The Heritage Council of Ireland has announced the Heritage Award Winners for 2017 – and there was a Laois recipient among the nominations.
These awards showcase the best of National Heritage Week and recognise the fantastic work of all the heritage enthusiasts who take part.
There were 122 entries for the Awards and 170 nominations for the Heritage Hero award.
The 13 winners came from eight counties and Laois was nominated in the ‘Cool For Kids’ category.
This award was open to event organisers who encouraged children and families to participate in Heritage Week.
The Pollinator Party in the Park organised by Laois Heritage Office aimed to raise awareness of pollinators in a fun and engaging way.
Children could enjoy face painting (bees and butterflies of course!), bug hunts, a scavenger hunt and biodiversity quiz, and everyone could build a mini bug hotel.
Tom Carroll was there on behalf of Irish Wildlife Trust and Laois Heritage Office to collect their certificate recognising that they had been shortlisted in the Cool for Kids Award.
The award was won by Go Wild Nature Camps organised by BirdWatch Ireland in Galway.
This was all about connecting children with their local environment through revealing the wonders and importance of local biodiversity.
The camps appealed to the innate curiosity that children possess for wildlife and focused on practical hands-on activities and creative exploration.
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