Nature on your doorstep project

A NEW initiative from Wicklow County Council as part of National Biodiversity Week invites children to draw or paint a picture or take a photograph and submit it to the ‘Nature on your Doorstep’ project.

Thanks to COVID-19, children have been spending more time at home in recent weeks and more people than ever are noticing the bees, birds, plants and butterflies in their gardens, roadside verges and local area.

‘The youth of today are the custodians of biodiversity tomorrow, so it is really important to provide opportunities to learn more about the natural world and to celebrate it,’ commented Deirdre Burns, Heritage Officer, Wicklow County Council.

All entries will receive a copy of the Biodiversity of County Wicklow poster and will be in with a chance to win a Bumblebee identification guide produced by the National Biodiversity Data Centre. There are 20 of these fantastic hand-held swatches up for grabs and they are invaluable for budding naturalists interested in identifying our 20 different bumblebee species in Ireland.

The closing date for entries is Friday, June 5 and all ages are welcome to submit their work. Your age and postal address should be included in order to receive the poster .

Entries received will form part of the Council’s “Together Apart” community archive and will be displayed online for Crinniu na nÓg on Saturday, June 13. Children can submit their entries to Heritage Officer, Wicklow County Council, County Buildings, Wicklow Town or by Email to wicklowheritage@gmail.com.