Building upon the extensive experience that the Foundation for Environmental Education and LEAF Ireland has in successfully running nature restoration and ecosystem restoration education (ERE), LEAF Ireland have recently partnered with the Marino Institute of Education (MIE) on an innovative Nature Restoration and Teacher Training Project, supported by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE).

“This partnership is an important one for MIE, connecting our young teachers with their local environment, and giving them the confidence, skills and knowledge to work together with the children in their care to create and restore habitats in their local communities.”  –Dr Sandra Austin, Lecturer in Social, Environmental and Scientific Education at MIE.

An initial site visit took place on October 16th, marking the beginning of this exciting partnership. Restoration work and teacher training activities are set to commence in the New Year, with plans to plant over 2,000 native Irish trees of certified Irish provenance, sourced from Hometree. In addition to extensive tree planting, new habitats will be created, including a small pond, dead hedge, and wetland area, while existing wildflower meadows will be enhanced and integrated into the overall restoration plan.

   

This collaboration will restore and enhance the natural habitats within the Marino Institute of Education grounds, while integrating Ecosystem Restoration Education (ERE) principles into teacher training. The project aims to connect future educators with practical, place-based environmental restoration and embed sustainability across key teaching areas such as science education, geography and social studies. LEAF Ireland will continue to provide expert guidance on appropriate, site-specific restoration actions and support the MIE community in caring for and maintaining these vital habitats into the future. Through practical training, lecturers and student teachers will gain the skills, knowledge, and resources needed to lead restoration and environmental education initiatives in their own schools and communities.

 

Following this, a key component of the project involves initiating the development of an ERE module for Teacher Training. It is hoped that once this module is created it will promote experiential, inquiry-based, and project-based transformative learning, empowering educators to nurture active engagement and stewardship among their future pupils.

“This project represents a meaningful step towards combining biodiversity restoration, environmental education, and teacher empowerment, helping to cultivate a generation of educators who understand the importance of restoring and protecting Ireland’s natural heritage.” – Rachel Geary, LEAF Ireland, An Taisce