The Irish school initiative that gets kids outside and helps nature

There are school programmes and then there are school programmes that actually make you feel something. The Nature Hero Awards sit firmly in the second category. Ireland’s largest outdoor learning initiative across the education sector is back, registration for the 2027 awards is now open, and if your child’s school isn’t already signed up, this might be the nudge to get that conversation started.

Coordinated by Biodiversity in Schools and supported by Glenveagh for a fifth consecutive year, the Nature Hero Awards invite pre-schools, primary schools and secondary schools across the Republic of Ireland to get outdoors, get curious and do something real for the nature on their doorstep. A wildflower patch. A nesting box. A corner of the school garden transformed into a pollinator paradise. Small things. Lasting ones.

What it actually involves

The awards celebrate hands-on outdoor learning. Children explore the natural world around them — the birds that visit the school grounds, the insects under fallen leaves, the plants that attract butterflies — and turn that curiosity into practical projects. Schools can work towards Bronze Badger, Silver Stag and Golden Eagle recognition, with a €10,000 School Nature Fund up for grabs. That includes €5,000 for the overall national winner, €1,000 each for the best preschool, primary and secondary school, and eight €250 spot prizes.

Registration is free, and there are guides and webinars available to help schools get started. Whether a school is taking its very first steps outdoors or has been doing incredible work for years, the initiative is designed to welcome everyone.

Mark Nolan, Director of Biodiversity in Schools, put it simply: “Every school has children who are curious about the world around them. The Nature Hero Awards give that curiosity somewhere to go — outdoors, into practical projects and into discovering what they can do to help nature. We want schools taking their first steps to feel just as welcome as those already doing fantastic work.”

This one’s for the whole family

Here’s what sets this year’s invitation apart: it’s explicitly reaching beyond the classroom. Parents, grandparents, neighbours — everyone is encouraged to get behind their local school. That might mean sharing a bit of gardening knowledge, lending a hand with a school nature project, or simply encouraging the kids to slow down on the walk home and notice what’s actually living in the hedgerow beside them.

As a parent, that last bit feels doable even on the most chaotic Tuesday. You don’t have to build a polytunnel or identify every bee species in Ireland. You just have to pay a little attention alongside your child, and let them lead.

Mark Nolan added: “A teacher might start the conversation, but children can bring that enthusiasm home and get a whole community involved.”

Annette McGarry, Head of Community Engagement at Glenveagh, echoed that spirit: “There is something very special about children showing the adults around them what is possible. A small idea in a classroom can become a project that brings teachers, families and neighbours together, with something lasting to show for their efforts.”

How to get involved

If you’re thinking this sounds like exactly the sort of thing your child’s school should know about, you’re probably right. Registration is free and open now to pre-schools, primary schools and secondary schools across the Republic of Ireland. Parents can help simply by sharing the programme with their school — a quick word with a teacher or a message to the parents’ association could be all it takes.

For more information and to register, visit biodiversityinschools.com/nature-hero-awards.

It won’t involve you doing the school run any earlier. But it might mean your child comes home one afternoon buzzing about a beetle they found, and honestly, that’s a fairly good trade.