The winners of the National Young Environmentalist Awards were announced on Thursday 21st of May by Tara Stewart, RTE Radio Presenter through a virtual ceremony. Youth Projects from Dublin, Cork and Kerry have swept the top awards after a record-breaking 500 applications were received this year.
Now in their 21st year, the Young Environmentalist Awards hosted by ECO-UNESCO recognises the efforts made by young people aged 10 to 18 years old across Ireland who have worked towards improving the environment. ECO-UNESCO, Ireland’s Environmental Education and Youth Organisation has seen over 50,000 young people involved in the Young Environmentalist Awards since 1999.
Due to Covid-19, the announcements were made online in place of an event which is usually hosted in Dublin each year. Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland made an address while RTE Radio Presenter, Tara Stewart announced the winning projects. To celebrate the occasion while young people are at home, ECO-UNESCO organised a week-long set of events including workshops and webinars from key experts.The theme of ECO Week is Food, Fitness, Fashion and your Future.
The Young Reducers from Davis College, Mallow won the overall senior category for their efforts to ban single use plastics in their school while creating a video with ‘The Young Offenders’ Star Demi Oviawe highlighting the climate emergency and calling for change.
Aleksandra Proszkowiec from The Young Reducers commented “We wanted to show that climate change, waste production and pollution will affect the future generation and it is young people like us that are willing to make a difference. We have been working to create awareness and reduce ‘Young Offenders’ in our school that have been using single-use plastics. We are delighted to have won a young environmentalist award.”
Are you ready to tumble? From Sandy mount Park Educate Together in Dublin won the overall junior category for creating a laundry bag that catches microplastics in the washing machine to reduce water pollution while Brother’s Evan, Alex and Dylan Nealon from Tralee won the overall super junior category for the second year in a row.
Brother’s Evan, Alex and Dylan Nealon have been working to reduce pollution by cleaning up the canal and bay in Tralee. Since they began the clean up, over 150 volunteers have got involved and over 500 bags of waste has been collected. Since the awards last year the trio has been fundraising to raise 4,000 euros for a seabin, to collect waste in the canal.
Some of the other category winners include ME-BAGS from Crumlin Youthreach who created self-care bags filled with eco-friendly products to tackle both mental health and environmental issues, Newpark Comprehensive School in Blackrock, Dublin who created a biodiversity garden in their school and H4H – Help for Homeless in Cloghans Hill Teen Turn in Mayo who developed an app where homeless people can seek services, food, second hand clothing and household items. Highlighting the issue of homelessness and the importance of reusing and recycling.
Elaine Nevin, National Director of ECO-UNESCO commented “We have received more applications than ever this year and despite Covid-19 interruptions, young people have continued to work on their projects at home. Climate Change and biodiversity loss are becoming real threats and young people this year have shown through their YEA action projects how they are tackling some of these issues. We are blown away by the passion and motivation of this year’s entries and their attitude towards making a positive environmental change.”
For more information on the Young Environmentalist Awards please got to www.YEA.ie
