Cork School Gardens
It takes just two minutes to enter.
It takes just two minutes to enter.
Closing Date for Entries Friday 13th April
Closing Date for Entries Friday 13th April
AIMS of the Competition
The aim of the 'Cork Schools Competition' is to support pupils, teachers in
County Cork to bring nature, wildlife, plants and colour into their school garden/grounds,
to promote horticulture and biodiversity and to give students a chance to interact with
the environment and nature in a positive way.
Climate Change and Gardening Special Awards for the following elements Up-Cycling Upcycling in the garden helps lessen the amount of waste going into landfills.
Upcycling helps reduce CO2 emissions by using old materials instead of new ones.
Schools are encouraged to rethink, repair, refurbish along with reusing & recycling items.
E.g. Fairy Houses made from recycled materials, but don’t damage trees.
Food Production Being able to grow food without pesticides and eat it straight from the
garden is superior in every way to produce that is pumped full of additives, packed to
prevent it deteriorating, transported and then sold as ‘fresh’. Schools are asked to grow
in raised beds and containers, Plant Fruit Trees, Fruit Bushes, Practice Rotation,
Weeding, Labelling, Use of Composting, Rain Water Harvesting, Wormeries etc.
Biodiversity/Wildlife/ Native Flowers and Plants. It is now widely recognized that climate
change and biodiversity are interconnected. Biodiversity is affected by climate change,
with negative consequences for human well-being, but biodiversity, through the
ecosystem services it supports, also makes an important contribution to both
climate-change mitigation and adaptation. We are looking for Natural hedges,
log piles, bird boxes, bird tables, wildflower meadows, nature trails,
use of native flora, organic manures and natural pest control.
Bee Friendly Garden. Loss of natural and semi-natural habitats has been a key driver
in pollinator declines. The availability of food plants and nesting sites has been
drastically reduced through conversion of low-intensity farmland and semi-natural
land to intensive farmland, forestry and urban/industrial use. Griffins Garden Centre
will again be presenting a special award for the school which is most bee friendly
and encourages pollination
We are also looking for Gardens that include Art and colour Using art and Colour in the garden to enhance its features and
characteristics . Try using upcycled .materials
Imaginative use of limited space. For schools with very limited space ie. Small
Courtyards, Limited Soil Space, Use of Tubs, Containers, Window Boxes, Paths,
Borders, Walls etc.
Innovation and Creativity In recognition of the Creative Ireland Programme,
this category encourages innovative garden elements, using new and unique
features to inspire others
Fun and Play The degree to which the garden contributes to opportunities for fun and play in the school Learning experience The degree to which the garden is used as a learning tool
within the school and the amount of children who participate.
Planning and Community Involvement The degree to which the wider community
support the original design, construction and ongoing development of the school garden.
Use of Irish Language in Garden (New) In recognition of 2018 being Bliain NA Gaeilge we are introducing a special
element this year for the use of Irish of the garden . For example tree names in
Irish, labelling and other signage in Irish..
The competition is open to all primary schools in Cork County Council administrative
area who have a school garden or are in the process of developing one.
The school decides on the participants for the competition, this will consist
of pupils and adults. The pupils can be members of one class or representatives
from a few classes. The adults may be teachers, school gardener or parents).
The judges will include a horticulturist, an Environmental Awareness Officer,
Heritage Officer and a member of Cork County Federation Muintir na Tíre.
PowerPoint Presentation All schools must complete an entry form before Friday April 1th 2018 and submit a
PowerPoint Presentation before
the end of 5pm Friday 18th May 2018 in which they tell us what have done in their
garden.
Submit Your Powerpoint Here The PowerPoint presentation should describe your garden and what you do in it Please note PowerPoints must be limited to TEN slides and should include lots of
photographs. Please do not include animations or music.
Closing Date for submission of PowerPoint presentation is 5pm Friday 18th May 2018 Judging All schools who confirm entry to the competition will be visited by members of the Judging Panel in Late May or Early June 2018. The Judges will include a Horticulturist, experts in Environmental Awareness and Biodiversity and members of Muintir na Tire. The Judges decision is Final. Awards All Schools who enter will be invited
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