Cork County Council Launch Water Quality and Biodiversity Education Initiative for Primary Schools

 

Photo of a Black-tailed Godwit. An overwintering visitor from Iceland, the Black-tailed Godwit, has some favourite spots in Ireland where the species comes to feed for the winter.
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Monday the 17th May will see the launch of a new ‘Source to Sea' water quality & biodiversity video series for primary schools across Cork County. The education initiative, developed by Scoil na Mara on behalf of Cork County Council and the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO), raises awareness of water quality and the biodiversity that depends on it. Developed for primary school learners, the short videos use captivating visuals and wonderful wildlife stories and are accessible and fascinating for all ages.

Over three episodes, Scoil na Mara bring viewers on an exploration of different river, estuarine and coastal biodiversity, highlighting the link between water quality, healthy ecosystems and our own well-being. Evoking a sense of wonder for the diversity of wildlife in our local areas, the series introduces viewers to some of our lesser seen animals that are an important part of the web of life in various ecosystems. For school settings, additional resources are provided to support more in-depth learning.

Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Mary Linehan Foley said “I’m delighted to see educational initiatives related to water quality and biodiversity rolled out to schools in Cork County. Raising awareness about the importance of protecting water quality is vital to maintain our excellent Blue Flag & Green Coast beaches. County Cork was awarded 8 Blue Flags for beaches, 2 Blue Flags for marinas & 14 Green Coast Awards last year. We have such a large range of rich and diverse water catchments in the county, the quality of which is often interlinked. It’s vital that we continue to protect this precious resource, and educating our youth is where it begins.”

The first of the series is available from May 17th on Cork County Council’s YouTube channel, with further videos coming online over the following weeks. All videos and material will be open source.

This initiative has been endorsed as an activity of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. The Decade, coordinated by UNESCO, recognises contributions which, at a local level, increase awareness of the ocean and its influence on human life and contribute to better understanding and more sustainable management of the ocean. The decade runs from 2021 to 2030 and provides a common framework to ensure that ocean science can fully support countries’ actions to sustainably manage the Oceans and particularly to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Objectives.

The series launch coincides with National Biodiversity Week which runs from the 15th to the 23rd May 2021. The last episode in this series will be about the seashore and ocean and is a perfectly timed resource for schools in the lead up to World Oceans Day on June 8th.

For queries in relation to the initiative, please contact environ@corkcoco.ie.

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