Members of Sligo Sudbury School attended the National Biodiversity Conference on the 20th and 21st February this year and presented a poster board providing an introduction to our biodiversity project and its progress to date.
We were represented by Gayle Nagle and Melinda Swann,
Through the support of the Community Foundation for Ireland we have been able to plan the development of our school site to protect, enhance, restore or create biodiverse habitats, or protect and provide shelter and/or food sources for native Irish species.
Some of the planned initiatives include preserving an area of orchid-rich wet grassland, developing an orchard with heritage apple and pear trees, planting native hedgerows around the borders of the site to provide habitat for native species, and a wildflower meadow to support pollinators.
In addition we will install a polytunnel to create a covered growing space for food production and learning, as well as raised beds outside for food growing.
We have already begun on some of this work including recording evidence of species already present on site, and building nesting boxes and bat boxes, and started tree planting in February. The work will continue over the coming months with the installation of the polytunnel, bird boxes and bat boxes, and developing the wildlife pond.
For more detail on out plans please see the link above to the poster.