Tag Archives: ECO UNESCO

News, SCHOOLS

Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí Students Win Young Environmentalist Award

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THREE students from Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí in Tralee were winners in the Young Environmentalist Awards (YEA) hosted by ECO-UNESCO in a virtual ceremony on Wednesday.

The Transition Year students Zoë Ní Chearúill, Máiréad De Staic and Sorcha Ní Dhonnchú won in the final of the Senior Climate Change Category for their project ‘Feabhsaigh Fast Fashion\.

After completing some research, it was collectively decided by the students that fast fashion and sustainability was an issue that needed to be highlighted.

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They conducted a school-wide survey in order to acquire data as to the knowledge and opinions of young people when it comes to fast fashion.

They also highlighted the role we can all play to reduce both the environmental impacts caused by the clothes we buy and the hardships faced by those who make the garments.

Projects from Castleisland Community College, St. Brendan’s College in Killarney, and Mercy Mounthawk Tralee also made the finals in various categories, but unfortunately did not win out.

The Young Environmentalist Awards (YEA) is an all-island programme that recognises and rewards young people aged 10-18 who have taken environmental action and come up with innovative solutions to environmental issues. Over 200 projects applied to the YEA programme this year.

News

Students From Tralee Schools Are Finalists In Young Environmentalist Awards

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TWO projects from Tralee schools are among the four Kerry entries which have reached the final of this year’s Young Environmentalist Awards (YEA).

Hosted by ECO-UNESCO, the winner’s will be announced virtually at the YEA ceremony on this Wednesday.

‘Feabhsaigh Fast Fashion’ from Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí is a finalist in the Climate Change category while ‘Covid 9-Team’ from Mercy Mounthawk are shortlisted in the Waste category.

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The other Kerry finalists are ‘Climate Crew’ from Castleisland Community College in the Biodiversity category and ‘Sustainable Sem- Sensory Community Garden’ from St Brendan’s College, Killarney in the Climate Change category.

The Young Environmentalist Awards (YEA) is an all-island programme that recognises and rewards young people aged 10-18 who have taken environmental action and come up with innovative solutions to environmental issues.

Over 200 projects applied to the YEA programme this year. Despite Covid-19 interruptions, young people continued to work on their projects at school, at home and during youth clubs in an effort to tackle climate issues.

The YEA Ceremony will take place on Wednesday, May 26 on ECO-UNESCO’S YouTube Channel – ECO-UNESCO Ireland in a live transmission at 2pm. For more information on the Young Environmentalist Awards please go to www.yea.ie 

News

Tralee Projects Among Finalists In ECO-UNESCO Young Environmentalist Awards

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Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí students who reached the ECO-UNESCO Young Environmentalist Awards. final with their Bia Beo project.

SEVEN youth projects from Kerry have reached the final of this year’s ECO-UNESCO Young Environmentalist Awards.

Almost 500 applications were received, which is a record breaking number despite the covid interruptions. ECO-UNESCO will be announcing the winner’s virtually on the 21st of May through YouTube live and social media platforms.

Tralee-based finalists are Bia Beo from Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí, and Inaction is an Action – Mercy Mounthawk.

Brothers, Evan, Alex and Dylan Nealon from Lixnaw have also made it to the final for their canal clean up in Tralee, while other Kerry entrants are Flower Power – KDYS (Kerry Diocesan Youth Service); Self-Sustainable Sem from St. Brendan’s College, Killarney, Good Reason To Eat In Season from Sneem National School and The Global Gang – Castleisland Community College.

The Young Environmentalist Awards (YEA) recognises and rewards young people aged 10-18 who have taken environmental action and created projects that will help solve environmental issues. The event sees more than 4,000 participants each year. Although schools are closed during this time, young people are still continuing their environmental projects at home.

Elaine Nevin, Director of ECO-UNESCO said “We are delighted at the quality of applications this year and we cannot wait to announce this year’s winners. Young people are still taking eco action and continuing their projects at home, despite the pandemic.  In light of this we are holding an ECO Week to celebrate the young people who are enthusiastic about making an environmental difference.”

An event that usually brings schools and community groups together from all over Ireland to showcase their projects, will now be a week-long celebration while Covid-19 restrictions are in place. ECO Week 2020 will be held from 18th to 22nd May and will include a range of environmental workshops, well-being activities, talks, and challenges for young people alongside the YEA Winner announcements.

The theme of ECO Week 2020 is Food, Fitness, Fashion and your Future. The aim of ECO Week to celebrate the achievements of young activists, to allow young people to explore career opportunities in environmentalism and to educate them on a range of environmental topics.

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Young Tralee Brothers Win Overall Prize At Young Environmentalists Awards

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The Nealon brothers with their award.

TRALEE brothers who have spearheaded a campaign to clean up the canal area have won a national award for their efforts.

Nine year old twins Evan and Alex and their 12 year-old brother Dylan Nealon travelled to the ECO UNESCO Young Environmentalists Awards at the National Convention Centre in Dublin on Thursday and came home with the Overall Super Junior Award for their ‘Evan, Alex and Dylan’s Tralee Canal Clean Up’ entry.

The Nealon brothers’ project involves the removal of plastic from the Tralee canal and bay, as well as the protection of wildlife and the environment.

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In the first six months of the campaign, the group pulled over 400 bags of rubbish out of the area including mattresses, televisions, fridges and chairs.

The project led to funding for a “seabin” and assistance cleaning the hard-to-reach areas. Evan has Cystic Fibrosis and is an ambassador for CF Ireland, but it doesn’t stop him from his efforts in cleaning up the canal.

Their next big Tralee Bay Clean Up is set for Friday, June 14 with volunteers meeting at the Aquadome Carpark at 2pm.

The Nealons weren’t the only Kerry winner at the awards, as the Castleisland Community College ‘Fairtraders’ project won the ECO-Community Development Senior category.

Now in their 20th year, ECO-UNESCO’s Young Environmentalist Awards (YEA) is an all-Ireland environmental awards programme that recognises and rewards young people who raise environmental awareness and improve the environment.

Since 1999, ECO-UNESCO has run the YEA programme to honour the work of young people to protect, conserve and enhance the environment through local environmental projects, making a difference to their lives and the lives of others both locally and globally.

News, SCHOOLS

Pres Girls ‘Clean Green’ Project Makes Final Of Young Environmentalists Awards

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Aoife Hickey, Lisa Curran, Rebecca Hayes and Ciara O’Mahony of the ‘Clean Green’ project.

A PRESENTATION Tralee group ‘Clean Green’ team have reached the national finals of the Young Environmentalists Awards, which will be held in the Convention Centre on Thursday next, May 23 .

Their group ‘Clean Green’ — consisting of students Aoife Hickey, Lisa Curran, Rebecca Hayes and Ciara O’Mahony — aims to promote the use of natural cleaners in the environment. They have had to present their project to a number of judges through Skype in the Eco Dens round to progress to the final.

The competition entails students to choose an environmental topic to raise awareness of in their local community.

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The girls have discovered that chemical cleaners have a great effect on our fish including problems with reproduction, stunted growth and even death. The chemicals in the fish may still be in the fish we eat and that can cause us to contract food poisoning.

The team are encouraging us to use day to day products in our homes such as bread soda, lemon, olive oil etc. rather than the chemical cleaners.

They have visited primary schools informing students about their project, held an awareness day in Tralee Town where they told people about their project and shared recipes for “natural cleaners”.

The girls have also received the support of a number of local celebrities such as Kerry footballer Shane Enright and Mayor of Kerry Norma Foley.

The students have also created a song called ‘Save the Fish’, which can be seen on their Instagram page  @cleangreenpres or below this story.

There is an award for public choice and the girls are looking for your support by voting; please follow the link to cast your vote by clicking here, enter their registration number 2019-191 to vote for Clean Green.

News, SCHOOLS

Pres Girls Reach Final Of ECO UNESCO Competition With Lyme Disease Project

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The girls from the ‘Give An X To Ticks’ project. In front; Niamh Rahilly, Natasha Tobin and Ruth O’Connell. At back; Doireann Thomas, Mary O’Connell, Laura Scanlon and Aisling O’Connell who are taking part in the project on Lyme Disease awareness. Photo by Dermot Crean

PRESENTATION Tralee girls have advanced to the final of the ECO UNESCO competition with their project on Lyme Disease and now they need your votes.

The group of Transition Year students in the ‘Give An X To Ticks’ project have held a ‘Tick Awareness Day’ back in February to inform the public about ticks, which is how you contract the disease, and  handed out stickers to try and promote more awareness and create a conversation about the disease.

“The Tick Awareness Day went really well,” said Ruth O’Connell from the group. “We got to speak to lots of people to educate them on the dangers of tick bites. We got many signatures from people to say that after speaking to us they now knew more about Lyme Disease.”

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They’ve done a lot of work since then as Ruth explained.

“We have also been on Radio Kerry to speak about Lyme Disease. We have been to the Eco-Dens in Cork, which are the dragon’s-den-style semi-final rounds of the YEA. We felt that they went really well and since then we have found out that we have made it to the national finals in Dublin.”

“We have been in contact a lot with Tick Talk Ireland, a national organisation trying to bring more awareness to the disease, and we have distributed many leaflets for them in local GP offices and veterinary shops.

“We are  also currently in contact with local councillors discussing the issue of ticks in Kerry, and we are hoping to do something with them. Lyme Disease is a growing problem, so we will be working hard on the project for the rest of the year, especially as we come closer to the National Finals.”

To vote for the girls’ project click here scroll down to the ‘Eco Health and Well-Being’ section and then select their project, ‘Give an X to Ticks’. Then scroll to the bottom of the page and click ‘Submit’.

News, SCHOOLS

Pres Girls To Raise Awareness Of Lyme Disease With Project

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In front; Niamh Rahilly, Natasha Tobin and Ruth O’Connell. At back; Doireann Thomas, Mary O’Connell, Laura Scanlon and Aisling O’Connell who are taking part in a project on Lyme Disease awareness. Photo by Dermot Crean

IT’S a disease which has been in the news quite a bit over the past few years and now girls from Presentation Tralee have decided to do a project on it.

A group of Transition Years at the school are currently working on a project to create more awareness around Lyme Disease and how it is contracted as part of the ECO UNESCO competition.

“Our goal is to increase awareness and we are holding a Tick Awareness Day on Friday, February 23 in town,” said one of the group, Niamh Rahilly.

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“What we will be doing is standing around the streets of Tralee from 10am to 4pm informing the public about ticks, which is how you contract the disease, and we will also be handing out stickers to try and promote more awareness and create a conversation about the disease.”

“We want to advise people about how to avoid getting bitten in the first place. So when people go into parks they should wrap up and make sure to spray on bug repellent, wear long pants and long sleeves etc.” said Niamh. The project is being overseen by their teacher Mrs Rita O’Donoghue.

The school has a good record in the ECO UNESCO competition. Back in May 2016 A group of secondary school students from Pres won the overall senior award at the Eco-Unesco awards in Dublin for their ‘If your Dog Poops – you Scoop’ campaign.