Dont Mow, Let It Grow educates local schools
Wed, March 14, 2018
Working with the Causeway Coast and Glen Borough Council, DfI Roads, the Northern Ireland Environment Agency and a group of volunteers; environmental project Don’t Mow, Let It Grow wants to educate the next generation of environmentalists in the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough and beyond.
Telling the story of Don’t Mow, Let It Grow to eager little minds in primary schools across the Borough is Bizzy Flo the Bumblebee, an exciting new animated character who leads kids on the important biodiversity journey.
The Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council Councillor Joan Baird OBE said: “This is an interactive and engaging way of teaching children a very important lesson about our environment. By instilling this understanding from a young age, we are helping to encourage a life-long respect for the beauty of our natural world and the positive impact of schemes like ‘Don’t Mow, Let It Grow.’
Rachel Bain, Biodiversity Officer at Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, and a group of volunteers have been visiting local schools to encourage the pupils to not only understand what the project is about, but to become an ambassador for Don’t Mow, Let It Grow.
Rachel explains: “It is vital that the public understand the importance of what Don’t Mow, Let It Grow can achieve in their local area. By explaining the environmental impact of cutting grassland and what a different type of management of these areas can do we are informing people how we conserve and grow important native wildflowers and grasses for populations of wildlife and pollinators.
The children at St Brigids Primary School, Ballymoney, were fascinated by the story of pollination, told by the Bizzy Flo the Bumblebee in a six part animation. In finding out how they can make a difference I know we now have a keen group of junior environmentalists to help spread the word.”
Bizzy Flo explains to children that small changes in management of grasslands give big benefits to biodiversity and ecosystem services and provide much needed sites for our native wildflowers and pollinators who also play a key role in crop production.
This is a free resource for teachers and youth leaders, and the Bizzy Flo animation and teachers pack is available now to download from www.dontmowletitgrow.com.
Children also have been given an opportunity to create a new friend for Bizzy Flo the Bumblebee. A competition has been launched to find a name for Mr H the Hoverfly and bring a bit of colour in to his life.
Don’t Mow, Let It Grow has seen the development of 20 Department for Infrastructure verges and 18 Council park grassland areas, allowing native wildflowers, grasses and insects to flourish.
Don’t Mow, Let It Grow is managed by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, working with the Department for Infrastructure and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.
Further information on Don’t Mow, Let It Grow can be found at www.dontmowletitgrow.com.
Pictured are children from St Brigids Primary School in Ballymoney who took part in an educational lesson about maintaing our environment.