Green School Flag Application 3 – Water management

All A lot of work underway on our water management program our 3rd Green Flag through An Taisces Green School Program so I wanted to pause and give an overall summary and details here for your information on what we have completed to date.
As you are aware we continue to manage our school greenly with a high priority on energy management; water management; sustainable living and litter and waste management and a big thanks as always to everyone supporting us through the green school program.

Executive Summary Our Work 2010-2015
1. Litter , waste management and recycling program :
•Maintained and grown to meet our growing population from 20 children 2013 /2014 to 30 children 2014/2015 per day.
•Cost avoidance of €1050 annually Growth year on year 2013/1014 to 2014/2015 of €350.

2.ENERGY MANAGEMENT

•Heat Consumption reduced by 1100 litres we saved 1.7 tonne of Co2. €900 saving annually.
•Electricity daily consumption reduced from 20 kW to 15 Kw. €233 saving annually.
•2014 First Low Energy Pyjama Day – no lights on from 8-18 saved 5 kW.
•2015 Second Low Energy Pyjama Day – no lights on from 8-18 saved 5 kw.
•Developed ; documented and rolled out an Energy Management curriculum with 12 individual projects.
•Rolled out a home survey and agreed an Energy Management pledge with our families.

3. Travel :
• Rolled out a Car pooling service with no charge reducing our Carbon foot print by 0.837 tonnes of CO2.
•All our afterschoolers participated and were actively involved in WOW days for OGNS.
•Rolled out a Yoga day for our school-goers/ after-schoolers supporting Active program with OGNS.

4..Water Management :
•Mapped our Water Management program to Aistear Learning Goals.
•Developed ; documented and rolled out a Water Management curriculum with 12 individual projects.
•Expanded our Ulla Beag Green Management code to focus on Water
•Fuinneamh Rapcheol
•Rolled out a home survey and agreed a Water Management pldege with our families.
•Active involvement with out parents
•Developed a dedicated Green Schools Committee webpage on our website www.ullabeag.ie

5. Biodiversity management
•Built insect hotels.
•Planted an edible native hedgerow-2011 in full bloom now.
•Planted native irish cherry trees
•Teaching curriculum teaching our children about native Irish indigenous planting; organic growing for sustainable living and non indigenous plants.
•Child friendly herb garden
•Planted a native apple orchard

5. Natural Playscapes
– recycling our native trees-willow; sally etc in partnership with a local Artist and Sculptor Gerard Bourke we have created natural play areas which are growing with our aging children so the gardens are suitable for 0-12 years now. With lots more plans on the way