schools in the project areas to consider taking the programme when the new school term begins in September,” Minister McConalogue said.
LIFE IP Wild Atlantic Nature project manager, Dr. Derek McLoughlin said “we strongly depend on landowners to manage the land in a sustainable way, and to deliver the goods and services that the public want and need”.
“As the next generation of farmers emerge, it is important that they can carry on the farming traditions in these important areas, and build on existing knowledge and experience that landowners have.
“For this to happen, we must ensure coherent messages on the use of land and develop appropriate policy to deliver good social and environmental outcomes in a way that can support farmers’ livelihoods,” Dr. McLoughlin said.
The education programme was developed by the Irish Peatlands Conservation Council (IPCC) and NatureNorthWest, and will be delivered by heritage specialists from the Heritage Council’s Heritage in Schools Scheme.