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In 1993 we decided to make a heather bed at the school gates. We decided on a heather bed because we are near the bog. We thought that heathers would fit in well with the area.

We didn't dig the grass. We put cardboard and newspaper over it and spread farmyard manure on top. Then, over all this, we put a light coat of peat.

We planted Heathers, Dogwood, Broom (which has lots of seeds for the birds), a Weeping Cotoneaster and a ground cover Juniper called Blue Carpet.

Twice a week we watered the heather bed and after a few months it looked like this.

Now our Heather Bed is finished and it looks like this.

Our local community got very interested in wild flowers so they decided to landscape the village. They applied to Leader for funds. Leader agreed, but said that they had to put up half the money.

Our school helped raise the money by taking part in a Fair Day held in Clonown. This is a newspaper report about the Fair Day.

We gave a tour of our garden to people who came. All the pupils helped to show people around. £100 was raised that day.

The school band also played music at the Fair and everyone enjoyed listening to us. 

We helped draw up a plan for wildlife planting around the Community Centre. This is a picture of the plan.

A wildflower meadow was planted alongside the path leading through the garden. A hedge was also planted with trees such as Rowan, Crab Apple, Hazel, Holly, Silver Birch, Dogwood and many more evergreen trees. Some climbers were planted along the walls of the Community Centre which will look lovely when they are fully grown.

Some pupils and past pupils got together in November to do the planting. First they planted the trees. Then they mulched them with cardboard and mushroom compost. Some people made the path leading through the middle of the garden.

Fr. Hanley raked the garden outside the church. He also wheeled the sand for the new path.

Helen and Ann collected the bark mulch and put it into the wheelbarrow. It keeps down the weeds in the flower beds.

Next, plants were planted beside the wall by Laurence and David. Birch trees were planted because they attract insects. Tits eat the insects. Dogwood was planted under the birch trees. Hazels were planted for nuts. Sparrows and Finches eat the nuts. Holly was planted for berries. Buddlia was planted for the butterflies. It is called the butterfly bush.

This is how the ground was mulched.

First, Rosaleen collected lots of newspapers, magazines and cardboard boxes from her school children. Emer, Paul and Rachel put down the paper and after that we put mushroom compost on top.

Aishling's granny and Ann Shine pulled the weeds out of the flower bed. Aishling's granny is a very good worker.

Beside the Community Centre there was a rough field, which people decided to turn into a wildlife garden. First, the field was dug, and then Padraig Duncan put down a path.

Denise Devine gave Emer and Luke sausage rolls to bring around for the workers.

Everyone was hungry and cold because December Saturdays are cold.

We entered our project in two competitions - the Gulbenkian Awards and the ESB Environmental Awards '98.