We aim to bring school children for nature walks, workshops on biodiversity protection and rewilding, and Forest School sessions. There will be a site within the Lough Grainey Nature Sanctuary for this, and it will be carefully monitored in terms of impact.

One of our founding members is a member of the Heritage Council of Ireland’s Heritage in Schools Panel of Experts, and a certified Forest School leader.

As the author Richard Louv has pointed out in his groundbreaking book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, 

“Within the space of a few decades, the way children understand and experience nature has changed radically. The polarity of the relationship has reversed. Today, kids are aware of the global threats to the environment – but their physical contact, their intimacy with nature, is fading.”

Spending meaningful time in nature in one’s childhood can help heal this growing disconnect.

Forest School

Forest School is a growing movement globally where children are brought to a woodland for a series of regular sessions of child-led and child-centred outdoor activities, facilitated by trained Forest School leaders.

Research shows that Forest School brings numerous benefits to participating children, from improved social skills to improved relationship with and understanding of themselves and nature.

Children will also be given opportunities to participate in tree-planting, seed collection, and other events.

We will run biodiversity workshops, where school children will be able to learn about the plants, trees, and wildlife of the Nature Sanctuary through a series of innovative, creative and fun workshops.