“Befriend bees and celebrate biodiversity” is the message from Gas Networks Ireland’s Sustainability Manager, Anne Moore, as the network operator launches a poster competition to mark World Environment Day.
Gas Networks Ireland is a hive of activity when it comes to protecting biodiversity. As a business supporter of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, the organisation has created a network of pollinator-friendly habitats nationwide, and is helping to conserve bees by growing the wildflowers and hedgerows they depend on, including red clover, which is not only good for bees and the soil, but can also be used for the production of renewable gas.
Ms Moore said there are many ways households around Ireland can embrace this important environmental initiative and keep the bees buzzing.
“We are spending a lot more time in our gardens at the moment, so now more than ever we want to encourage people to be more aware of the importance of protecting their local biodiversity. A simple way to do this is by planting bee-friendly plants or even creating a window box bee garden,” Ms Moore said.
Winners of the “Working Together for Biodiversity” award for its Biodiversity Enhancement Programme, Gas Networks Ireland has held a number workshops in local primary schools and, together with Cork City Council, opened a “bug hotel” in Shalom Park beside the company’s Cork office last year. To mark World Environment Day, Gas Networks Ireland is encouraging children to create a poster inspired by what Ireland’s Biodiversity means to them to be in with a chance of winning one of twenty copies of “The Great Big Book of Irish Wildlife” written by Juanita Browne and illustrated by Barry Reynolds.
“There’s a real buzz around this competition and we’re really looking forward to the entries. The prize is a wonderful book that will help children to enjoy their surroundings even more during the long summer days,” Ms Moore said.
The Gas Networks Ireland biodiversity poster competition is open to children under eighteen years of age. To enter, a photo of the poster should be emailed to environment@gasnetworks.ie before Saturday June 20th. For more information, visit www.gasnetworks.ie/poster.
Gas Networks Ireland is committed to the ‘Low Carbon Pledge’ to reduce its own greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and is one of the founding members of the Irish Business and Biodiversity Platform. The network operator is also a member of Business in the Community Ireland’s Leaders Group on Sustainability and co-chair of the Low Carbon Economy Group.
Pic Credit: Niamh Russell
