Tuesday, December 03, 2013

Students learn to protect Burren through new eco book

A new book that encourages young people to keep the Burren clean and sustainable is being used by students of Mary Immaculate Secondary School Lisdoonvarna to rollout an innovative environmental project.

“What to do and not to do in the Burren” will be launched in the Barn at Vaughan’s Pub Kilfenora at 4.30pm this Sunday (8 December 2013). The publication is described by its author Sonja O Brien’s as a Children's Eco Picture Book and features original illustrations promoting environmental messages through animals.

Supported by the Burren & Cliffs of Moher Geopark the new book, along with the resources of the Groundwater Division of the Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI) will guide Transition Year students from Mary Immaculate as they travel around to the Burren's primary schools promoting good environmental practice to students.

Mary Immaculate teacher John Sims will be overseeing the innovative project, which represents the school's entry to ECO-UNESCO’s Young Environmentalist Awards - an all-Ireland environmental awards programme that recognises and rewards young people who raise environmental awareness and improve the environment.

Dr. Eamon Doyle, Geologist with The Burren & Cliffs of Moher Geopark said: “Sonja has done a wonderful job in capturing the key messages about how we can better protect the environment of the Burren. This book will be particularly useful in educating young people about the significant role they can play in this regard. It will form the basis for an excellent project involving Transition Year Students who will visit local primary schools to teach the younger children about littering and groundwater protection in the Burren.”

Ahead of the launch of the new book, the Burren Ecotourism Network will be hosting a community clean-up in Kilfenora village this Sunday. Anyone wishing to participate is asked to meet outside Kilfenora Centre at 2pm.