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Mary Neville (85) from Stoneybatter, Dublin and Caoimhe (17) from Carlow launching the Gaisce bulb initiative.
TO celebrate 35 years of Gaisce – The President’s Award, the organisation is encouraging people in Kerry regardless of age, location or size of back garden to take up their own Gaisce challenge this autumn and plant a pollinator-friendly bulb to protect one of the most important players in the climate change battle – bees.
If planted in autumn, the bulbs will bloom in Spring. The #BulbsForBees campaign is supported by President Michael D. Higgins and the ‘All-Ireland Pollinator Plan’ who have worked with Gaisce to undertake the largest ever pollination project in Ireland.
The pollinator friendly bulbs will bloom in Spring creating a variety of flowers including crocus tommasinianus barr’s purple, allium moly and muscari armeniacum.
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Over the next two weeks, over 50,000 pollinator-friendly bulbs will make their way to every post-primary school in the country; to Gaisce Award Partners including disability services, prisons and volunteer centres with the help of An Post; and over 300,000 bulbs through the Irish Local Development Network for distribution to the wider community and youth sector with support from the Department of Children, Equality, Integration, Disability and Youth these bulbs will be provided for free.
In Kerry, community and youth groups can contact NEWKD about collecting their Gaisce bulbs, while their stock lasts. Members of the public are encouraged to visit their local garden centre to pick up a pollinator friendly bulb to participate in the challenge by October 21st.
You can find out how to participate in the project and how to receive a special commemorative certificate of participation from the Gaisce – The President’s Award website by clicking here.
Commenting in support of the campaign, President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins, said: “I thank all those who will be partaking in this special Gaisce challenge and who, by doing so, make a profound statement of their real desire to protect the life we share on this planet.”
