The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
A group of pupils from Coláiste Muire have been named ECO-UNESCO Young Environmentalists of the Year for their project All Washed Up that involved mobilising their community to clean up the coastline following a shipwreck.
Young people from across Ireland were honoured at the 12th annual ECO-UNESCO Young Environmentalist Awards showcase and ceremony attended by former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, in Dublin’s Mansion House.
A total of 55 groups were selected for the finals from almost 4,000 young people throughout Ireland and Northern Ireland at regional Dragon’s Den-style ECO Dens. From carbon footprint apps to recycling awareness song It’s a (w)rap!, guerrilla gardening, a dam building project on the River Corrib, biodiversity trails and a climate change campaign involving polar bears made of recycled materials being placed around the capital city, it was all covered by this year’s talented group of Young Environmentalists.
“It is inspiring to see the passion and talent of young people from every county on the island of Ireland on display at the 2011 Young Environmentalist Awards Showcase. The innovative projects are a testament to the hard work and effort put in by all the groups involved, who make a real difference in their local communities and beyond,” said Mary Robinson of the Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice.
The public was invited to view the shortlisted projects in the Mansion House during the showcase opened by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Gerry Breen.
The annual awards programme run by ECO-UNESCO, Ireland’s environmental education and youth organisation, recognises and rewards young people that carry out local environmental action projects.
The programme has provided thousands of young people, aged 10-18, with an opportunity to take action and raise awareness in their own community on issues that matter the most to them.
