The Autumn season is rolling in and the turning natural landscape provides a spectacular setting for outdoor class lessons. Registration for the Toyota ‘The Great Plant Hunt’ is now open and Green-Schools are delighted to invite primary schools working on the Biodiversity theme to participate as part of the Green-Schools programme. This is the third year this exciting project has been available across Ireland  and we would love for your school to get involved.

Check out the The Great Plant Hunt website showcasing the participating Irish Green-Schools. The page illustrates the interactive activities and the creative project work involved with project.

The project is international, with FEE Eco-Schools from 16 countries around the world participating in the same project.

‘The Great Plant Hunt’ project summary:

  • It is a 1-year international biodiversity education campaign, focusing on raising nature awareness in Primary Schools. It is taking place across 16 European countries.
  • In 2018-2019 the campaign will target Junior Infants to 4th Class
  • The campaign facilitates involvement of individual classes on the Green-Schools Biodiversity theme, by providing age-appropriate materials, information and activities on native Irish plants and animals.
  • All participating schools are in with a chance to win a full day of workshops, tailor-made on the theme of local nature, at their school. There will be six winners.

All Participating Schools:

Will receive soft-copy Biodiversity materials and support which will contribute to the Green-Schools Biodiversity Programme’s Actions at a classroom level, including:

  • 6 specially designed Species Cards per class level (for teachers of Junior Infants to 4th Class).
  • Storybook materials from the KEW Botanical Gardens for the same classes.
  • Associated Worksheets for the Species Cards and the KEW Botanical Gardens
  • Access to stories and outcomes from schools across Europe working in parallel with you.
  • Additional remote support will also be available from the Green-Schools office to Green-Schools coordinators and teachers working on the project.

Will be expected to take the following steps:

  1. Register your school’s contact details by via the application form Oct 5th
  2. Complete and submit results from two simple* Species I.D. Surveys (Nov 30th and May 24th)
  3. Class Teachers will explore the six designated Native Species with their class year-round.
  4. Submit photographs (~5) with short notes demonstrating relevant outdoor activities taking place, twice in the year (by Nov 30th 2018 and again by May 24th 2019).

Draws for FREE Biodiversity Training Days

Every school completing the steps above on-schedule is entered in a draw. Winners will receive a day of customised Biodiversity Workshops with nature experts, at their school for FREE!

Prize Draw 1 will take place following the November 30th Deadline – 3 Schools will be selected for this training, which will be arranged for the Spring time.

Prize Draw 2 will take place following the May 24th Deadline – 3 Schools will be selected for this training, which will take place before the Summer Break.

Your First Step: Registration

Register your school’s contact details by October 5th 2018 (this is the extended deadline) – simply download and fill in the application form, and:

  1. Send a copy of the completed form to mboylan@eeu.antaisce.org
  2. Or Post the completed form to

FAO: Méabh Boylan

The Environmental Education Unit,

5a Swift’s Alley,

Francis Street, Dublin 8

Once your completed Registration Form has been received, we will send you the materials and supports for the respective Class Teachers and the Initial Species I.D. Survey Forms. We will be using Dropbox for this, as the files are too large to email. Please ensure you have access to a Dropbox account. It is free and simple to set up and to use.

If you have any queries about the above information, please feel free to get in touch on 01-4002222 or mboylan@eeu.antaisce.org. I look forward to hearing from you.

Note: All of the actions in The Great Plant Hunt project entirely complement the Green-Schools Biodiversity Theme’s basic activities; this means that actions carried out as part of The Great Plant Hunt, would form part of the ‘Action Plan’ in your Biodiversity Green Flag application. The Green-Schools committee should continue to work as before, and use the Biodiversity Handbook for guidance on all of the standard obligatory actions, to be taken in the school at large.