Nature-based school programme helps Dublin children rediscover the wild on their doorsteps.
GAP Ireland’s Nature Explorer for Schools programme has been recognised with the Community & Voluntary Sector Award 2025 from the Environmental Forum.
The award celebrates the programme’s success in helping children reconnect with the natural world and inspiring a new generation of nature stewards.
Now in its 25th year, the Environmental Forum Awards honour outstanding Irish leadership in sustainability and community action. This year’s judges praised Nature Explorer for Schools for its creativity, impact and ability to turn environmental education into a real-world adventure.
Through the programme, GAP Ireland works with schools and local authorities to bring learning outdoors. Pupils explore their school grounds, local parks and green spaces, discovering the wildlife that thrives there. Using a playful approach, the project supports children to learn about biodiversity, ecosystems and climate action. Children become “park stewards,” growing their confidence and curiosity as they learn how every leaf, insect and puddle plays a role in the living web of nature.
“This award is a wonderful recognition of the teachers and communities who make Nature Explorer possible,” said Emer Savage, Education Coordinator at GAP Ireland.
“Every day we see children’s faces light up as they uncover what lives beneath a leaf, in the soil or in a pond. That sense of wonder is exactly what we need to help children establish a lifelong connection with nature. We’re honoured that The Environmental Forum has chosen to celebrate this work.”
Since its launch, Nature Explorer for Schools has brought hundreds of primary pupils outdoors to experience nature-based learning across Dublin. By encouraging children’s playful curiosity and helping teachers blend classroom lessons with field-based discovery, the programme strengthens local communities’ ties to their natural surroundings and promotes a love for nature from an early age.
The 2025 Environmental Forum Awards Ceremony will take place on Thursday, 4th December 2025, at 7:00 pm in St. Peter’s, North Main Street, Cork, where GAP Ireland will join other award recipients from across Ireland’s public, business and voluntary sectors.
