LEAF Ireland is delighted to be continuing our work with B.Ed. Students from Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, encouraging these soon to be teachers to bring their own students outdoors and reconnect with nature.

Tuesday 25th February, LEAF hosted a College Based Workshop in Mary I., where students were shown a variety of different ways that the outdoors can be used to educate children across all curricular areas. The workshop included a session on our native and non-native tree species, explored the theme of Forest and Products and a sample of forest related activities that can be done either in the classroom or outdoors.

An Choill Bheag is an initiative of LEAF Ireland and we are extremely excited to be planting our first ever Choill Bheag on college grounds later this month! The LEAF team will be joining staff and students from Mary I., March 31st and planting a small, dense, bio-diverse native woodland on the college grounds. This woodland will become an outdoor living classroom, with space created for seating for classes to spend time learning outside. As the Choill Bheag matures, nature trails can be developed and students can learn the necessary skills to maintain, monitor and study this essential ecosystem in their college grounds.