600 School Meadows Bloom Due to Pollinator Project, As Initiative Returns For 2026

The Pollinator Project, a schools-based initiative raising awareness of the importance of pollinators (insects, birds and mammals) and how they can be protected, was officially launched today by Minister for Education and Youth, Hildegarde Naughton T.D.

The launch took place at St. Patrick’s National School in Galway City which last year won the Pollinator Project’s, Golden Bee Award, in recognition of its work to protect pollinators on its school grounds.
The project, delivered by Biodiversity in Schools, Ireland’s biodiversity education organisation for young people, in partnership with fibre broadband operator SIRO, works with schools across Ireland to train students as Pollinator Ambassadors and support them in delivering bee-positive actions such as creating ‘no-mow’ meadows and reducing the use of sprays on school grounds.

Participating schools and students receive practical supports including educational resources, such as biodiversity kits and training from biodiversity experts over the course of the programme, which runs across several months during the school year.

Since 2023, the project has engaged more than 144,000 students from early years education through to primary and post-primary schools nationwide. During this time, over 16,000 students have also received specialised training to become Pollinator Ambassadors within their school communities, helping to lead biodiversity actions among their peers.

The initiative is also leaving a visible and lasting impact on school environments across the country. Over 600 no-mow meadows have been created during the critical spring-to-early summer period for pollinators, replacing traditional short-cut lawns with thriving habitats that continue to support biodiversity long after the programme ends. Students have also planted more than 32,000 pollinator-friendly sunflowers, transforming school gardens, courtyards and outdoor learning spaces into vibrant sources of food for bees and other pollinators.

Building on three years of increasing impact, the Pollinator Project in 2026 will expand its reach once again, offering free pollinator toolkits, classroom resources and educational workshops again to pre-schools, primary and secondary schools, and now also to homeschooling groups nationwide.

With applications now open, schools across Ireland are invited to take part and join a nationwide movement that is reshaping school grounds into living spaces for nature and inspiring young people to play an active role in protecting biodiversity.

 

Minister for Education and Youth, Hildegarde Naughton T.D., noted:

“It has been so heartening to see so many pupils and students across Ireland stepping up as leaders and changemakers in their school communities over the past few years, helping to protect pollinators and raise awareness of their importance. Pupils like those at St. Patrick’s National School have shown their creativity and commitment to supporting nature and the world around us through the many bee-positive actions they have delivered as part of The Pollinator Project. As Minister for Education and Youth, I am committed to supporting initiatives promoting Education for Sustainable Development as part of the department’s strategy to contribute to a more sustainable future. I am so pleased, therefore, to launch The Pollinator Project for 2026 and would like to encourage all schools across Ireland to consider applying to take part and join the nationwide movement supporting young people to play an active role in protecting biodiversity.”

Director of Biodiversity in Schools, Mark Nolan stated:

“The most encouraging part of the Project after three years is that schools are not just taking part, they are changing how they use their space. We are seeing corners, courtyards and lawns permanently reimagined as habitats. When children see pollinators return to areas, they have planted themselves, it changes how they understand nature. That sense of ownership and responsibility does not disappear at the end of a school year.”

SIRO CEO John Keaney stated:

“Sustainable change takes time, and the impact we are now seeing from this project is the result of consistent, practical action in schools across the country. SIRO is an Irish company building a broadband network which reaches into communities across Ireland, so we are pleased to further support these areas by helping to protect the habitats within them.
“The habitats created through this project remain in place, and the learning continues long after the project has formally closed each year. This lasting and ongoing impact is what makes the Pollinator Project so powerful.”