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ASSIGNMENT
Choose one of the options below and write 150 words in the discussion forum
- Using some of the identification tools and resources outlined in this module, identify some species of plants or animals in your own local environment and record them with the National Biodiversity Data Centre and then outline how you would get your class involved in citizen science projects
- Register your garden with the All Ireland Pollinator Plan and record your actions for pollinators, then outline how you would register your school and what actions you could take to help pollinators
- Outline how you would use some of the course resources to conduct a seasonal biodiversity project to run throughout the school year. What resources and recording sheets would you need? How often would you bring learning outdoors? How would you integrate other subject areas?
Please also comment on at least one other participant’s post.
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Outline how you would use some of the course resources to conduct a seasonal biodiversity project to run throughout the school year. What resources and recording sheets would you need? How often would you bring learning outdoors? How would you integrate other subject areas?
Resource wise I would make use of various keys and online resources to encourage pupils to actively explore and identify local flora and fauna. The recording app is certainly something that I would utilise to record key information. I would also make my own recording sheets such as different grids etc that are relevant to our particular school and environment to make learning more meaningful for children.
I would bring learning outdoors at least twice a week to make it relevant and meaningful for children. I could spend one hour in the classroom teaching them what they would learn in 10 minutes outside observing and investigating first hand. I would integrate other subject areas in a variety of ways, for example: Art- children could come up with different ways of drawing/painting what they have seen, they could use the medium of clay to replicate a particular flower etc seen. Literacy- they could write about and describe what they have seen. Oral language: They could discuss and present what they have experienced. Maths: They could create bar charts/pie charts of various quantities of biodiversity experienced. PE: children are outside, actively moving and running. Of course all of this biodiversity interlinks with STEM in the classroom.
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My dissertation in college was based on outdoor education and the benefits of engaging in learning outside. I would use what I learnt from this course and from my dissertation to create an outdoor learning area/ garden that can be used all year long. I would create some raised beds where different fruits, vegetables, and wild flowers can be sown. We would use this area to analyse and compare the wild life in the beds. We would compare the difference between the well kept raised beds with plants like strawberries or potatoes compared to the wild flower beds that are never weeded. We would go out every few weeks to compare the wild life and plants at the different times of the year. We would integrate this into maths, science, stem, geography and physical education. The resources I would need would be surveys, paper, grids.
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Name: Taraxacum officinale (Dandelion)
Type-Plant
Location-Local park in Carlow
Tool: iNaturalistTo get students involved I’d Teach students what biodiversity is and why it matters and show them how their observations can contribute to science. I would also explore the school grounds, a local park, or woodland and encourage students to take notes or photos of plants, insects, birds.
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I love how often you plan to bring the class outside—twice a week is brilliant. You’re so right that 10 minutes of real observation can teach more than an hour indoors. I like the idea of making your own recording sheets tailored to your school—it makes the learning so much more meaningful. Great integration of subjects too, especially the creative use of clay in Art!
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That sounds like a lovely idea. Our school has something similar in place. We have raised beds in the school garden, and each class takes responsibility for planting different fruit and vegetables. Some of the things we have grown include strawberries, peas, lettuce and potatoes. It is a great way for children to learn about the growing process, seasonal changes and where food comes from. It also gives them a real sense of responsibility and pride in looking after their plants. The hands-on nature of gardening really supports learning across SESE and SPHE, and the children really enjoy seeing the results of their efforts.
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Hi Danielle,
I really enjoyed reading your post — it’s fantastic that your dissertation focused on outdoor education! It sounds like you already have a strong foundation and a clear vision for creating a meaningful and lasting outdoor learning space.
I love the idea of using raised beds not just for growing produce but also for comparing cultivated and wild spaces. It’s a brilliant way to highlight biodiversity in action. The integration across multiple subjects like maths, science, STEM, geography, and even PE is a great example of how outdoor learning can enrich the whole curriculum.
I also really like how your plan supports both biodiversity education and your school’s sustainability goals. The raised beds would not only contribute to a greener school environment, but also give students the chance to see first-hand how different planting methods affect the local wildlife. It’s hands-on, purposeful, and impactful learning — a great initiative!
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I like how you’ve combined your dissertation insights with this course to create a year-round outdoor learning space. Comparing wildlife in managed and wildflower beds is a brilliant hands-on idea. I can imagine this project developing the pupils scientific skills, fostering curiosity, teamwork and a connection to nature, while showing them the impact of human care versus natural growth.
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I recently explored some of the resources from this module and thought it would be great to implement a seasonal biodiversity project with my class. To start, we could focus on identifying local plants and animals around the school grounds using tools like the National Biodiversity Data Centre’s website and the ‘iNaturalist’ app. I’d encourage the students to record their findings throughout the school year, helping them learn more about the local ecosystem.
To make it a more engaging project, we could divide the year into different seasons and explore the changes in biodiversity each season. We’d need recording sheets that would help students track observations on things like plant growth, animal sightings, and any seasonal patterns. Ideally, I’d bring the class outdoors once a month for observations and activities.
This project would tie into Science and Geography, while also encouraging teamwork, critical thinking, and a sense of responsibility in contributing to citizen science.
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Getting class involved in citizen science projects.
After investigating our local environment and with the help of Wild Connections to identify animals and flora, we would identify where would be suitable habitats for various animals and then get involved in citizen science projects. Taking part in the Irish Hedgehog Survey where pupils create hedgehog tunnels and monitor them to see hedgehog activity around our school would be both fun and educational. Birdwatch Ireland also conducts surveys to see what birds appear in our gardens. This is very doable in a school setting and the construction of bird feeders and feeding and learning to identify them would be a fun whole class activity, especially during the winter months. We actually grew giant sunflowers this year but I didn’t know about the Great Sunflower Project which is something that we can definitely incorporate into next years learning.
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How I would create a Seasonal Biodiversity Project Plan using this modules resources
Initially we would have a discussion about the vocab associated with this module – biodiversity , habitat etc. then we would use identification guides, spotter sheets, and biodiversity trail packs to help children recognise trees, plants, insects, and birds across the seasons in the school area .
Using recording sheets/charts for tallying, drawing, or photographing findings is a grear way to integrate maths and art and ict.
we could create a class biodiversity calendar to track seasonal changes (flowering, leaf colour, bird visits, etc.) and to plan ahead when to visit the various locations – If it is planned , it is more likely to happen .The following are some of the resources required
Plant and animal ID charts (trees, flowers, minibeasts, birds).
Recording sheets for observations (drawings, tick boxes, notes).
Clipboards, pencils, magnifying glasses, and cameras/tablets.I would take the children out at least once a month for observations especially in seasons / months of lots of change.(September, March, May).
There are many areas that would integrate well with this module of Biodiversity such asScience: lifecycles, habitats, plant/animal needs.
Maths: graphing results, measuring growth, tally charts.
Geography: local environment studies.
Art: drawing plants, leaf rubbings.
English: nature diaries, poems, report writing.
SPHE/Wellbeing: mindfulness walks, care for the environment. -
I would hope to follow a similiar plan, although I am not sure that I would manage it once a month – or maybe a quick reference to it rather than a full lesson every month. I have defo gained confidence in attempting biodiversity projects with my class following this module. I hope that we are provided with the module slides at the end so that I will remember it all!
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Outline how you would use some of the course resources to conduct a seasonal biodiversity project to run throughout the school year. What resources and recording sheets would you need? How often would you bring learning outdoors? How would you integrate other subject areas?
I did a course in my local national park a couple of years ago and I found this course was a great continuation and revision of it. Since that course my class have had a plain copy in which we went outside and observed different aspects of the school grounds and then sketched or took a rubbing or made a list list or recorded details. We did this once a month or so. I found it was a lovely activity which allowed the children to just reconnect with nature. It also was quite good for well being and so we did nice relaxation exercises before and after each session. THis year I intend to use the resources found here to enable the pupils to identify species and to support me as I develop this area. I also intend to lay a piece of wood in the garden and observe life underneath monthly. For cross curricular the class can keep a diary documenting the observations.
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I think the use of voice recordings and photos to capture observations is an excellent idea. Over the course of the year, this could develop into a really engaging project that pupils would take pride in. Concluding with a presentation that incorporates a variety of media would be a wonderful way to celebrate their work.
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Hi Mary,
The aspect of your post that is most impressive is that you carry out this activity one/twice per month with your students. We have all had that Eureka moment to try an activity we have learned from a summer course but the difficulty is following it up by implementing it consistently. The idea of using a copy specifically for this outdoor activity is I feel a really great idea.
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I really like the idea of using a piece of wood in the garden and observing the life underneath it. Such a simple and practical idea of sparking the students interests in mini beasts. I think that by providing more outdoor learning, the children learn and observe more and then they bring his learning back to the classroom with heightened interest.
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Outline how you would use some of the course resources to conduct a seasonal biodiversity project to run throughout the school year. What resources and recording sheets would you need? How often would you bring learning outdoors? How would you integrate other subject areas?
During the first term I would focus on the trees changing, hedgerows, fruit and perhaps migratory birds. We always go on a ramble in September to collect blackberries and we make blackberry jam with them. One of the many benefits to life in a small country school! In class the children could use their tablets to identify and classify leaves in the school grounds and if they notice any seed dispersal. Leaf rubbings, sketches and seasonal displays, symmetry in nature etc would be ways to integrate other subject areas.
In term 2 we could focus our attention on a bird survey and use resources from Bird watch Ireland to track and identify birds. There are also apps available which identify birds and these could be used by the children on the school tablets.
During term 3 we could focus on the early flowers and set our wildflower seeds and vegetables once again in our raised beds. We started a raised bed garden this year and the children absolutely loved it so next year we hope to grow more vegetables.
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This idea of collecting berries to make jam is gorgeous and one that I could definitely see my class loving! It would be great fun and also a very meaningful learning experience as they have collected their own berries. I like the link with technology too for the bird identification. Another idea to link IT could be to record and narrate the process of the jam making- nice link with literacy and oral language too.
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Hi Lorna, I like the idea of leaf identification. I feel it is important for children to be able to identify at least native Irish trees by their leaves. We are very lucky to have a set of iPads and a local forest. We are a small rural school and I think a September trip to the woods will be lovely to collect leaves, photograph trees and return to school to create collaborative projects.
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Hi Lora,
It sounds like you already have such a strong connection to nature in your school, and the way you build your project around the seasons makes it feel really grounded and doable. The blackberry jam idea is a lovely way to connect food, nature, and tradition.I like how you’re making use of technology too, like the bird apps and tablets for leaf ID. I was really taken with the phenology element in this module and how we can track the timing of seasonal changes — it could work really well alongside your ramble and spring planting.
I’m planning to do something similar in my school, but I’ll need to adapt it for a more built-up area — still, the same tools and seasonal themes work just as well
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I have enjoyed this module and I know children would be very excited by it and would really get on board with conducting a seasonal biodiversity project. As I teach the senior classes I would encourage children to take ownership of this project. We would have lessons on biodiversity and common Irish animals and birds.
I would split the class into groups and divide out different animal types (eg: one group would look at birds, one group at insects, etc.). I would then encourage the children to research what animals would be in our local area and create a presentation. Children would then present their learning to the class as a whole.
We would then put all the information together and as a class we would then create the recording sheet. Working collaboratively on this would give the children ownership of the project and really help with by-in. I feel this is a project I would really like to conduct with my class this year.
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I completely agree that student ownership is key, especially with senior classes. I’ve seen myself how much more engaged children become when they’re actively researching and presenting their findings, just as you’ve described. Dividing into groups and focusing on different animal types is a fantastic idea; it encourages collaborative learning and deepens their understanding of local biodiversity. Creating the recording sheet as a class is another excellent way to foster that sense of ownership and ensure everyone is invested.
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Next year I hope to conduct a seasonal biodiversity project throughout the school year using several resources from Module 3. The National Biodiversity Data Centre would be central for recording observations and engaging in citizen science. I would also utilise the All Ireland Pollinator Plan for pollinator-focused activities. For identification, I would rely on the “Wildflower Walk” and “Minibeast Safari” guides, along with online resources like http://www.wildflowersofireland.net, irishbutterflies.ie, and apps such as “Seek” or “Picture This” for plant identification. Recording sheets would be simple, child-friendly templates for drawing and noting observations (e.g. date, location, species, weather, number seen).
Learning would be brought outdoors at least once a fortnight, ideally more frequently if weather permits, to observe changes in flora and fauna. For example, in spring, we’d focus on emerging wildflowers and insects; in summer, on pollinators and full plant growth; in autumn, on seed dispersal and animal preparations for winter; and in winter, on evergreen plants and overwintering animals.
This project would integrate various subject areas:
Science (SESE): Observing, identifying, classifying, and understanding local habitats and ecosystems. Pupils would learn about life cycles, adaptations, and interdependence.
Mathematics: Data collection (counting species, measuring plant growth), graphing observations over time, and analysing patterns.
English/Gaeilge (Primary Language Curriculum): Keeping biodiversity journals, writing descriptive passages about observations, creating presentations, and discussing findings.
Art: Sketching plants and animals, creating seasonal collages from natural materials, or designing posters to promote biodiversity.
SPHE: Fostering a sense of responsibility for the environment and promoting teamwork during outdoor explorations.
My main concern would be ensuring the safety and engagement of all pupils during outdoor sessions, especially in an urban environment, and managing the logistics of outdoor learning in varying weather conditions. It’s not always possible to have the assistance of an SNA.-
Hi Veronica. The ‘wildflower walk’ looks like a fantastic resource, I certainly intend on using it this year myself as well and hope that other teachers in the school follow suit.
The last couple of years I have had my class using nature journals, which has been very successful as they have helped to log all the outdoor activities we do throughout the year. I think trying to get outside with the class for nature based activities at least once a fortnight is a great idea. It’s the kind of thing that can be forgotten about in the colder months, but is great to keep up right throughout the year.
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Yes the nature journal is a lovely piece to have at the end of the year. It would track all the learning through the seasons and allow for a fun end of season or end year review. Students could swap journals and see how the others in their class or with another class. We all learn differently so this is a wonderful ‘free’ way of having children interact and record how they perceive nature around us. I love the nature journal resource.
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HI Denis
I think having a journal to record and draw their findings outside would be a great idea, one that I will take on board for next year, with thanks. The children love being outside and we have recently made some changes to our school, so I think this would be an opportune time to consider what we now have in our new school environment. We are fortunate to be near the seashore and have some beautiful walkways near our school. Hopefully we will have many wonderful opportunities to make use of so many of the excellent resources in the module.
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Hi Veronica, you have some wonderful ideas that are not too complicated. The allow for easy planning and for children’s agency. You have included how you would integrate your ideas across the curriculum areas. I especially like your idea for SPHE and fostering a sense of responsibility among the students. This is really important for our environment and also it gives students the opportunity to show how they can be responsible.
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Hi Veronica
I understand your concern re keeping children engaged outdooors and the health and safety aspects . I wonder would it be possible to collaborate with your SET on the theme of report writing – english genre and use this as a way of getting another adult to assist . Or if you had an EAL teacher , they could be encouraged to accompany you ? Just a thought
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I have registered my own garden with the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan and intend on continuing to enhance its biodiversity over the summer. I only recently bought the house and the garden was completely concrete, so there’s plenty of improvements to be made!
Regarding my own school, I will register us in September for the pollinator plan. We are already doing a lot right in our school. We have a great field on the grounds and have a number of tree species, flower species, a pond, bird feeders and houses and some bug hotels on site. This year I will work on enhancing its biodiversity even further by planting wildflowers in the grassy areas of the field and by developing some hedgerows by the school fences.
Since our school grounds are already quite biodiverse, the main improvement that can be made this year is by increasing awareness with students and teachers about the pollinators in the school and the local area. I intend on providing resources to each classroom to encourage learning about pollinators. I also intend on having our own biodiversity week early on in the year so as to stimulate nature based, outdoor learning in the school that can be carried on throughout the year.
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Denis, your school sounds like a great place for nature, and it’s wonderful to hear how much you’re doing to support wildlife. Joining the pollinator plan and planning a biodiversity week are brilliant ideas to help students and teachers learn more about pollinators. Another idea could be to start a “Pollinator Watch” activity. Students could look for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators around the school and keep a record of what they see. This would be a fun way to learn and explore nature together!
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It’s brilliant to hear how much progress you’ve already made, both at home and in school! Transforming a concrete garden into a biodiverse space is no small task, so fair play, it sounds like a really rewarding project. Your plans for the school are equally inspiring. It’s fantastic that you already have such a rich natural environment to work with, from the pond and tree species to bug hotels and bird feeders.
I love your idea of running a biodiversity week early in the year. It’s a great way to spark curiosity and get both students and staff thinking about pollinators and the role they play. Providing classroom resources is a really practical approach too, it makes it easier for teachers to embed the learning into their everyday lessons.
Best of luck with registering the school in September! I’m sure the added focus on awareness will make a big impact.
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I agree with the nature journals or diaries. Children love working as scientists, researching, investigating, asking questions, experimenting and then recording their findings. Recordings can be written or visual or both, therefore suiting all abilities and engaging every child. Children also enjoy sharing their results and findings.
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Hi Denis,
This really sounds like a wonderful school for both biodiversity and wildlife and also for the children you teach.
Teaching myself in a rural community, we also have bug hotels in our school and many diverse hedgerows. I have worked over the past year on creating a school garden where children can plant different flowers and trees. It is coming along but continued work is needed.
I will definitely register for the Pollinator Plan in the coming weeks and I look forward to it being a year long project I can complete with my class. It is something I think the children will really enjoy.
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That sounds like a brilliant start both at home and in school. Turning a concrete garden into a pollinator space will be a big change and a good example for the students too. It is great that your school already has a pond, trees and bug hotels, as many schools are starting from scratch. Planting wildflowers and hedgerows will add even more variety and should bring in plenty of insects and birds. I like your idea of a biodiversity week because it makes the learning visible and gives students and teachers a clear focus that can carry through the year.
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Outline how you would use some of the course resources to conduct a seasonal biodiversity project to run throughout the school year. What resources and recording sheets would you need? How often would you bring learning outdoors? How would you integrate other subject areas?
This year we are moving onto our 4th Green Schools Flag ‘Biodiversity’ so this was the reason I chose this course. We are very lucky to have recently set up am outdoor classroom and we are working on our Bug Hotel. We also have a stack of branches in a corner of our pitch, where we can search for insects etc. I think a seasonal Biodiversity project where we record plant and animal life in our school grounds would be a wonderful whole school project. There are a wealth of resources here that would support such a project.
The wildflower walk and minibeast safari are lovely resources and we can use our iPads to create a digital log of our findings.
We already use our outdoor classroom daily so this is something that we could incorporate into our daily routine, as well as stand alone lessons.
This project would integrate seamlessly across the curriculum bringing in elements of literacy, SESE, Maths and STEM. It also aligns with the new PCF in terms of affording the children to be active, creative, investigative learners.-
Hi Natasha,
It sounds like there is a wonderful set-up in your school to support teaching on the topic. Best of luck with your 4th Green Schools Flag this year. I loved reading about the outdoor classroom in your school grounds and its daily use, what a great resource to have within your school! I agree with you in that the wildflower walk and minibeast safari would be engaging activities to support teaching on the topic of biodiversity.
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To support pollinators, I would begin by registering my garden on the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan’s “Actions for Pollinators” map. This is a four step process with an interactive map allowing the garden to be seen nationally. As part of this registration, I would also outline steps I’ve taken such as reducing mowing, planting nectar-rich flowers like lavender and thyme, and avoiding pesticides. For my school, I would follow the same process—mapping the grounds and recording pollinator-friendly actions. In school, we could create a wildflower patch, reduce mowing in grassy areas, plant pollinator-friendly herbs in containers, and build bee and bug hotels using wood or bamboo. Furthermore, I would ensure that no pesticides are used on the school grounds.As part of this, children could be involved in planting and monitoring pollinators. Likewise, they could learn about biodiversity through classroom activities, projects and geography/science lessons. These actions would help native wildlife thrive while also engaging the children in real-world environmental stewardship. By joining the national effort, our school would become a living example of how small, local actions can support global ecological health.
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Thank you for sharing this inspiring and practical approach to supporting pollinators—there are so many great ideas here! Registering both your garden and school grounds on the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan’s map is such a valuable step, not only for tracking actions nationally, but also for showing children how their efforts contribute to something bigger.
I particularly liked your inclusion of simple but effective actions like reducing mowing and planting herbs such as lavender and thyme. These are achievable steps that can make a real impact, especially when done collectively. The idea of creating bee and bug hotels with natural materials is also fantastic—it gives students hands-on experience while fostering curiosity and care for local wildlife.
Your plan really highlights the power of place-based learning. Involving children in monitoring pollinators and connecting this to lessons in science and geography is a great way to embed biodiversity education across the curriculum. It’s also a brilliant way to encourage critical thinking about human impact on ecosystems.
Thanks again for sharing—your post has given me a few new ideas to bring to my own class and school grounds!
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I work in a junior primary school (JI – 2nd) We have annual plans based on thematic approaches (monthly themes) and a seasonal biodiversity project would be the perfect plan for my school. Staff already like this type of overview approach. Please see below how I would plan this for my school. We are reviewing our themes on our croke park day and this is the ideal opportunity to present an idea for a change of theme as some of our themes have had their day and new teachers and new principal are looking to update our themes. This would be a more whole school approach and something I genuinely think would work in our urban school.
Some of the suggestions we already do but I have spent time collating what we already do, I have taken things from some of our themes already in place but have tried to present a decent overview of a seasonal biodiversity plan for my junior school. It’s all very simple ideas but very appropriate to my junior school setting.
Seasonal Biodiversity Project Overview
Goal:
To help junior students observe, record, and understand changes in local biodiversity across the four seasons, encouraging outdoor learning, environmental awareness, and cross-curricular integration.Suitable For:
Junior Infants – 2nd ClassThe seasonal plan
Autumn: Observing Changes and Habitats
· Go on a nature walk to observe falling leaves, insects, birds, fungi.
· Collect and sort leaves, seeds, and twigs.
· Discuss hibernation, habitat changes, and food preparation by animals.
· Create a “habitat watch” around the school (e.g. under hedges, in grass patches).
Winter: Tracking Animals and Weather
· Observe signs of animal presence: tracks, droppings, or nests.
· Set up a bird feeder and record bird visits weekly.
· Discuss animal adaptations (fur, hibernation, migration).
· Observe bare trees, frost, or snow.
Spring: Life Cycles and New Growth
· Monitor tree budding, flower blooming, and insect activity.
· Observe and record the life cycle of frogs or butterflies.
· Plant seeds (e.g. wildflowers or vegetables) and track growth.
Summer: Insect Hunts and Pollination
· Conduct bug hunts (ladybirds, ants, bees) using simple tools (magnifying glasses, bug jars).
· Explore pollination and link to food we eat.
· Celebrate learning with a biodiversity showcase: posters, maps, songs, or a garden picnic.
Resources needed
Recording Sheets / Booklets:
· Seasonal observation sheets (weather, what they see, hear, smell).
· Plant/animal ID charts (simple visuals) – which we have amassed over the years from newspapers, free from edco etc…
· Tree/leaf matching cards.
· Bird observation tally chart again the posters from the irish independent are great for this (and they are free!).
· “My Nature Journal” booklet with space for drawings, labels, and notes (very basic but a lovely way to track learning through the seasons)
Materials/tools
· Magnifying glasses
· Clipboards and pencils
· Bug jars or observation trays
· Bird feeders and seed
· Seed packets, small pots or garden bed access
Outdoor learning expectations
· Minimum: Once every 2 weeks (ideally once a week)
· Keep visits short (20–30 mins), focused, and seasonal.
· Use a consistent location (e.g. school garden or local green space) so students can notice changes over time.
Cross curricular opportunities
Literacy
· Recount writing: “Our Spring Nature Walk”
· Poetry: “The Colours of Autumn”
· Oral language: describing habitats or animals seen
Maths
· Counting and graphing birds or insects
· Measuring plant growth
· Sorting natural items by size, shape, or type
ART
· Leaf rubbings or nature collages
· Seasonal displays with natural materials
· Drawing or painting insects or flowers
Science
· Living things: life cycles, habitats
· Seasonal changes and weather
· Simple classification of plants and animals
SPHE / Wellbeing
· Mindfulness in nature (e.g. 5 senses walks)
· Caring for living things
· Teamwork during group observations or planting
End of year showcase
· Hold a “Nature Day” celebration with songs, displays, and family involvement.
· Present findings to another class
· Slideshow at the end of year assembly to showcase all the learning throughout this seasonal project
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Hi Louise
It is fantastic that your school already engages with whole school themes and that this course has provided inspiration for a new theme that fills a niche for your school. You have outlined a very comprehensive yearly plan with links to a wide range of curricular areas and lots of outdoor exploration and hands on work back in the classroom. Incorporating the activities that you are already doing and your ideas from working on previous themes is a great way to get this new one up and running. I love the idea of the Biodiversity showcase for families and a slideshow to show what has been learned and achieved over the year.
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We are fortunate to have a wonderful garden and outdoor learning space .To conduct a seasonal biodiversity project across the school year, I would use resources such as the Exploring Biodiversity toolkit and SESE Primary Science Curriculum supports, along with nature guides and digital tools like the Biodiversity Ireland app as well as all the fantastic resources referred to in this module. The project would involve students observing and recording seasonal changes in plants, insects, and animals in our school grounds or a local green space.
We would go outdoors at least once a month to observe changes, using recording sheets tailored for each season. These would include tick-boxes for common species, space for sketches, and weather notes. Students would use magnifying glasses, bug viewers, and tablets to take photos or make notes. I’d also introduce a classroom nature table to bring the outdoors in.
This project naturally integrates with subjects like English (nature journals and report writing), Maths (graphing sightings, measuring plant growth), and Visual Arts (drawing and painting from nature). In SPHE, we’d discuss caring for our environment, while Geography would support learning about habitats and seasonal cycles. Technology would be integrated through digital presentations and online species identification. Overall, this project encourages curiosity, observation, and a deep connection to the local environment, while linking meaningfully to a wide range of curriculum areas.
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Hi Dolores,
Bringing some of what the kids find back into the classroom for a nature table is a great idea. It woud keep the excitement going and give everyone a chance to share and talk about what they’ve seen. It’s a brilliant way to make the learning more engaging and to connect the kids with the world around them.
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Hi Dolores
I’m happy that you loved the resources provided in this module and it is great that you plan to make such great use of them through observing and recording seasonal changes in Biodiversity through detailed and well structured recording sheets. One of my fondest memories of primary school was gathering items on the walk to school to bring in for the nature table and it is great to hear of your plans to bring the nature table back to your classroom. It is a great way of making that connection with what the children are observing and documenting outside
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Hi Dolores,
I am very envious that your school has such a wonderful garden that enables you to complete such studies with your class. Children seeing these insects, plants and animals in real life facilitates such lovely learning.
Rather than bringing physical objects from the garden back into the classroom children could use iPads and take pictures of the garden and their learning. Each month they can look back on older images and compare results. This could lead into lovely conversations and again more learning in areas such as math.
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Hi Dolores,
Like you, we’re lucky that we can make full use of our school’s outdoor space and local green areas for this project, we are very lucky to have a large, biodiverse grounds. I would also be incorporating nature journals to encourage personal reflection and observation, they are great tool for children to make sense of their learning. The use of magnifying glasses and tablets is brilliant, as it gives children a chance to really observe the small details. I also think it’s great that you’re integrating tech, which makes the learning more dynamic, and there are so many valuable apps for the likes of species identification or creating digital presentations.
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To register my school with the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, I would visit pollinators.ie and go to the “Schools” section. Then, I will download the Pollinator Plan for Schools guide and register my school as a “Pollinator-Friendly School” by submitting a simple form detailing my planned actions.
To help pollinators, we will take several steps in my school. We will start by planting pollinator-friendly flowers,avoiding chemical pesticides. We could create wildflower patches and leave some areas of grass uncut to provide food and shelter. We could install bee hotels and create log or stone piles for solitary bees. We could teach the children about pollinators through lessons and projects. We could also take part in citizen science projects like bee monitoring. We could encourage the children to create posters to show the school’s commitment and inspire the other children.
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sing some of the identification tools and resources from this module—particularly the National Biodiversity Data Centre (NBDC) species identification guides, the Irish Wildflowers website, and the Seek by iNaturalist app—I have begun recording local biodiversity in my area around Kilrush, Co. Clare. I recently visited the Vandeleur Walled Gardens and Woods, a fantastic local resource that provides both formal planting and semi-wild woodland habitats, ideal for biodiversity exploration.
Some species I was able to identify and log with the National Biodiversity Data Centre include:
Primrose (Primula vulgaris) – found along the woodland edges.
Wood anemone (Anemone nemorosa) – carpeting parts of the woodland floor.
Speckled wood butterfly (Pararge aegeria) – common in the dappled shade of the woodland paths.
Common frog (Rana temporaria) – spotted in a damp shaded area near a water feature.
Silver birch (Betula pendula) – several mature specimens around the woodland boundary.
I submitted these sightings via the NBDC’s recording portal and used the app version while on-site to streamline the process.Getting My Class Involved in Citizen Science
To bring this experience into the classroom, I would integrate a local citizen science project into a STEM and SESE-focused unit. Here’s how:1. Visit to Vandeleur Gardens and Woods
Organise a class visit where pupils can explore and identify species using field guides, tablets with Seek/iNaturalist, or printed ID sheets.
Students can work in small groups to record plants, insects, birds, and trees using drawings, photos, and notes.
2. Pre- and Post-Visit Activities
Teach identification skills and biodiversity concepts beforehand.
Post-visit, students upload their records (with teacher support) to the National Biodiversity Data Centre, developing digital literacy and contributing real data.
3. Inquiry and Project Work
Have students pose their own questions (e.g. “Which area of the woods has the most biodiversity?”) and collect data to answer them.
Encourage them to present their findings in posters, reports, or digital presentations.
4. Link with Curriculum and DEIS Goals
This ties directly into the SESE curriculum (Living Things; Environmental Awareness), and supports DEIS literacy, numeracy, and digital learning targets.
It also fosters a sense of place, pride, and stewardship in a local setting that many children may already know but haven’t seen through a scientific lens.
5. Build Ongoing Engagement
Create a “Biodiversity Watch” wall in the classroom to track what students observe over the seasons.
Encourage families to take part at home using the Seek app or through school-home biodiversity challenges.-
Hi Geraldine
It is fantastic that you are already recording your finds with the National Biodiversity Data centre and you have outlined a great plan for using your own experience to introduce your learners to biodiversity recording. I love your emphasis on identification skills and the use of drawings, photos and notes and also the emphasis on posing questions that they can then answer with the use of data gathered in the woods. While aps such as Seek can be a great tool for teachers for helping to confirm identifications and guide children towards correct identification, I would caution against installing them on class iPads. If the children can find an id quickly for a plant or animal, they are less likely to use the observation and identification skills that you are trying to teach them. Also without some basic knowledge gained from the use of keys, it is very difficult to assess whether an app is giving a correct identification. On the other hand if they use a book or key to pick out features and identify a plant or animal, they have not only learned a useful skill but are more likely to retain that information. I think that the “Biodiversity Watch” wall is a lovely idea for ongoing engagement with biodiversity as are the biodiversity challenges. Perhaps you could encourage families to get involved in some of the simpler recording schemes such as the NBDC Backyard Biodiversity scheme or the Birdwatch Ireland Garden Bird Survey
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I enjoyed this module, going forward I would explore my local environment in Sligo and identify several species, including the common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), the European robin (Erithacus rubecula), and the small tortoiseshell butterfly (Aglais urticae). I could record these sightings with the National Biodiversity Data Centre, contributing valuable local data to support biodiversity tracking in Ireland.
To involve my 4th class in citizen science, I would start by exploring our school grounds to observe and identify common plants, birds, and insects using simple ID guides and apps like the Biodiversity Data Capture app. We would log our findings as a class project, helping students develop observation, recording, and data skills.
This hands-on participation would make learning real and exciting, giving students ownership of their data. They could see the value of their contributions and see that they can make a difference to environmental protection and local environmental issues.
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Outline how you would use some of the course resources to conduct a seasonal biodiversity project to run throughout the school year. What resources and recording sheets would you need? How often would you bring learning outdoors? How would you integrate other subject areas?
We have the benefit in Scoil Bhríde, Kilcullen of having access to an outdoor classroom. It is an absolutely fantastic resource that teachers make so much use of as the year progresses. Lessons are brought to life and the opportunity to then explore the outdoors is right in front of you. One topic that would work very well in our school is our regular Litter Pick which is on a rota basis for every class in collaboration with our Green Schools Committee and Tidy Towns Initiative in the village. I really like the idea of accessing the trailcam as we have had foxes make dens on our school grounds. To view the development of the dens, the movements of the animals would be fascinating for the children to see.
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As I mentioned in an earlier forum, our school is located in an urban area and we have very little green space. However, over the years, we have incorporated small changes to our biodiversity plan. In an urban or city location, we can feel helpless when it comes to biodiversity, but we can all do something to help it and it starts on our own doorstep. While we use our local park for many activities due to our limited space, I feel it is still good to show the children that changes can be made even in limited and challenging circumstances. Our school, as part of the Green Schools programme, has installed bird and bat boxes to the school building. We have had birds nesting and it is joyful to hear and see birds in our school surroundings. We hang bird feeders outside classroom windows or on the balconies. Children are encouraged to observe and record their findings in a little nature diary. One of my colleagues had a wormery on the balcony, which got children and teachers from all classes involved. We have planted and watched vegetables, such as lettuce, spinach, onions and potatoes growing in our window boxes, creating ecosystems while doing so. We are and want to do more to promote biodiversity in our urban school, they may be small changes, but very worthwhile for the school community. Different seasons offer different resources and challenges, and we should highlight and bring the children’s attention to the various changes to the animals, plants and organisms in our environments.
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Hi Noreen
Yours is a great example of how every school can do something to enhance biodiversity even with a very small and not very green space. Small actions like your in an urban environment can have a big impact and can also show the children some small steps that can be taken in their own homes.
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Using tools from Module 3, like the Seek app and ID guides from the National Biodiversity Data Centre, I went for a walk in my local park with my children and used the Seek app and nature guides to help us find and name some plants and insects. I saw buttercups, primroses, bumblebees and ladybirds. With a class I would I add what I found to the National Biodiversity Data Centre website. I would love to do this with my 3rd/4th class. We could go on a “Wildflower Walk” or a “Minibeast Safari” around our school or a nearby park. Each pair of children could choose a flower or bug, look at its colour, shape and size, and then find out what it’s called using a chart or an app. We could mark the spot with a small flag and tell the class about it.Then, as a group, we could add our sightings to the National Biodiversity Data Centre website. It would be fun to learn outdoors, work together, and help nature. It also links to our science lessons and helps us understand how to care for the world around us.
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Outline how you would use some of the course resources to conduct a seasonal biodiversity project to run throughout the school year. What resources and recording sheets would you need? How often would you bring learning outdoors? How would you integrate other subject areas?
In this assignment, I would draw on the nearby park to our school for a regular visit to explore the flora and fauna that is relevant to the lives of children in my school in Tallaght. Tymon Park is quite close to our school and there is a range of biodiversity that the children could be exposed to. This could begin in the confines of the classroom in a study of animals native to Irish parks. Students could select an animal that is found in any of our National parks E.g. Glenveigh/Killarney etc and compare if this animal is found in Tumon Park. The direct link to the community of the children will enable learning to occur in a much more appropriate setting and prove far more relevant to their learning. In terms of recording, students could bring the Ipads with them to take photos to combine project work into a photostory.
A realistic aim would be to visit Tymon park once per month. There are so many cross-curricular opportunity here with Outdoor and Adventure in P.E. as well as Art and Map skills.
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Outline how you would use some of the course resources to conduct a seasonal biodiversity project to run throughout the school year. What resources and recording sheets would you need? How often would you bring learning outdoors? How would you integrate other subject areas?
I would conduct a year-long, seasonal biodiversity project with my class. To do this, I would use a combination of resources and methodologies highlighted in this module, specifically designed to support inquiry-based, outdoor learning rooted in the local environment.
I would use the following resources:
- The Biodiversity Trail template to guide observation routes and highlight key areas of interest (trees, hedgerows, grassy areas, walls, compost bins, etc.).
- Wildlife Calendar Templates to help children anticipate seasonal changes and focus their observations (e.g. bird migration, flowering plants, insect activity).
- Observation Recording Sheets to structure note-taking and ensure systematic data collection (date, weather, habitat, species spotted, notes/sketches).
- Digital tools such as iNaturalist, Biodiversity Ireland’s species maps, Google Sheets for data logging, and PicCollage or Book Creator for sharing findings.
- Field guides such as Ireland’s Wildlife and age-appropriate classification keys for trees, birds, and insects.
- Hand lenses, binoculars, digital thermometers, rain gauges, and tablets or clipboards for field work.
I would use the following methodologies:
- Curious Minds/ESERO Framework: Pupils would Engage with key questions such as: What signs of seasonal change can we find this month? How do different habitats support different species? They would Investigate through hands-on observation, species identification, and data recording. They would Take the Next Step by comparing data across seasons and locations or researching human impacts. Finally, they would Reflect using journals, discussions, and digital portfolios.
- Phenological Tracking: Pupils would track the timing of natural events (first frost, first bud burst, arrival of swallows, etc.), promoting awareness of climate and environmental change. Cross-Curricular Integration:
- Science: habitats, adaptation, life cycles, food chains.
- Geography: mapping habitats, exploring land use, weather tracking.
- Maths: graphing bird counts, calculating rainfall averages, sorting data.
- English: writing nature reports, poems, procedural texts.
- Art: observational drawings, leaf rubbings, seasonal murals.
- SPHE: fostering care for the environment.
Regular Outdoor Learning: Learning would take place outdoors at least once a month for structured biodiversity walks, with smaller weekly observation tasks (e.g. What’s changed in our habitat corner? Have new insects appeared?).
By the end of the year, pupils would have a rich, multi-modal portfolio of seasonal biodiversity data, developing their understanding of ecological systems, their place within them, and the importance of protecting them.
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Outline how you would use some of the course resources to conduct a seasonal biodiversity project to run throughout the school year. What resources and recording sheets would you need? How often would you bring learning outdoors? How would you integrate other subject areas?
I would love to run a seasonal biodiversity project with my 5th class across the school year. We would begin with a walk around the school grounds in early autumn, observing and recording what plants, insects, and birds we notice. I’d use resources like the Wildflower ID guides, Seek app, and the National Biodiversity Data Centre recording sheets to support identification and data collection. We would repeat these walks once each term to track seasonal changes, linking to the concept of phenology. This would tie in well with SESE (Science and Geography) but could also support Maths (charting and analysing data), English (report writing or nature journals), and Art (drawing species or creating posters). I’d encourage the class to upload sightings to the Biodiversity Data Centre to promote real-life learning through citizen science. This kind of outdoor, hands-on project is great for engagement, curiosity, and overall wellbeing.
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To conduct a seasonal biodiversity project throughout the school year, I would use the Biodiversity in Our School Grounds resource pack, SESE curriculum guidelines, and the Green-Schools Biodiversity Toolkit. Pupils would record observations using a Seasonal Changes Recording Sheet, Plant and Animal Survey Sheets, and nature journals. Each term, we would focus on a different season, bringing learning outdoors at least once a fortnight to observe changes in flora, fauna, and habitats in our school environment.
We would explore biodiversity through science (identifying species, habitats, life cycles), geography (mapping habitats, using aerial photos), and maths (graphing seasonal data, tally charts). English integration would include nature poetry, report writing, and oral presentations. Art activities might involve leaf rubbings or habitat dioramas. ICT could support research and data presentation. This cross-curricular project would foster environmental awareness and develop observational and recording skills in a meaningful, hands-on way.
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Chosen topic: Outline how you would use some of the course resources to conduct a seasonal biodiversity project to run throughout the school year.
I’d love to run a year-round biodiversity project with my 4th class, linking the seasons to our local environment. In the autumn, we’d start with leaf and tree identification using the Tree Council of Ireland resources and the ‘leaf identification challenge’ — children could collect, sketch and classify leaves, and use the Seek app to help identify species. I’d also like to try a phenology diary using the ‘spring diary challenge’ to record things like berries, birds, and first frosts.
In winter, we’d focus on birds — taking part in the garden bird survey from BirdWatch Ireland, and designing bird feeders as part of a STEM challenge. Then in spring, we’d shift to pollinators and planting — recording pollinator sightings using the FIT count and setting up a wildflower bed as part of the All Ireland Pollinator Plan.
We’d aim to get outside at least once every two weeks, using short walks, tablets, and seasonal hunts to connect with our environment in a hands-on way.-
Hi Susan,
Thanks for your post. You have created a wonderful plan that will ensure learners come along in their understanding of seasonal biodiversity on offer, with ample opportunities to become citizen scientists contributing to national surveys.There is a wealth of resources online, including identification apps, and if you are lucky, there may even be a parent who will volunteer to give a talk on biodiversity. I find the swatches from Biodiversity Ireland very helpful, and Zoe Devlins book on wildflower identification is terrific too.
I like your idea to ensure observations are ongoing with a commitment to getting out every two weeks to see the changes underway-our native hedgerows always have something new to observe, if you pay attention! Tablets are a great way to capture these changes while making use of technology and can even become a slide show/video of changes, fortnightly by year-end.
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This is a rich and engaging plan that thoughtfully integrates biodiversity across the seasons with clear, purposeful links to real-world science. Your use of excellent course resources, such as the Tree Council’s leaf challenge and BirdWatch Ireland’s bird survey, ensures the project is both age-appropriate and curriculum-aligned. The inclusion of technology like the Seek app and tablets makes the learning modern and interactive, appealing to 4th class learners. The phenology diary and FIT Count encourage observation and data recording over time—valuable skills in both science and maths. The STEM bird feeder challenge adds a creative, hands-on element. Committing to regular outdoor learning every two weeks is fantastic for building environmental awareness and curiosity throughout the year.
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Outline how you would use some of the course resources to conduct a seasonal biodiversity project to run throughout the school year. What resources and recording sheets would you need? How often would you bring learning outdoors? How would you integrate other subject areas
Module 3 was full of great resources which would allow any classroom to conduct seasonal biodiversity projects. As this would be something very new to me personally as a teacher I would start small. I really liked the FIT count. We have a wildflower garden in our school. This would provide the students with an opportunity to count different insects which land in the wildflower garden and record them. The students could work in pairs to focus on a particular area of the wildflower garden. Ideally the children would gather data once a fortnight. Before going outside we would use websites like wildflowers of Ireland along with biodiversity. When recording our data especially at the start I think it would be a good idea to use ipads to take pictures of what the children see and then check websites to identify what they have seen. Some ideas for other subjects would be
Art- life drawing or painting of wildflowers or mini beasts
English- write a report based on their findings
Science- create food chains/ webs based on what they have recorded.
Maths- create tally charts and bar charts to gather data and to represent the data-
That sounds like a great plan! Starting small is a smart approach, and using the FIT Count in your wildflower garden is a perfect hands-on way to explore biodiversity. I love how you’ve included cross-curricular links—using art, English, science, and maths really brings the learning to life for students
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Hi Cassandra
I’m glad you enjoyed the module and have found resources that can help you to start recording biodiversity with your pupils. Some of the short online courses from the National Biodiversity Data Centre might be very useful for you to get you started and the All Ireland Pollinator Plan has a great series of lessons on Pollinators that you could use with your class. The FIT count is a great way to get started. It does take a little bit of practice to start telling the main groups apart but you could maybe start with a simplified version where the children simply record the total number of insects and once you and they start to watch them, then features like wings, eyes and antennae will be more obvious. Getting the children to take pictures of what they see is a great idea as it then gives them time to look up the websites for identification. I often do that myself if I’m out for a walk.
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Response to point 3
In our school, boglands feature as a topic of exploration in Science and Geography in 5th Class. We are fortunate to be located within walking distance of a private bog which the owner has granted us access to. As a result, when undertaking study on boglands this year, we visited the bog to observe and identify the flora and fauna present.
Before visiting the bog, we undertook the theoretical aspects of the exploration so that the children would be better prepared for when we visited. We discussed different plants, animals and insects that we might expect to find.
During our visit, each group had a magnifying glass, pooter and an iPad, and they were encouraged to take photos and videos of what they had found. When we got back to the classroom, keys and identification wheels were used to support the children in naming what they had found and to help them to research more about them. Each group shared their findings with the class.
If I was to undertake this activity again, I would repeat it once every term or season as this would give the children a greater understanding of how the climate can influence biodiversity. I would also make more conscious links with English, by having the children write a report on their findings or undertaking more formal presentations, with Art, by having the children draw from observation, and with Maths, by recording, tracking and analysing data and trends.-
Hi Laura,
That’s lovely to be able to visit a local bog so the children can properly explore a bogland and what can be found there. It brings what they’re learning alive and makes it relevant. I like the idea of integrating report writing and drawing what they observed there. I think having children write a report about something they’ve learned about in another subject a great to consolidate their learning.
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This sounds like such a rich, hands-on learning experience! I love how you prepared the children with background knowledge before the visit — that really helps them make sense of what they see in the field. Giving them magnifying glasses, pooters, and iPads was a great way to combine traditional exploration with technology, and the follow-up identification work in class makes the learning even more meaningful. Your idea of repeating the visit across seasons is fantastic — it would give them such clear evidence of biodiversity changes. I also think your cross-curricular links with English, Art, and Maths would make the project even more powerful.
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You can help bees and other insects by signing up your garden with the All Ireland Pollinator Plan. It is free and simple. When you join, you can write down what you do to help pollinators. This could be planting flowers, cutting the grass less often, or not using sprays. These small things really help.
You can also sign up your school. Go to the Pollinator Plan website and register as a Pollinator School. Then you can do things like plant flowers at school, make a bug hotel, or leave some grass to grow wild. You can stop using sprays and teach students about bees and butterflies. These actions give pollinators food and places to live.
Every garden or school that joins helps make Ireland better for nature. Helping pollinators is easy and fun, and everyone can do it. Even small actions can make a big difference for bees.
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The Identification Tool that I used was: the ‘Wildflowers of Ireland’ website ( https://www.wildflowersofireland.net/ )
The location was: a park in North County Dublin.
The plants that I identified were: The Creeping Buttercup, Himalayan Honeysuckle, Japanese Rose and Giant-Rhubarb.I would getting my class involved in Citizen Science by integrating a local citizen science project into a STEM by taking a class trip to St Anne’s Park in Dublin and visiting the Rose Gardens there. The children would identify the plants in pairs using an identification app or card. Before we visit the park, I would teach the children how to identify the plants and match them with the image or description on their identification card or website. Upon returning from the trip, we would collect our data as a whole class on the IWB. We would use some higher-order and lower-order questioning about our collected data. The children would display their findings on posters around the classroom.This lesson links to many areas of the curriculum including Science (Plants and Animals), Maths (Representing Data) and P.E. (Outdoor and Adventure Activities). The posters would be displayed on the wall for a number of weeks for the children to observe.
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Module 3, Option3:
For the seasonal biodiversity project in my school, I’d aim to make it hands-on and fun for all classes throughout the year. I would dedicate a time to work outdoors at least once a week, using resources like the Biodiversity Ireland FIT Count and the All Ireland Pollinator Plan to track wildlife and learn about the importance of pollinators. The children would also use the Irish Garden Bird Survey Recording Sheet to spot and record birds on school grounds, noting which species appear through the seasons. Alongside that, we could explore wildflowers using guides, identifying different plants and drawing them in our sketchbooks.Integrating subjects, Science naturally links to the biodiversity studies, exploring hte flora and fauna around the school grounds. I would have the children map their findings in Geography, integrate Maths by counting and graphing species. Art would be incorporated with nature sketches, and English through nature journaling and group presentations. The project could wrap up with a biodiversity celebration day where the children can share their work with the class or parents/ guardians.
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To run a seasonal biodiversity project, I would begin by choosing a specific area in the school grounds, like a garden patch or hedgerow, to observe throughout the year. We’d visit this spot once per month to record changes in plants, insects, birds, and weather. I’d use resources like Biodiversity in Schools packs, ID guides from the Irish Wildlife Trust, and printable recording sheets for weather, plant growth, and wildlife sightings.
Children would record data through drawings, tally charts, and nature journals. I’d also use tablets to take photos and possibly create digital logs using apps like Seesaw. This project would integrate with science (living things, habitats), maths (data collection and graphing), art (nature sketching), and English (report writing and oral presentations).
Outdoor learning would happen at least monthly, with additional visits during key seasonal changes. This ongoing project encourages observation, environmental awareness, and cross-curricular learning.
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Seasonal biodiversity project for my school: I will begin the project in September, when bees are still active. Students will start by learning about the parts of a flower and how pollination works. We will then introduce Ireland’s Pollinator Plan, identifying key pollinators and what they need to survive.
In September and October, classes will carry out flower-insect counts, recording which pollinators they find and where. These observations help students understand pollinator activity and how to support it. (I am still nervous about allergies)
During the winter months, when bees are in hibernation, the focus will shift to planning improvements for our school grounds. Students will map the area, identify existing pollinator-friendly spots, and suggest new ones. As part of this, we could plant lavender to attract more bees, I didn’t know this before but I have a decent amount of lavender in my garden and every time of gone out to it this summer my flowers have had multiple bees on the flowers- I think it’s the lavender that’s attracting them.
From March to June, students will repeat their insect counts, graph their results, and hopefully see signs of improvement. They can share their findings and ideas with younger classes to help grow the project.
Curriculum links include:
• Maths (data recording and graphing)- this would be good for the new curriculum,
• Science (plants, habitats, caring for the environment)
• English (oral language, presentations)
• Geography (natural and local environment) -
I couldn’t get over the amount of resources in this module. There are so many different charts/ways to record your sightings outside, be it plants, animals, insects etc. I was also really impressed with the number of websites that can be looked at to help with running a seasonal biodiversity project. My favourite one, and the one I spent the most time on was the biodiversityireland website. I was looking through some of the different articles and one that caught my eye for a project I’d love to do was ‘Top 10 Seasonal Events’. Events like frogspawn sightings, the arrival of swallows, and blackberry picking would guide our monthly focus. We’d head outdoors once a month to observe and record seasonal changes using ID charts, clipboards, and recording sheets. Some ways to integrate other subjects: My pupils could create a class podcast series (Drama/SPHE) where they share updates on what’s happening in nature each month. In History, we could explore traditional links to seasonal events, like St. Brigid’s Day or harvest customs. In Music, we could learn traditional Irish songs related to nature or compose our own biodiversity-inspired rhythms using natural objects. I’m quite excited to try this and feel like it wouldn’t be too difficult considering the resources available for it.
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To conduct a seasonal biodiversity project across the school year, I would use tree/nature identification guides and nature observation recording sheets from the course resources. Recommended websites such as ‘Birdwatching Ireland,’ ‘Tree Council of Ireland’ and ‘Wildflowers of Ireland’ would be very useful also. The year would be divided into four seasonal surveys; Autumn, Winter, Spring, and Summer, focusing on changes in plants, insects, birds, and weather.
Students would use spotter sheets and tally charts to record findings during regular outdoor sessions, ideally once every two weeks. We’d explore different habitats around the school, eg. grassy areas, hedgerows, and trees, to observe how biodiversity changes with the seasons.
Resources needed include tablets/camera, clipboards, pencils, weather data charts, and a simple class biodiversity journal. We’d also create a wall display that updates each season with photos, sketches, and key discoveries.
Cross-curricular links would include activities from the following subjects; Science -life cycles, habitats, weather. Maths -data collection, graphing findings. Art -drawing species, leaf rubbings.
This project would encourage observation, care for the environment, and teamwork, while embedding outdoor learning into our regular school routine. -
I pledged my garden and our school garden on the pledge your garden for pollinators.ie. The steps I have taken at home to create a pollinator friendly garden are as follows. I have began restoration on a crumbling bare stone wall to ensure it withstands the test of time and weather or years to come. The I have chosen to plant in my garden are perennial pollinator friendly for the most part. I made sure that I have a range that are in bloom from early spring until late summer to ensure the pollinators have ample to forraige through out the season. We follow no, mow may and have allowed clover to flower in our garden grass. We have planted 3 apple trees in our garden and we have ceased the use of pesticides, herbicides and any other use of harmful chemicals that could harm insects or wild life. At school we have begun working on the school grounds to enhance our biodiversity. We were lucky enough to win the Choill Bheag prize and planted 330 native Irish trees in our grounds which are thriving. We have installed bird houses with the correct hole size for birds to nest, we have several bee/bug ‘lodges’ around our play ground that we have fixed to the mature trees and we have one large bug hotel. We have started a raised veg patch this year and have a tiered herb and salad garden adjacent to the bug hotel. We have great plans to continue our work and start to plant perenial flowering shrubs and plants that will feed our pollinators from early spring to late summer. The children love to work in the garden and they like to get their hands in the soils and dig too. theres always a feeling of great satisfaction when we see the plants and trees growing and thriving and changing our school landscape for the better.
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Hi Liadhan
What a fantastic outdoor space to have in your school and so engaging for the pupils to learn about the biodiversity in their local area and become active in planting and digging in the garden too. So many learning opportunities and encouraging pupils to be active in supporting biodiversity in their local area. It is great!
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Using the tools and resources from this module, I identified three local species in my area: the common daisy, a seven-spot ladybird, and a silver birch tree. We are very lucky in the school and area we are as there are lots of options for us.
I used the Seek app and the Wildflowers of Ireland website to help identify them. I then recorded these sightings on the National Biodiversity Data Centre website.
To get my class involved in citizen science, I would plan a “Wildflower Walk” and a “Minibeast Safari” using the downloadable activity sheets. Each child could use simple tools like magnifying glasses and ID keys to observe, describe, and identify species. We would mark findings with small flags, discuss each discovery, and record them online together. I’d also introduce apps like “Seek” to make identification fun and educational. This hands-on learning helps students connect with nature, understand biodiversity, and take pride in contributing to real scientific data collection. It’s also a great way to support wellbeing and outdoor learning.
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Hi Roisin
I think it is a great idea to explore the local area initially with pupils and using the Seek app the pupils can take ownership of their learning as they record their observations. I also like how you plan to use flags for each discovery rather than picking wildflowers. Citizen Science projects are a fantastic opportunity for pupils to engage in, as they can record their own data and compare it to others. it is real-life data collection and as you have mentioned an opportunity for pupils to engage with nature and gain a better understanding of biodiversity and become real-life scientists as they gather data. Thanks for sharing.
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Students will observe, track, and document biodiversity in the local environment across the a chosen season, understanding how ecosystems change and adapt over time. They will develop scientific inquiry skills, utilize digital tools, and connect their observations to real-world environmental issues.
Resources:
– Physical resources such as bug collecting kits, insect magnifiers etc.
– Observation Logs for students to record species and environmental data (weather conditions, species observed, behavior, location, etc.).
– Seasonal Biodiversity Checklist: A list of key species to look out for each season, such as wildflowers, birds, insects, mammals, and amphibians.
Field Journal for sketches, notes, and reflections on what students observe during each outing.
– Activity Sheets for challenges like the Minibeast Safari Challenge or Spring Diary Challenge.Outdoor Learning:
Gardening for Biodiversity video clip: Teach students how gardens can support biodiversity, and if possible, set up a winter wildlife garden with bird feeders and shelters for insects and small animals.
Robby the Christmas Robin: Share the story to talk about winter birds, especially robins, and their behavior in colder months.
Digital Tools:Birdwatch Ireland Garden Bird Survey: Have students track the birds they see in their local environment and participate in the annual bird count. They can observe and record data about winter bird species.
Recording & Integration:Observation Logs: Focus on species that are active during the winter, including birds, mammals, and any surviving plants.
Math: Graph bird species sightings over the month to look for patterns.
Science: Discuss animal adaptations to cold and how different species manage in winter. -
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Using some of the identification tools and resources outlined in this module, identify some species of plants or animals in your own local environment and record them with the National Biodiversity Data Centre and then outline how you would get your class involved in citizen science projects
I have identified the following butterfly, using the website irishbutterflies.com (from the module):
Peacock
Inachis io
Our school garden could be utilised by the class to identify different species of butterflies. Using identification guides, the children could be guided to spot and identify common species such as the Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell and Red Admiral. We could submit our records through Ireland’s Citizen Science Portal on the National Biodiversity Data Centre website. To get the class involved, I would begin with nature walks around the school grounds, using ID charts to help children recognise local species. This could be done in 15 minute timeslots once pre week. We would record our sightings on simple worksheets and then submit them together online. This gives children a real sense of purpose in their learning and helps them see how they can contribute to real scientific research. It also links well with SESE and encourages observation, recording skills and environmental awareness.-
Hi Maria,
Thanks for your post and welcome to the course. I like how you plan to build learners’ confidence and awareness of local biodiversity on school grounds through nature walks-there is much to be discovered in our hedgerows if we take the time to pause and look.
By focusing on one butterfly, the Peacock, it presents a wonderful opportunity for learners to look at its interactions and life cycle. It is also a great way to reevaluate the role of a plant with a new lens—the humble nettle. This weed provides an egg-laying site for this beautiful species. Early September and Spring are good times to start looking!
Contributing to citizen science gives learners a real sense of purpose and appreciation for the work of ecologists, as well as the role we can all play in contributing to the national database.
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The following resources both paper and online would support our work in identifying species of plants and or animals in our local environment. We would then use the National Biodiversity Data Centre to record information on one or two plants or animals https://records.biodiversityireland.ie/start-recording
Wild Flowers
We would use charts provided and website below
The Wildflowers of Ireland by Zoe Devlin and her own website at https://www.wildflowersofireland.net/Tree identification
We would use the downloadable document and
https://www.treecouncil.ie/native-irish-trees along with Youtube videos.
Minibeast Safari downloadable to be used with this work
Minbeast checklist for the most common types downloadable document to help this work.
Garden Scavenger Hunt challenge downloadable document
Spring Diary Challenge downloadable document
Websites and Apps for Ireland relating to identification
Poster are also available on Biodiversity Ireland
Introducing Ireland’s Citizen Science Portal digital video for class use
IMPORTANCE OF CONTRIBUTION TO THIS BIOLOGICAL BIODIVERSITY RECORDING PORTAL
https://records.biodiversityireland.ie/
One that I feel we could, as a class or school record in our school grounds, would be butterflies and or birds. -
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Outline how you would use some of the course resources to conduct a seasonal biodiversity project to run throughout the school year. What resources and recording sheets would you need? How often would you bring learning outdoors? How would you integrate other subject areas?
I would focus on our native trees
During term one I would take the children outdoors to observe and examine how the trees and their leave change colour. We would collect, identify, sort, classify and record the types of leaves using the record sheets from the national tress website. We would discuss how trees begin and grow through seed dispersal.
As a follow up art activity, the children can make leaf rubbings, paintings of autumn trees.In the second term we would return outdoors to observe the trees in Winter. I would bring to their attention why some trees are bare and why others are not for example fir trees/Christmas trees. Back in the classroom we can further discuss deciduous and evergreen trees and look at pictures on the internet, discuss their shape and size linking into maths the children can draw their Christmas tree and make stick trees.
During the last term we would visit the same trees again to observe the buds appearing and discuss what is happening with the new growth. Later we would revisit to collect and record the new green leaves using our record sheets. Back in the classroom the children can sort, classify and match to our autumn leaves. For a follow up activity, they can paint a summer tress with blossoms or make a colourful collage tree.
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his is a thoughtful and well-structured approach to exploring native trees with an infant class. Your use of seasonal observation supports early scientific thinking and curiosity, while regular outdoor learning gives children hands-on experience of the natural world. The use of record sheets from the National Trees website helps develop early data-handling skills, and your integration of sorting and classifying supports both science and early maths. The follow-up creative activities—such as leaf rubbings, paintings, and collage—are developmentally appropriate and allow for cross-curricular learning through art. Highlighting differences between deciduous and evergreen trees in winter is a great way to build vocabulary and deepen understanding. This is a lovely, engaging year-round project.
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Outline how you would use some of the course resources to conduct a seasonal biodiversity project to run throughout the school year. What resources and recording sheets would you need? How often would you bring learning outdoors? How would you integrate other subject areas?
Studying this module I realise I have taught and used similar resources in the past when reaching about plants and animals, flora and fauna of the local environment, however I also know realise that my teaching can be further enhanced and improved using these resources. If utilised to their maximum a fantastic biodiversity project could run right throughout the year. As I am already teaching such topics, proper planning and integration could and should be maximised. I would use the Wildflower Walk, Minibeast Safari and the relevant keys and images that go with these. The biggest resource I would use is Birr Castle Demesne itself. I plan on using all of these resources and visiting the location itself and hopefully observing some of the flora and fauna mentioned in this module.
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To run a seasonal biodiversity project across the school year, I would use resources from the Curious Minds programme(formerly Discover Primary Science and Maths) by Science Foundation Ireland. The project would focus on observing and recording changes in biodiversity in our school’s wildflower areas.
We would begin in spring with a 1 square metre survey, using the Curious Minds Biodiversity and Habitats lesson plans. Pupils would mark out their squares and use SFI-provided identification keys and worksheets to record plant types, insects, and other small organisms. This survey would be repeated in each season, allowing pupils to observe and track biodiversity over time.
From late spring to early autumn, we would take part in Garden Butterfly Monitoring, guided by the Curious Minds citizen science projects. Pupils would count and identify butterflies weekly, using simple field guides and the SFI Butterfly Monitoring Sheet. Data could be submitted to the National Biodiversity Data Centre.
We would use the Curious Minds logbooks for pupils to record findings and reflect on seasonal changes. This project integrates science, maths, literacy, and ICT, helping pupils develop observation skills, data handling, and environmental awareness through fun, hands-on learning throughout the year.
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Hi Aaron,
Thanks for your post. I hope you are enjoying the course and it adds to your toolkit for resources for the coming year.It’s great to see that you plan to use the Curious Minds resources to run a seasonal biodiversity project, with a focus on butterflies, timed to when they can be seen from late spring to early autumn. Its a wonderful opportunity for art activities as a cross-curricular link too, to capture the unique wing colour patterns of various species.
By participating in Citezin Science activities like these, learners will develop their STEM skills while also cultivating an appreciation for local biodiversity and the importance of volunteering to contribute to Ireland’s national database.
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To conduct a seasonal biodiversity project across the school year, I would use resources such as the Exploring Biodiversity toolkit and SESE Primary Science Curriculum supports, along with nature guides and digital tools like the Biodiversity Ireland app as well as all the fantastic resources referred to in this module. The project would involve students observing and recording seasonal changes in plants, insects, and animals in our school grounds or a local green space. We have a small garden in our school that we will be renovating next year and trying to maintain better as it has gotten quite overgrown. We would go outdoors at least once a month to observe changes, using recording sheets tailored for each season. These would include tick-boxes for common species, space for sketches, and weather notes. Students would use magnifying glasses, bug viewers, and tablets to take photos or make notes. I would also introduce a classroom nature table to bring the outdoors in. This project encourages curiosity, observation, and a deep connection to the local environment, while linking meaningfully to a wide range of curriculum areas.
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Hi Ellie,
Thanks for your post. I can see you plan to take advantage of a wide array of biodiversity resources and equipment for this year-long activity.
It sounds like it will be a busy year for your learners as the garden is to be renovated-a great time to reflect on what to grow and why. While it is overgrown, it is likely a good time to go on a bug hunt-what is traditionally perceived as weeds often is home to many inhabitants!
Making observations a regular monthly event is a great way to see the shifts in nature underway and for learners to begin to understand and observe the rhythm of nature across the seasons.
I love your idea for a nature table-I still have fond memories of one from my primary school years(many moons ago!). As you said, this activity will encourage curiosity, observation, and a deep connection to the local environment.
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Module 3 Birr Outline how you would use some of the course resources to conduct a seasonal biodiversity project to run throughout the school year. What resources and recording sheets would you need? How often would you bring learning outdoors? How would you integrate other subject areas?
Following on from our map making activity I would use this as groundwork for this lesson. That was an outdoor learning experience and a great introduction to the beautiful plants and wildlife we have in our beautiful Grove which is right across the road from the school. It’s a rich heritage at the school doorstep.
The Recording app is a great idea and it will give the children an accurate picture of what they have discovered. Other resources I would use would be the plant identification app. Both would help children identify the amazing biodiversity on their doorstep.
I know the Grove inside out at this stage so I would have a picture grid of some of the plants they will see and they can tick them off as they come across them. We would then true and write the name of the plants and trees they see. This would link nicely into literacy and writing.
Data recording is how I would link this with maths by using block charts to record how many of each plant they saw. This would be after much Oral language discussion and having built their own block charts as such using hands on blocks.
I love using Irish with the children and we could talk about some of the trees using third Irish names and using terms like ag dul are sirloin as we are heading off on our walk
Art work of course is what would really crown the cross curricular activity. Painting, creating their own mini grove on cardboard, even reproducing clay models and painting the clay wold be a really fun activity.
I love going outside with the children. We have school wellies which the children bring in and I have a supply from past years to make it an all year around learning experience for the children. I would go out at the very least once a week.
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To conduct a seasonal biodiversity project across the school year, I would use resources such as the Exploring Nature guides, biodiversity ID charts, and recording sheets from the Green Schools or Biodiversity in Schools websites. The project would involve regular outdoor observation sessions, where students explore local habitats—such as the school garden, hedgerows, or nearby park—to track seasonal changes in plants and animals.
We would go outdoors at least once a month, more often in spring and early autumn when biodiversity is at its peak. Using ID charts, students would identify common birds, insects, trees, and wildflowers, recording their findings on printed observation sheets. We’d also use tablets or clipboards to photograph or sketch what we find.
This project offers strong cross-curricular links. In science, we’d focus on habitats, lifecycles, and environmental awareness. In geography, we’d map our observation locations. In English, students would write nature journals, poems, or reports. Art lessons would include nature sketching and seasonal displays. Data from recordings would be used in maths to create graphs and charts, helping students analyze patterns over time.
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To run a seasonal biodiversity project throughout the year, I would draw on the wide range of resources from, such as the Wild Connections Project, Minibeast Safari, Flora Trail, and materials from the National Biodiversity Data Centre. The project would begin with a nature walk to observe seasonal changes and introduce the idea of phenology—how weather affects plant and animal life. Each month, we’d go outdoors to track these changes using tools like the Spring Diary Challenge, leaf ID sheets, minibeast hunt forms, and wildflower walk templates.
We’d record our findings on nature journals and online via the Biodiversity Ireland website or app. I’d integrate other subjects by using maths for tallying and graphing sightings, English for nature writing and oral reports, art for sketching species, and SPHE for discussions on care and responsibility for the environment.
Learning outdoors would happen fortnightly or more often depending on weather. This hands-on, real-world approach boosts pupil wellbeing and engagement while making biodiversity learning meaningful and ongoing across the seasons.
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Hi Daniel
It’s so great that you plan to embrace the natural world and bring the children out fortnightly to observe seasonal changes and to document what they see in a nature journal. These activities are so good for developing observation skills and fostering a love for nature and as you said they are also so good for wellbeing and improving engagement. You have a great plan for integrating other subjects also. Maths and language skills can be developed when you are outdoors and when collating and graphing data in the classroom and using the natural world as inspiration for creative writing. There is also a great link with the arts through sketching, model making, drama and music.
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I would love to conduct a seasonal biodiversity project with my class in the coming year.
After exploring resources in this module, I’m excited to implement a seasonal biodiversity project with my class. We’ll begin by investigating local flora and fauna around the school grounds using tools like iNaturalist and the National Biodiversity Data Centre. In September, a blackberry ramble followed by jam-making for example could celebrate the start of autumn, while tablets help students classify leaves, observe seed dispersal, and track changes in hedgerows and trees.
Each season brings new learning opportunities. Term two will focus on a bird survey, supported by BirdWatch Ireland resources and bird ID apps, encouraging awareness of migratory patterns and local species. Term three shifts to early blooming flowers and vegetable planting in our raised beds—a highlight from last year we’re excited to expand.
Students will use recording sheets to track biodiversity throughout the year, combining scientific observation with creative activities like leaf rubbings, symmetry studies, and nature sketches. Monthly outdoor excursions will deepen engagement, while cross-curricular links to Science, Geography, and Art promote collaboration, critical thinking, and a sense of environmental stewardship.
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Outline how you would use some of the course resources to conduct a seasonal biodiversity project to run throughout the school year. What resources and recording sheets would you need? How often would you bring learning outdoors? How would you integrate other subject areas?
When I taught First Class for a number of years, I stressed the importance of wildlife and flowers among my colleagues. I remembered well from my own school days learning about different plants and flowers. One of the resources that we used was a book called Wild Things at School by Éana Ní Lamhna. The idea behind this resource was that children learn about one plant and one animal per term. The book has information for all ages and year groups from Junior Infants to Sixth Class. I encouraged my colleagues to include this resource and idea in their planning. I used this resource with First Class, Third Class and Fourth Class for many years and my colleagues also used it in their planning.
https://www.meath.ie/system/files/upload/WildThingsatSchool.pdf
Combining the many useful apps and websites in this module for identifying and recording plants and animals with the above resource, I would identify, catalog and record many of the wildflowers and plants in our local environment. We could use the field close to our school which we have access to and along the waterway a short walk from our school.
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Hi Adrian, I have just had a look at that resource there. It is fantastic and easy to incorporate into class, its very achievable to teach one plant and animal a term and I think that it is important for children to engage in our surrounding wildlife. I will definitely share this resource with my colleagues in the coming year to be implemented! Thanks for sharing!
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To run a seasonal biodiversity project throughout the school year, I would use resources from the Wild Connections and All-Ireland Pollinator Plan. We’d begin with a nature walk each season, using tools like the Wildflower Walk Challenge and Tree Identification sheets to observe and record local flora and fauna. I’d use Seek or PictureThis apps for plant ID, and record our findings on the National Biodiversity Data Centre website. Learning would move outdoors at least once a month, with extra sessions during key seasonal changes. Recording sheets like the Spring Diary Challenge and Minibeast Safari would help track changes in species across the year. Integration with other subjects would include data handling in maths, creative writing in English, and visual art through nature sketching. This project would help build observation skills, scientific curiosity, environmental awareness and outdoor learning.
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Hi Colm,
I think that the idea of a nature walk each season is brilliant. This opens up discussion about changes each season, such as weather, plant life etc. This will have the children enquiring about the changes between seasons, and is also relating the content to their own lives. This is something that I will try use in my class next year.
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To conduct a seasonal biodiversity project using Flower Insect Timed Count with my 3rd Class in the next school year, I will plan outdoor sessions once or twice per month (maybe even more) from spring to summer. The children will observe a chosen flowering patch for 10 minutes, counting pollinators like bees, flies, and butterflies. We are luckily enough to have our classroom right beside the school garden. We will record data using the National Biodiversity Data Centre’s FIT Count sheets and submit findings online. We will use a range of resources to let the kids have a real hands-on approach. I feel that using these materials will make it more engaging. The resources that the children will use include clipboards, ID charts, magnifying glasses, pencils, stopwatches. I will select the same school garden patch each time to track seasonal change. Each session will include observation, recording, and follow up discussions. This will integrate well with a lot of other subjects.
Maths: Tallying/counting insects, graphing results (Data)
Science: Life cycles, habitats, and environmental care
English: Nature journals and report writing
Art: Drawing flowers and insects
Geography: Weather tracking and map plotting-
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Hi David
That sounds like a lovely seasonal plan based around the FIT count. It would be worth doing some lessons over winter or early spring to help the children learn about the main groups of pollinators and how to identify them before they begin their FIT counts. You will find all the resources and lesson plans on https://pollinators.ie/schools/. For your FIT counts, you may not be able to use the same garden patch each month as the type of flowers that are blooming will vary from month to month. For example, you might be using Dandelions in April and Clover in May or June. You can use some flowering herbs or garden flowers, if you don’t have patches of any of the target wild flowers. It would also be a nice idea for different groups of pupils to use different types of flowers so you can draw your own conclusions about which types support more pollinators.
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We are lucky in our school to have a large sensory garden where we have a polytunnel, raised beds, fairy garden and a herb garden to use.
I take my class on regular walks where we observe seasonal changes in our school garden.
I am very grateful to this course for making me aware of the National Biodiversity Data Centres website which helps to identify plants and minibeasts. This will be an excellent resource when taking children on nature walks and help them identify all the wildflowers and minibeasts they find.
When we return to the classroom after our nature walk I encourage the children to record their findings in their Nature Diary. This is a great way for the children to engage in report writing in a meaningful way.
I also try to read the children stories about the minibeasts or plants they find on their walks for example The Hungry Caterpillar and The Snail and the Whale
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Hi Brid.
You are very lucky to have this resource and have accesss to your own large sensory area on school grounds.We have an upcoming build approaching and it is very difficult to access any meaningful grass area at present and we are hemmed in on both sides by housing estates so I tend to look outside the school for green space.
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Outline how you would use some of the course resources to conduct a seasonal biodiversity project to run throughout the school year. What resources and recording sheets would you need? How often would you bring learning outdoors? How would you integrate other subject areas?
Every autumn I explore the theme of trees, we look at vocabulary such as native, non-native, deciduous, evergreen. We do some learning in the classroom regarding tree identifcation looking at leaves, bark and fruits of the various trees. then we do a walk around our local bark and children collect leaves and work on identifying the trees using a simple identifying sheet like the one by Carlowsports.ie. Learning will be linked to other curricular areas such as Art-tree art, History-Irish folklore around trees, English-tree poetry.
This year I am looking forward to extending this across the other 3 seasons. I think it is a fantastic idea looking at the changes throughout the seasons and looking at other aspects based o the seasons. This would include:
In Winter completing a Bird Survey using the resources from Bird watch Ireland.
Spring: Completing a wildflower walk using the resource from Carlowsports. Looking at the different uses for wildflowers and their importance. This could also be linked with planting and looking at the lifecycle of a plant.
Summer: Looking at Biodiversity as a whole and the importance of our plants and trees. Food chains could be explored here.
I would ensure that children get outside to explore these topics for at least one lesson per term as this enables them to be active and explorative learners.I love the resources from The National Tree Council and will definitely use them this year. I have also ordered some of the swatches from Biodiversity Ireland to help children identify trees and shrubs easily for older children.
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Outline how you would use some of the course resources to conduct a seasonal biodiversity project to run throughout the school year. What resources and recording sheets would you need? How often would you bring learning outdoors? How would you integrate other subject areas?
I would use irishwildflowers.ie to help pupils identify native flora, including seasonal changes in plant life. The Seek app would support real-time identification of plants, insects, making fieldwork engaging and interactive and including ICT. The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan would guide our actions to support pollinators, such as creating habitats or planting wildflower areas.
We could do outdoor lessons at least twice per month, increasing in spring and summer. Pupils would use observation and recording sheets to note species, habitat, weather, and pollinator activity. Photos and nature journals would support visual documentation.
Cross-curricular links include Geography covering local environment studies and mapping habitats, Maths with graphing species counts and measuring growth, visual art, the children could draw and paint species and in literacy such as writing nature reports, poems, and persuasive texts for biodiversity action.
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I was involved in the upgrading of our school garden this year. I thought of it as a sensory rich space. On completion of this module,I can see so much more potential for teaching and learning. Our school boasts a rich and diverse natural environment, with a spacious field, a variety of tree and flower species, bird feeders and houses, as well as a bug hotels. I will officially register for the Pollinator Plan in September, and I plan to build on the great work already done by further enhancing the site’s biodiversity. I aim to plant wildflowers in parts of the field and establish hedgerows to support native wildlife. Since our grounds are already quite biodiverse, a key focus this year will be increasing awareness among students and staff about local pollinators. I will provide each classroom with educational resources to promote pollinator learning. Additionally, we will host a dedicated Biodiversity Week early in the school year to spark outdoor, nature-based learning and encourage continued engagement with the environment throughout the academic year.
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Outline how you would use some of the course resources to conduct a seasonal biodiversity project to run throughout the school year. What resources and recording sheets would you need? How often would you bring learning outdoors? How would you integrate other subject areas?
I would use many of the resources outlined in this module, especially the worksheets from carlowsports.ie e.g. the mini-beast hunt etc. I would make the project seasonal based. From Autumn the students could observe the change of colour in the leaves on the trees. They could collect and press leaves and keep a species log book. In Winter they could observe the changes once again to the trees- sketch pictures of the trees in the log books and make not of the changes since the last time they were observed in Autumn. Look for animal tracks in mud/snow etc. Track weather etc. In Spring they could once again observe the changes in the trees compared to the last two observations. Keeping note of changes in their log books. Look for minibeast pollinators etc. To link in with home you could ask the children to go on biodiversity walks in their back garden if they have one or local park with the supervision of an adult and ask them to take pictures of biodiversity and share them with the class biodiversity padlet. Each class could go out for an official biodiversity walk each term to tie in the seasonal approach. I think art would be an excellent subject to integrate with this along with literacy.
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To conduct a seasonal biodiversity project using the FIT Count (Flower-Insect Timed Count), I would guide pupils in observing pollinator activity in our school wildflower garden throughout the year. This project would involve identifying flower types and counting insect visits during 10-minute observation periods each term (spring, summer, autumn). Pupils would use FIT Count recording sheets (downloadable from the Biodiversity Ireland website) to record flower species, weather, and number of visiting insects such as bees, hoverflies, and butterflies.
We would go outdoors once a month, increasing frequency during peak flowering months. Before each visit, we’d revise insect types using ID guides and videos. Pupils would work in pairs to observe and record data.
Resources needed: clipboards, ID guides, FIT Count sheets, pencils, magnifying glasses, and a weather chart.
This project integrates Maths (data collection, tallying, graphing), Science (living things, seasonal changes), Geography (weather, environment), and English (descriptive writing, oral reports). Over time, pupils develop observation skills and environmental awareness through real-world, hands-on learning.
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I have registered my garden on the All Ireland Pollinator Plan and recorded the actions I have taken to promote pollination in our garden. My future plans include a no-mow area of the garden and to plant more pollinator friendly plants that bloom right into the Autumn months. Our school is already registered on the site. In the past few years we have taken steps to promote biodiversity such as the building of a bug hotel, the planting of over 300 native trees on the school grounds, bird feeders, bird boxes, raised beds etc. The children love actively exploring the outdoor space and hedgerows, identifying the different plants, trees and animals species they find. We have a beautiful stone wall on one boundary line which is a wonderful example of a living habitat and one which the younger children love exploring. We would love to focus more on the planting of pollinator friendly plants in beds and to sow wildflowers in an area instead of mowing. We have plans to build an outdoor classroom in the near future which will be great to bring outdoor, nature-based learning to life.
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Hi Michelle
It is great to hear that you have registered your own garden with the All Ireland Pollinator Plan and that your school is already registered and is doing so much to support Biodiversity. It is fantastic that you have planted so many native trees, which provide a rich learning environment for the children in the school and a stone wall is a lovely habitat to explore. It is great that you already make use of the space and an outdoor classroom will be a lovely addition. Planting pollinator friendly garden plants in beds is also a great idea. Flowering herbs are good and generally easy to grow. For your wildflower area, all you need to do is reduce mowing and always clear the grass clippings and the wildflowers will grow by themselves. There is no need to plant wildflowers and in fact the vast majority of seeds that are marketed as wildflowers are not wildflowers or not of Irish origin, so planting can often do more harm that good for Biodiversity.
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Using some of the identification tools and resources outlined in this module, identify some species of plants or animals in your own local environment and record them with the National Biodiversity Data Centre and then outline how you would get your class involved in citizen science projects.
Using identification tools and resources from this module, I identified common species such as dandelions, daisies, and blackbirds in my local area in inner city Dublin. I used the Seek app and the Wildflowers of Ireland website for plant identification, and BirdWatch Ireland resources for birds. I then recorded these species on the National Biodiversity Data Centre’s platform.
To involve my class in citizen science, I plan to run a “Biodiversity in Our School and Beyond” project. While our school grounds offer some opportunities for exploration, we are fortunate to have the Phoenix Park nearby. This provides access to a wider variety of habitats and species. My students will use ID apps and printable guides like the Minibeast Safari and Leaf Identification Challenge to identify and record local biodiversity. We will keep observation journals and participate in national projects like the Garden Bird Survey. This will help students become active contributors to real-world science.
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Hi Amanda,
I really enjoyed reading your post—what a brilliant example of making biodiversity learning meaningful and accessible, even in an urban setting. Using resources like the Seek app and Wildflowers of Ireland site is a great way to blend technology with outdoor learning, and it’s fantastic that you’ve taken the step to record your findings with the National Biodiversity Data Centre. Your “Biodiversity in Our School and Beyond” project sounds really inspiring, especially making use of the Phoenix Park as an extended classroom. The use of observation journals and participation in national surveys like the Garden Bird Survey will not only deepen students’ understanding of local species but also give them a sense of ownership and purpose as young citizen scientists. It’s such a hands-on, empowering way to connect curriculum learning with real-world impact—well done! -
Hi Amanda,
Welcome to the course, what a great location to have the Phoenix Park near to your school and to explore the wide varieties of habitats in the area. Your pupils are very fortunate to be able to explore biodiversity in a wide area and also compare it to the biodiversity within your own school grounds. I think getting your pupils involved in citizen science projects will be very engaging and as you have said it will show how they can become contributors to real-world science. I have planned to take part in the Garden Bird Survey with my own class this year to give pupils the responsibility to observe and record the data in their own observation journals too. Thanks for sharing.
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our project is a brilliant way to connect students with nature and real-world science. Using tools like Seek and resources from BirdWatch Ireland makes learning hands-on and engaging. Access to the Phoenix Park is a huge bonus, offering rich biodiversity and expanding the learning beyond the classroom.
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To conduct a seasonal biodiversity project across the school year, I would use course resources like the Biodiversity Spotter’s Guide, Nature Walk Templates, and Seasonal Change Recording Sheets. Each term, we would focus on observing changes in our local environment—plants, animals, weather, and habitats—through regular nature walks, ideally once every 3-4 weeks.
We would use printed spotter guides and clipboards to identify and record plants, insects, birds, and seasonal changes. Pupils would fill in simple observation sheets, draw what they see, and note changes over time. I would store these in individual biodiversity journals to track learning across the year.
Integration would be key:
Science: exploring habitats, life cycles, and environmental awareness
Geography: mapping the school grounds and identifying features
Art: drawing and painting seasonal scenes
English: writing reports, nature poems, and recounts
Maths: creating bar charts of sightings or measuring plant growth
This cross-curricular, hands-on project promotes curiosity, environmental stewardship, and literacy and numeracy development in a meaningful way.
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Term 1- In this term, the lessons would focus on change, the changing of tree leaves and weather. Also, the class could research some animals that will be going into hibernation. We could do specific lessons on animals that will be hibernating such as hedgehogs. The children in senior classes could be given time to research these animals on an iPad and present their findings. Also, this topic of change could be integrated into other subjects such as music or drama, for example the children can act out a story of a hedgehog before hibernation.
Term 2- Term 2 could be based on identifying certain types of plants and animals and recording them with the National Biodiversity Data Centre. In senior classes, the children could create projects based on the animals and plants they discover.
Term 3- The class could complete a minibeast safari and tree identification challenge using the Tree Council of Ireland to aid their learning. (The younger classes could use the leaf identification sheet) The class could again create projects based on the trees that they have identified, which will give them independence and choice in their own learning.
It is very important to frequently have outdoor learning during a project like this (3-4 times a month); however this is more challenging to do during Winter.
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We registered my garden with the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan and found it really interesting. On the map, I marked what we’ve already done to help pollinators and added a few things we plan to do in the future. We’ve made a good start –we left bottom part of garden beyond hedges grow wild, which really helped the wildflowers grow.
We don’t use any weedkillers or chemicals, and our children help pull the weeds by hand!
we want to build a small bug hotel for the children , and try doing a simple insect count to see what types of pollinators are visiting.
If I was registering our school, I’d go onto the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan website and fill out the section for schools. It seems easy enough. I’d start by looking at what areas around the school could be used – maybe some grassy spots, raised beds, or even a quiet corner for a wildflower patch.
We could build a bug hotel with the pupils and plant some bee-friendly flowers We could even put up a few signs around the school to explain what we’re doing and why pollinators matter.
We are in the process of developing a pathway around the perimeter of the school pitch , on the map drawn we have left pollinator corridors, cherry blossom section , we will hopfully have different stops along the pathway, a project in the planning which will hopefully be constructed in the springtime of 2026
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Module 3
I have registered my garden and shaded in the area around what we have done and hope to increase more pollinator activity at our garden. I noted the following tips some of which we are already doing.
Tips to increase pollinators
1- Don’t Mow it Let It Grow ( my husband did a No Mow May and delayed cutting lawn until end of April )
2- Manage Hedgerows ( we planted more lavenders last year )
3- Plant pollinator friendly cheers ( we have a plan to plant some more cherry blossoms in ur back bed )
4- Choose nectar pollen rich plants ( we have planted a kitchen garden on our window sill with rosemary and basil in it )
5- Reduce pesticide use ( we do not put on any weeds my kids pull them)
6- Leaving path ways around a meadow. My husband has only cut the grass around the perimeter of the meadow at the back of our house thus leaving the area within to thrive
7- We have also scattered bee bombs and there are patches of pollinator goodness.
Future Actions
1 –Make a small bug hotel in our meadow area
2 Purchase our apple tress
3 For summer bedding use lavenders instead of our usual pansies
School
Actions for School
1- Increase awareness ( send links to teachers to the All Ireland Pollinator site)
2- Add our school to the sites list
3- Invite guest speakers to talk about importance of pollinators
4- Encourage a No Mow May by our school care –taker
5- Set up small bug hotels in areas around the grassy parts of the yard
6- Monitor visitors to bug hotel
7- Runs a FIT ( tally , record on bar chart and interpret data for whole school to understand, display in school hall )
8- Above could be done with senior class pupils
9- Encourage the planting in our summer bedding of pollinator rich plants such as lavender
10- Run competitions on pollination as the theme encouraging pupils to write poems or short stories on pollination.
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You’ve taken fantastic steps to support pollinators both at home and in school! I love the mix of practical actions—like No Mow May, planting herbs, and scattering bee bombs—with future plans like bug hotels and apple trees. In school, your ideas for raising awareness and involving students through competitions and data collection are brilliant. It’s great to see pollinator-friendly planting being encouraged, especially with lavender. Overall, these are inspiring actions that really support biodiversity in meaningful and engaging ways.
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In school gardens, pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and hoverflies play a crucial role. Bees visit flowers to collect nectar and pollen, helping with plant reproduction. Butterflies move gracefully from flower to flower, transferring pollen on their legs and wings. Hoverflies, often mistaken for bees, also pollinate as they search for nectar. These pollinators are most active during warm, sunny days and are often seen around brightly colored or sweet-smelling flowers. Their presence increases the number of fruits and seeds produced in the garden.
Actions to Help Pollinators:
To support pollinators, you can plant a variety of native flowering plants that bloom in different seasons, ensuring food is available all year. Avoid using harmful pesticides and consider using organic alternatives. Create habitats by adding bee hotels or leaving small brush piles for shelter. Provide a shallow water source with pebbles for safe drinking. Finally, educate others about the importance of pollinators and encourage them to create pollinator-friendly spaces. These simple actions can make a big difference in supporting pollinator health and biodiversity.
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I think it is a great idea for older classes in the school to plant a variety of flowering plants that bloom in different seasons. This will allow children to observe the seasonal changes that happen throughout the year in real-life. It is a great way to release gradual responsibility to the older classes as they will have the opportunity to look after these plants in the school year and come up with various ideas of how to look after these flowers and what we need etc., I think it is a great whole-class project for children which will also lead to green school flags, a great worth while initiative.
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As I teach Junior Infants I based my answer on this age group. Children will explore local biodiversity throughout the school year and become ‘young ecologists’. We will explore biodiversity through the varying seasonal changes e.g. in autumn we will explore leaves changing colour, in winter we will explore animals surviving the cold weather, in spring we will focus on new life and in summer the children will focus on farming. These studies will involve the outdoors regularly as we will take part in nature walks, weather observations and local habitat studies etc., Children will have worksheets for each activity that we explore e.g. leaf rubbings/changing colours, counting insects observed etc., This will integrate the subjects of Math (counting), SESE (local studies), visual art (sketching) etc., We will create a noticeboard in our classroom that will be based on the seasonal changes and we will add/take away as we progress throughout the year.
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I would run a year-long Seasonal Biodiversity Project using the Wildflower Walk Challenge, Leaf Identification Challenge, and Minibeast Safari resources. Pupils would record observations on the National Biodiversity Data Centre seasonal recording sheets, noting species, weather, and phenology changes. Outdoor learning would take place twice monthly, capturing early spring buds, summer pollinators, autumn seed dispersal, and winter bird activity. Digital tools such as the Seek app would support accurate identification. Data would be compiled into a class biodiversity log, encouraging citizen science participation. Cross-curricular links would include Science (life cycles, adaptation), Maths (data handling, graphs), Geography (habitats, mapping), Art (botanical drawings), and English (nature journaling). We would also integrate climate awareness by discussing how seasonal changes are affected by weather patterns. This project would promote hands-on engagement, foster environmental stewardship, and help pupils see their local area as part of Ireland’s wider biodiversity network.
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Here is a Seasonal Biodiversity Plan for my school that would work across the school year. I will register my school in the upcoming days for the Pollinator programme.
Autumn (September to November)
My focus would be habitat creation and biodiversity surveys. The children would record plants,insects and birds around the school to set up a baseline using National Biodiversity Data Centre recording sheets. We would take part in wildflower bulb planting. We would choose pollinator friendly bulbs eg crocus and hyacinth. We would plant native tree species like hawthorn and rowan to provide food and shelter for the wildlife. We would build a bug motel to observe the habitats for insects.
Winter (December – February)
My focus would be to observe and care for winter wildlife with a bird feeder project. The pupils would design, build and maintain feeders and observe visiting birds. We would take a winter walk around the school grounds identifying evergreens and winter buds and signs of animal activity.We would keep clssroom insect overwintering jars to observe how some species hibernate.
Spring (March to May)
Our focus are pollinators and plant growth. We will sow wildflowers, introducing pollinator friendly species in line with the Pollinator Plan. We will take part in bug hunts identifying early pollinators like queen bees and record sightings. The children will sketch and write about changes they see each week in their Nature Journals. We will go on a “Wildflower Walk Safari” by visiting a pollinator friendly site.
Summer (June to August)
The focus would be on celebration and biodiversity awareness. We would have a biodiversity day and invite the parents and community to showcase pupil’s nature work and run a “mini beast safari” on school grounds.
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Thank you Nicola for your lovely and well thought out plan to follow the schools biodiversity through the seasons. I particularly liked the idea of the “mini beast safari”, I think the children would love this and it really would build such an awareness of all the nature that surrounds the school if we allow it the opportunity to develop and grow.
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Module 3
Outline how you would use some of the course resources to conduct a seasonal biodiversity project to run throughout the school year. What resources and recording sheets would you need? How often would you bring learning outdoors? How would you integrate other subject areas?As the school I am in is an urban school with no green spaces, I would work with the children on a biodiversity project. I would encourage the children to look for spaces and ways to help biodiversity in small ways. We have a rooftop garden and planter boxes around the school, so we would look at things we can plant here and what we would be supporting. Initially we would go outside and do a biodiversity survey. Using the identifier poster, etc. We would see what is in the small area we have and what is native. Using the All-Ireland pollinator plan website and the Irish wildflower website, we would then look to see what things we could plant around the school to support biodiversity. I would like to see if we could use a small area on the rooftopgarden to make a mini garden for the class for this planting. This would integrate into geography, identifying areas to plant in, making maps, Art, drawing native flowers, Science, planting and growth, Learn together, care for the environment etc.
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Outline how you would use some of the course resources to conduct a seasonal biodiversity project to run throughout the school year. What resources and recording sheets would you need? How often would you bring learning outdoors? How would you integrate other subject areas?
I thought there were fantastic resources shared in this module which would be of great use when conducting a seasonal biodiversity project. I really enjoyed learning about phenology and the farmer’s calendar. As I am teaching in a rural school, where many of the children come from a farming background, I think they would enjoy looking at this.
I would also use the various recording tools so that we could keep records of flora and fauna in our local area. We could examine a different area each season or term e.g. looking at birds/wildlife during one term and trees/flowers during another. I would bring the learning outdoors as much as possible, and we could choose one day a week to go out and record our findings so that we would have a bank of records over time. I think the children would love this too. Other subject areas could be integrated such as art, maths, science, English and Irish and PE.
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I would use ‘Birds in our Garden’ as a seasonal biodiversity project and a starting point.
We would first observe birds in the school garden. Our scholl garden is just being set up at the moment but we are lucky enough be adjacent to an expansive piece of land. We would use the Birds of Ireland website as a stimulus. Create a checklist of birds in the school garden.
After that, the class could brainstorm ideas for the creation of bird feeders and determine the appropriate feed to use depending on size and materials.
I would organise the children into small groups.
Each group would design their respective feeders, decorate and present their feeder to the class. During this stage the children will assess the suitability of their feeders, e.g. using recycled materials, access to the feed for the birds etc.
We would place the feeders in the garden and monitor it throughout the day. Children from each group would be allocated a role within the group, they would check on the feeders daily to access the level of feed taken from the feeders, ensuring that the feeders are remaining intact etc.
This project could continue throughout the school year and could also encourage the children to create a similar feeder at home and monitor the number/ type of birds coming to their feeders.-
Hi Serena,
Thanks for sharing your lovely plan for a seasonal biodiversity project with a focus on birds.
I am glad to see plans for a school garden are underway, and that you have some wilderness on your doorstep to observe. Bird feeders are an excellent way to support garden visitors, and this make-and-do activity provides plenty of learning opportunities. I have heard of a class that painted their bird feeders, and the first rain shower washed them off! A great learning opportunity for all. It’s so important to consider the water-resistant nature and durability of the materials selected. Of course, there are lots of native plants and trees that will support these birds too, and it sounds like the time is right to get these in, with the garden underway!
By carrying out this activity at home, learners can compare bird reports and see how their local habitat compares for bird diversity and numbers. Great to add all this wonderful data collected to citizen science projects too!
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I really like your ideas! Using phenology and the farmer’s calendar is such a clever way to connect with the children’s backgrounds, especially in a rural school – it will make the learning so meaningful for them. The seasonal focus on different areas like birds, trees, and flowers keeps the project fresh and exciting too.
I think the weekly outdoor recording sessions are a brilliant idea, as the children will love getting hands-on while also building a great bank of data over time. The way you’ve linked it into other subjects like Art, Maths, Science, English, Irish, and PE shows just how rich and wide-ranging this project can be. It sounds like a really engaging and enjoyable way for the children to learn about biodiversity.
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Using some of the identification tools and resources outlined in this module, identify some species of plants or animals in your own local environment and record them with the National Biodiversity Data Centre and then outline how you would get your class involved in citizen science projects:
I would first teach some of the language of ecology and biodiversity. I would like the students to explore biodiversity in their local environment. I think a great way to encourage hands-on, scientific exploration would be to get the students involved in citizen science projects. I would carefully plan projects for the students to get involved in. Firstly, one group could explore aquatic life in our local area and explain their importance. Secondly, another group could investigate the species of animals and habitats that are found in our local environment. Thirdly, a group could investigate changes in our local biodiversity over time. I would encourage the students to use a variety of resources in their projects such as images, photographs, trail cam footage etc. Finally a group could investigate some ways in which plant and animal behaviour is influenced and adapted to environmental conditions. I would support the students by giving them the list of websites, apps and downloads, books and keys listed in Module Three, especially the ones that are specifically tailored to Ireland from the National Biodiversity Data Centre to make identification much easier. I would organise a flora trail, a tree trail or a minibeast safari using a picture checklist. To add a competitive element I would make it a challenge where they compete in teams to find the wildflowers, the trees or the minibeasts on their walk.
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Outline how you would use some of the course resources to conduct a seasonal biodiversity project to run throughout the school year. What resources and recording sheets would you need? How often would you bring learning outdoors? How would you integrate other subject areas?
This module has given me lots of hands on and simple ideas on how to study biodiversity with my class. Some of the resources I could use include to run a biodiversity project would be A Wildflower Walk and a Garden Bird Survey. We are fortunate in our in school in that we have a large garden area surrounded by a hedgerow. Our school is rural so it would be quite easy to go on a wildflower walk with the children. To begin, we would look at keys and picture of different wildflowers. Children could work in groups to identify the wildflowers and then talk to the class about one of the flowers. This could be carried out twice per season and talk about the different types of flowers to be found, depending on the season. Older classes could use data in maths to present findings.
I would like for my class to become involved in Birdwatch Ireland’s Garden Bird Survey. I feel this project is more suited to middle or upper classes so a buddy system could be put in place. As a school, we would need to use books, keys and the Birdwatch Ireland Website to identify the different birds. This would need to be carried out on a regular basis from December to February. Once again, data in maths would be a huge area here, children would complete the Garden Bird Survey recording sheets.
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Hi Anita
Thanks for your feedback on this module. You are very fortunate to have lots of opportunities to explore biodiversity in the local area of your school. I am also going to get my class involved in the Birdwatch Ireland’s Garden Bird Survey, I think it would be engaging and an example of real-life citizen science for the class. I also will be integrating it with maths to ensure connections and purposeful use of maths in light of the new curriculum.
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Module 3
Register your garden with the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan and record your actions for pollinators, then outline how you would register your school and what actions you could take to help pollinators
Having a keen interest in biodiversity and being very fortunate to have good sized garden that has allowed us to have large wildflower & grass meadows and an orchard, I was very interested to learn about the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan as I had not heard of this before undertaking this course. Many of the suggested actions for the plan we unbeknownst have undertaken in our garden. I look forward to recording our actions and learning more as part of this Pollinator Plan.
We have two areas dedicated to uncut meadows in our garden. We have a long flowering wildflower meadow which we have from early Spring right up to Autumn, we then cut it back until it reappears in early Spring once again. We also have an undisturbed Grass Meadow which we leave uncut over the Winter. Both areas are a hive of activity for birds, insects, mini beasts and small mammals. This is an action I would love to take onboard in our school as part of the Pollinator Plan for our school as I see first-hand the amount of nature and activity there is to be developed by just leaving part of the garden grass area uncut. Aided by creating self-made bug hotels and log piles to be placed around the uncut grass area there is so much we can do to help pollinators. Through simple actions a world of knowledge would be at the children’s fingertips to explore and monitor.
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Module 3:
I have registered my garden with the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan through their online portal, which was a straightforward and informative process. I recorded actions I have taken to support pollinators, such as planting pollinator-friendly flowers, reducing the use of pesticides, and allowing areas of grass to grow longer to provide food and shelter for bees and other insects. These small but impactful steps contribute to creating a more pollinator-friendly environment.
To register my school, I would first visit the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan website and use the “Register Your School” section. I would then complete the required form, outlining our school’s pollinator-friendly actions and our plans for the year ahead.
Actions we could take in our school include planting a pollinator-friendly garden with native wildflowers, reducing mowing in certain grassy areas to allow wild plants to bloom, and installing bee hotels for solitary bees. We could also include pollinator education in the curriculum, encouraging students to learn about the importance of bees and biodiversity. Involving students in these actions through gardening projects or habitat creation would promote hands-on learning and environmental responsibility, while actively supporting the goals of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan.
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Outline how you would use some of the course resources to conduct a seasonal biodiversity project to run throughout the school year. What resources and recording sheets would you need? How often would you bring learning outdoors? How would you integrate other subject areas?
Our whole school seasonal biodiversity project will focus on birds. I think this project will significantly add to teaching and learning while also helping the birds during the winter season when food is scarce.
We will begin by creating our action plan to include the resources required for the project. Using recommended websites like BirdWatch Ireland will be an invaluable tool to enhance teaching and learning. Ensuring classroom libraries and tablets are stocked with the relevant books, keys and apps will further add to the success of this biodiversity project.
Using a cross-curricular integrated approach to learning will ensure that learning objectives and outcomes are measured and met. Starting small, using the outdoors as much as possible and observing/exploring the local school area will ensure the children are active in their own learning across the curriculum for the duration of the project.
Creating/building simple homemade bird feeding stations, small bird baths and/or nest boxes will also ensure that the wildlife is cared for during the harsh winter season.
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Outline how you would use some of the course resources to conduct a seasonal biodiversity project to run throughout the school year. What resources and recording sheets would you need? How often would you bring learning outdoors? How would you integrate other subject areas?
I would utilise online resources to encourage pupils to actively explore and identify local flora and fauna, using the recording app to record key information. I would make my own recording sheets such as different grids that are relevant to our school and environment to make learning more meaningful for children. I would bring learning outdoors twice a week, making it relevant and meaningful for the children. By integrating Art, children could come up with different ways of drawing or painting what they have seen, they could use clay to make a particular flower that they make like. By integrating Literacy- the children could write about and describe what they have seen. In English the class could discuss orally and present what they have experienced. The class could create bar charts/pie charts in maths, of various quantities of biodiversity experienced. All of this biodiversity also interlinks with STEM in the classroom.
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For a seasonal biodiversity project in Cong, Co. Mayo, where I currently teach, I would use resources such as identification guides, habitat exploration sheets, and simple tally charts for recording. Each term, pupils would explore local habitats such as the riverbank, woodland, and parkland, observing seasonal changes in plants, birds, and insects, we could also use the school’s polly tunnel for this. I would bring the class outdoors at least once a month, with shorter observation walks in between, to ensure pupils notice gradual changes. Recording sheets would include species checklists, weather logs, and space for drawings, helping younger pupils capture learning in accessible ways.
Integration across subjects is key, in maths we would graph species counts. In English pupils could write nature poems or reports. In art, they might create leaf rubbings or seasonal sketches. In geography, mapping local habitats links well. Digital photos and class journals would track the project over the year. This approach nurtures curiosity, develops observation skills, and connects children meaningfully with Cong’s unique biodiversity.
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Hello Luke,
Thanks for sharing a lovely plan for a seasonal biodiversity project.
What a beautiful neck of the woods to be teaching in and I am sure a rich and rewarding landscape for biodiversity observation.I like your plan to have longer walks and observations scaffolded by shorter, more frequent walks in between to help learners capture the changes underway. It’s a great way to integrate movement and exercise with biodiversity observation.
By using a variety of resources and materials, worksheets can be developed that are class-appropriate and accessible for all learners, as they explore the changes that each season brings.
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Seasonal Biodiversity Project for the School Year
To conduct a seasonal biodiversity project, I’d use resources like the National Biodiversity Data Centre’s identification tools, iNaturalist, and the All Ireland Pollinator Plan. The project would focus on recording plant and animal species in and around the school grounds, tracking their seasonal changes throughout the year. We could collect data on local plants, insects, birds, and trees, documenting when they bloom, migrate, or become dormant.
Students would use recording sheets to log their observations, noting species, location, and date. These could be linked with seasonal activities like planting trees, monitoring wildlife habitats, or creating pollinator-friendly gardens. Outdoor learning would take place at least once a month, but ideally, students would have smaller outdoor sessions to monitor changes more frequently.
To integrate other subjects, we could link science with geography by studying habitats and ecosystems, maths by tracking data, and art by drawing species. Engaging students in both scientific observation and creative projects would make the project immersive and educational.
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<span style=”color: #163c42; font-family: ‘Hind Madurai’, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;”>Outline how you would use some of the course resources to conduct a seasonal biodiversity project to run throughout the school year. What resources and recording sheets would you need? How often would you bring learning outdoors? How would you integrate other subject areas?</span>
For a seasonal biodiversity project I would utilise support resources from the Primary Science Curriculum and the Exploring Biodiversity Toolkit, together with nature guides and digital tools along with the materials referenced in this course.
The project would have an appointed day bimonthly to venture outside and observe seasonal changes. Record sheets, magnifying glasses, bug viewers, digital devices for taking photos and paper for sketching would all be to hand.
Maths and the area of data would be a simple integration, the garden would generate many art opportunities.. seasonal flowers immediately come to mind for life drawing, gaeilge for names of flowers, literacy poems for bugs or flowers, Science of growing from seed or bulb and transplanting to the outdoor space, endless possibilities and opportunities to Foster a connection to the local environment.
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Excellent reflections above Lorraine and great consideration given to integrated learning with a wide range of excellent cross-curricular links listed above. I really like the your suggestion of conducting seasonal biodiversity projects on a bimonthly basis and you have made reference to some very useful resources for enabling these activities to be suitably completed. Thanks for the excellent suggestions above.
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Module 3 Assignment:
Outline how you would use some of the course resources to conduct a seasonal biodiversity project to run throughout the school year. What resources and recording sheets would you need? How often would you bring teaching outdoors? How would you integrate other subject areas?
The wide variety of ideas and resources in this module were excellent, awakening my awareness of the boundless learning potential that can be gained through conducting projects and outdoor learning opportunities on the school grounds and in the local environment.
Of the many great ideas shared in this module, the ones that stood out most for me were the Design and Make challenges for making different bird feeders and nest boxes with different species of birds in mind. As mentioned in this module, it is a great Citizen Science initiative and can lead to tallying and recording of different bird species in the locality.
The video provided relating to “How to improve your garden for birds”, accompanied by the “Robby the Christmas Robin” story also help to enhance children’s learning relating to this idea.
Through designing bird boxes for nesting purposes, it also helps extend the timeframe of learning beyond the winter/early spring months, into the late spring and early summer, enabling outdoor learning opportunities throughout the school year. Through engaging with the Birdwatch Ireland Irish Garden Bird Survey it enables students become Citizen Scientists also.
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I love the idea of designing and making the bird feeders and nestboxes too Seån to learn about the lives of different bird species around the school grounds and I agree, engaging with Birdwatch Ireland’s Irish garden birds Survey is a fantastic citizen science project for kids of all ages.
As we are based beside the sea we are lucky to have seabirds as well as land birds to observe and learn about, especially in the islands offshore like Lambay and Ireland’s Eye – home to puffins, peregrine falcons and kestrels no to mention the Estuary swans and waders …. so sea safaris are always on my wish list – though a trip to the beach is as good as it gets most years!
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Outline how you would use some of the course resources to conduct a seasonal biodiversity project to run throughout the school year. What resources and recording sheets would you need? How often would you bring learning outdoors? How would you integrate other subject areas?
I loved all the videos in this module of the biodiversity in Birr Castle and its surrounds. There is so much knowledge in each one of them and it’s so lovely to see all the lovely flora and fauna. It’s only when you dive in to our surroundings that you realise the life teeming beneath the surface and how much we all take for granted. This is why its so important that the kids in our communities are invested in the environment of the area they live in and its up to us to ensure that happens with all these wonderful, grounding outdoor activities.
In terms of a seasonal biodiversity project. I like the idea of creating a podcast with my 5th class kids, based on a biodiversity walking trail around the school. There’s a lovely how to video here https://www.heritageinschools.ie/online-tutorials/how-to-podcast and we could create a template for the script, (to include sights, sounds, smells and ‘feels’ ) that we update every season.
Our school has lots of trees, insect hotels, a pond, a vegetable garden, bird feeders, wild flowers, a weather station and hedgerows so there is plenty content to observe from season to season.
I like the idea of a podcast (broadcast to the school seasonally) because, it should encourage the whole school to look out for things mentioned in the podcast. My 5th class could also create a raft of activities based on the material in the podcast and distribute them to classes or create a template map (using resources from the tree council of ireland, winldflowers if ireland, globe.gov etc…) that the classes can fill in and compare from season to season. We could also create a riddle re. one of the points of interest on the trail in each season of the podcast and have the kids post their guesses as to what it might be, then chose a winner and have them create the riddle for the next podcast.
Classes at other levels might decide to photograph the trail or focus on one aspect and watch it change seasonally e.g. trees greening down and greening up; the weather each season with a view to how its impacting the flora and fauna on the trail; we could hold a seasonal art/photo competition, engage in citizen science projects … the options are endless.
Whatever the choices, we would have layers to lay on top of our podcast from the rest of the classes in the school, resulting in a multi-curricular, multisensory, collaborative project at the end, integrated with everything from art to science to music, to geography,literacy, numceracy (graphs , plotting changes in growth) etc…. which could be displayed in our local library for the coomunity to enjoy. -
Outline how you would use some of the course resources to conduct a seasonal biodiversity project to run throughout the school year. What resources and recording sheets would you need? How often would you bring learning outdoors? How would you integrate other subject areas?
For a year-long biodiversity project, I would focus on a leaf identification challenge using the Tree Council of Ireland resources. Pupils would explore the school grounds and nearby areas regularly, observing and collecting leaves to record species, shape, size, colour and location, with space for sketches or photos. Using the ESRO framework, pupils would experience by observing and collecting leaves, share their findings in group discussions, reflect on seasonal changes from autumn to summer and organise knowledge in a leaf ID book. In autumn, they would track fallen leaves and changing colours; in winter-examine bark and twigs; in spring-record new growth and in summer-graph common species and illustrate foliage. Cross-curricular links include maths for data and graphing, english for reflective writing and art for illustrations. This hands-on approach would promote observation, critical thinking and engagement while connecting pupils to local trees and seasonal biodiversity.
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Hi Elizabeth,
Thanks for sharing your year-long biodiversity project plans.
This sounds like a great plan- I like how you have chosen to focus on one specific area-leaf identification- so that learners can build up expertise in this.You’ve created a really comprehensive list of broad scope of what can be observed with leaves alone-from the timing of their falling from trees, colours, bark, twigs and new growth, there will be something to observe throughout the terms. It’s a great way to build STEM vocabulary literacy too-from deciduous to evergreen, etc.
As a huge fan of Éanna Ní Lamhna, I have to mention how she gives some really fun and engaging talks on trees in her role as president of the Tree Council of Ireland, many of which can be found on YouTube too.
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I have registered my garden for the All Ireland Pollinator Plan. I’d like to expand on my wildflower hedgerow and have a meadow in the back garden area. I invested in native Irish wildflower seeds a couple of years ago, each year since has had a differing range of flowers and differing amounts of growth. I didn’t know that by cutting and lifting or removing clippings in September, it would help reduce the fertility of the soil and in return would produce more wildflowers as they grow best in less fertile soil. So I will definitely cut long flowering meadows in September to help this.
Another thing we’ve done but not been consistent with is less mowing of the lawns. I will commit to not mowing especially in March/ April time to avoid cutting the dandelions.
Registering the school can be done on the website biodiversityireland.ie. and an account can be created. To map the school grounds an online mapping tool can be used to identify current or planned pollinator-friendly areas. Actions that the school could take to help pollinators could include-
Planting different flowers/flowerbeds that are pollinator friendly
Letting dandelions grow, not mowing until late summer
Plant willow, fruit and vegetables.
Organise a local beekeeper to speak with classes-
Dia duit Dónal.
Fáilte go dtí an Cúrsa.
It is great to hear of your own efforts for the All Ireland pollinator plan and how you could consider developing this within your own school also. I think that a bee keeper coming into talk to the learners would be a fantastic opportunity and would also develop their understanding and connections between pollinators, bees and real-life scenarios.
Mapping the school grounds specific to pollinator friendly areas would also draw the learners attention to the concept of pollination and how they can support it and encourage the learners to take action such as the learners researching flowers to plant and where t0 plant them.
There is lots of learning opportunities in the activities you have suggested. Tá siúl agam go mbaineann tú taitneamh as an gcúrsa seo.
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I would begin by registering my garden with the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan through the official website and recording actions that support pollinators. These could include planting pollinator-friendly flowers, leaving areas of grass uncut to allow wildflowers to bloom, reducing pesticide use, and providing nesting habitats such as log piles and bare soil. Recording these steps highlights the practical ways my garden contributes to biodiversity and helps track progress nationally.
To extend this initiative, I would also register my school as a pollinator-friendly site. Actions could include planting a wildflower garden or pollinator bed in the school grounds, creating bug hotels, and introducing pollinator-friendly trees and shrubs. Teachers and pupils could get involved by monitoring pollinators, recording sightings, and integrating the topic into science and geography lessons. These activities would not only provide food and habitats for pollinators but also promote environmental awareness and responsibility among students.
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There are many of the resources that were outlined in the course (Module 3) that could be used to conduct a seasonal biodiversity project to run throughout the school year in my school.
We are lucky in our school that we have a lovely school garden and some parents that are very involved in keeping this garden going and lovely!
We also have a local biodiversity project called the Kingfisher Project that classes are welcome to visit and we usually do so during science week.
The seasonal biodiversity project I would do would be observations in Autumn and making bird feeders. Then in Winter we would monitor what birds came to the feeder. In Spring we’d plant seeds and watch them grow in pots and then transfer them to the garden. In Summer we would record what had grown.
We would watch some of the trail cam footage. We would look at the Wild Connections Flora Trail (QR given- Birr Castle). We could consult http://www.wildflowersofireland.net for Summer in the garden. We could also consult The Tree Council of Ireland and draft Leaf ID sheets for observations. The National Biodiversity Data Centre would also be useful. -
I found this module very interesting and informative. Before completing this module I was unaware of the wide biodiversity we have here in the midlands of Ireland and it really got me thinking of ways I can include this in my teaching.
Firstly I plan to register my class with the All Ireland Pollinator Plan. I teach the senior classes and it is something I think they would really enjoy. I also plan to conduct a seasonal biodiversity project where children record trees and leaves monthly and compare changes. We will firstly use the available resources to identify exactly what trees we have around the school and local area. Children in groups will study a different variety of tree locally and compare changes monthly. To integrate technology we will school iPads to take photographs of the trees each month and create charts and graphs using our mathematical and art skills. This is something I am excited to try out with my class this coming year.-
Hello Emma,
Thanks for sharing. I am delighted to see that you found this module worthwhile, learning more about biodiversity and reflecting on how to include these activities in the coming academic year.
The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan is a great addition to the work already underway in your school- I saw in another post that you already are working hard on establishing a school garden-it’s another wonderful reason to get learners outside, connecting to nature, enjoying a movement break and see what’s waiting to be found in their locality.
Lovely ideas to use tablets to photograph trees and identify them, with technology, maths and art skill development opportunities too.
Wishing you all the best with this activity in the coming year!
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We are fortunate to have a garden and outdoor learning space, which provides an ideal setting for a seasonal biodiversity project. Using resources such as the Exploring Biodiversity toolkit, SESE Primary Science supports, nature guides, and the Biodiversity Ireland app, students would observe and record changes in plants, insects, and animals throughout the year.
Project Outline:
Monthly outdoor sessions to record seasonal changes
Recording sheets with:Species tick-lists
Space for sketches
Weather notes
Equipment: magnifying glasses, bug viewers, tablets for photos/notes
Classroom nature table to bring the outdoors inside
Curriculum Integration:English: nature journals, report writing
Maths: graphing sightings, measuring plant growth
Visual Arts: sketching and painting from nature
SPHE: discussions on environmental care
Geography: habitats, seasonal cycles
Technology: digital presentations, species identification apps
Overall Aim:Encourage curiosity and observation
Build a strong connection to the local environment
Link learning meaningfully across the curriculum -
Outline how you would use some of the course resources to conduct a seasonal biodiversity project to run throughout the school year. What resources and recording sheets would you need? How often would you bring learning outdoors? How would you integrate other subject areas?
After studying the wonderful resources in this module I would love to run a seasonal biodiversity project with the 3rd class level across the school year.
To start , we would introduce going on a nature walk once a week around the school grounds in September & October observing and recording what plants, insects, and birds we notice in our school environment. We would encourage teachers and students to use resources like the Wildflower ID guides, Seek app, and the National Biodiversity Data Centre recording sheets to support identification and data collection.
From these walks I would get the children wondering about how could we introduce more wildflowers & birds into our school surroundings and garden. I would pose questions such as
– Do you think the habitat is good for birds?
– what could we do to bring more wildflowers and birds into our school ?
The next step would be to introduce wildflower meadows & wildflower seed planting to the garden. The children could get their hands dirty and make wildflower seed bombs with the soil. They could then get involved in creating and designing their own bird feeders which would encourage more birds into our garden. We would install a small camera into the birdhouse to track and record the types of birds, whether they are common or rare, what they like to eat, how often they eat and what time of the day they eat.
The children will have great fun designing their bird feeders collaborating and identifying what materials to use to make them, where and how to hang it in the garden & thinking about if the material used can biodegrade into the garden
The children will track these observations in their copies or on their ipads so that they have all the information to create a project of their findings ( of wildflowers and birdlife) after each season linking to the concept of phenology. This would tie in well with SESE (Science and Geography) but could also support Maths (charting and analysing data), English (report writing or nature journals), and Art (drawing bird feeders and birds and creating posters). I’d encourage the class to upload sightings to the Biodiversity Data Centre to promote real-life learning through citizen science.
The observations of the birdlife from the cameras inside would be something that the whole school could observe so that all classes are aware of what is happening in our school garden throughout the seasons and it would create conversation and awareness around our living plants and birds in our garden enabling them to realise that there is a personal responsibility for taking care of our environment at school and at home.
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Hello Michelle,
What a terrific plan for exploring biodiversity throughout the seasons. I really like the detail you have covered in this and the scope of what you plan to achieve, from regular nature walks, species identification, to reflecting on how to improve biodiversity on school grounds, designing and making birdfeeders, and installing a camera for birdwatching for schoolwide use.
On the point of wildflowers, there is a lot in the media about ensuring that any wildflowers selected are truly native. Read here for more information on this: Wildflowers – to plant or not to plant? » All-Ireland Pollinator Plan.
The simplest, easiest and free thing to do is to review and revise how your lawns are managed and maintained. It can be very impactful. Eliminating pesticides and mowing with much less frequency is a real win for pollinators, and reduces the workload on the school maintenance team-a win all round! It could also inspire learners to consider discussing this in their own homes-it is a real shift in mindset to see a grown-out lawn as richly biodiverse, and not an unruly mess to be mown!
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I found this module both engaging and inspiring, as it highlighted the importance of connecting classroom learning with the natural world around us. Looking ahead, I am excited to apply what I’ve learned by exploring my local environment in Sligo and identifying various native species. Some examples include the common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), the European robin (Erithacus rubecula), and the small tortoiseshell butterfly (Aglais urticae). I plan to record these sightings using the resources provided by the National Biodiversity Data Centre. By doing so, I would not only deepen my own understanding of local biodiversity, but also contribute meaningful data to national efforts in tracking and protecting Ireland’s ecosystems.
To bring this into my 3rd class, I would begin with guided nature walks around the school grounds to observe and identify local wildlife. Using simple ID guides and apps like the Biodiversity Data Capture app, students would learn how to record and submit their findings as part of a class citizen science project.
This hands-on approach would make science more meaningful and engaging. It would help students develop observation and data skills while also showing them that their contributions matter. By participating in real-world projects, students would begin to see themselves as active protectors of the environment, gaining both knowledge and a sense of ownership over their learning. -
This is by far my favourite module of the course and one I feel most comfortable facilitating .Our school grounds have so much to offer in terms of biodiversity and participating in real world citizen science projects makes it al the more engaging . It about bringing biodiversity to the fore and its amazing how aware you become . ive seen so many butterflies over the last week and Ive even seen a “hairy Mary ” ( no idea what the correct term is for this black hairy caterpillar – I havent seen one since I was a child !! If we dont facilitate nature some children will grow up oblivious to the life around them
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Hi Paula,
Thanks for your feedback. As teachers we can often look beyond the local area when exploring topics in science and geography. This course reminds us of the beauty of our own local environment and how we need to support and protect the biodiversity and heritage of our local area. And I agree we need to draw the children’s attention to this also so they don’t become oblivious. I had a little giggle at your Hairy Mary comment, where I’m from we called them Hairy Molly! But must keep a look out for them all the same.
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To conduct a seasonal biodiversity project throughout the school year, I would use course resources such as nature trail guides, plant and animal ID charts, and the Scoileanna Glasa (Green-Schools) biodiversity toolkit. Pupils would observe changes in local biodiversity across the four seasons, visiting the same outdoor area regularly—once a month—to document species, habitats, and environmental changes.
Each pupil would use a biodiversity recording sheet with sections for date, weather, drawings, and notes on sightings of birds, insects, plants, and other wildlife. I would also use tally charts, habitat maps, and photography for evidence collection.
The project would integrate multiple subjects: Science (living things, habitats), Geography (environmental awareness, mapping), Maths (data collection and graphing), Art (nature sketching, leaf rubbings), and English (nature journals and report writing).
Outdoor learning would happen monthly, with additional shorter visits when relevant. This cross-curricular, hands-on project would develop observation, inquiry, and environmental stewardship in pupils throughout the year.
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Clodagh, I think this sounds like a brilliant project! I love how you have highlighted all of the opportunities for cross curricular integration as well. I think there may also be opportunities for linkage with ICT as children could create a presentation on the changes in biodiversity throughout the seasons with the pictures taken.
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I have registered my garden with the All Ireland Pollinator Plan website. In my garden I have left a patch of grass down the back uncut and have also planted wildflowers and other pollinator friendly flowers.
Upon returning to school, I would work with the teachers in charge of the green schools committee to create a plan for protecting our pollinators. We have a school garden but we could use it more beneficially to protect pollinators.
I would begin by registering the school with the All Ireland Pollinator plan, then I would organise for some pollinator friendly flowers to be planted. I would also ask the caretaker to leave some areas of the grass uncut, particularly coming into the spring and summer months, to encourage pollinators to visit the garden. I would organise a school competition to design some bug hotels, and we could get the senior classes to make and decorate these for the garden. -
We have an excellent green schools coordinator in our school and have many biodiversity elements in place. I would start with a walk around the school to visit the school garden, the track walk and observe life in the swift boxes and around the bird feeders. We also have access to a local walk near a river so I would extend the lesson by visiting it with the identifier grids and recording sheets provided. I looked up the local biodiversity plan from the county council and there is a huge wealth of information there to help me get started on the flora and fauna in the area, how local committees are protecting it and projects that members of the community are working on to improve biodiversity. I will use the Green schools lessons and really encourage the hands on, discovery approach rather than telling them what they will find in Kilcullen.
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This module made me think about how useful biodiversity projects can be in the classroom. Children are always interested in nature, and citizen science gives them a way to explore it properly. I would start small, maybe in the school yard, asking them to look for plants, birds or insects and record what they see. Using picture keys or simple apps would help them figure things out. After that, they could share their results through a project like iNaturalist or Wild Connections, which would show them their work matters. It is a cheap and easy activity that gets them outside, asking questions and working together. It also links into other subjects like geography, maths, language and art. I think this kind of work shows children that they can make a difference to their environment and that science is not only something found in a book but something they can take part in.
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