Guardians of the Sperrins 

Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Councillor Barry McElduff, last week visited children in Gortin Primary School to recognise their efforts in the recent ‘Guardians of the Sperrins’ Project.

Developed by the Sperrins Partnership, ‘Guardians of the Sperrins’ was delivered to four local primary schools throughout the Council areas that make up the Sperrins region. Over 100 children participated in the project which aimed to promote the unique natural, built and cultural heritage of Sperrin Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Primary six and seven pupils from Gortin Primary School represented the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council area.

The project included class visits to a variety of sites across the Sperrins including the recently completed Giant Sculpture Trail, Gortin Glen Forest Park and OM Dark Sky Park & Observatory, followed by the creation of their own class book. Crucially, it provided an opportunity for the children to express what the area means to them and how it should be protected for future generations.

Congratulating the children on their success Chair, Councillor Barry McElduff stated “It was a real pleasure to meet the pupils of Gortin Primary School and to see their creativity and passion for the Sperrins come to life through this project. ‘Guardians of the Sperrins’ has given these young people a powerful voice in how we understand, promote and protect this special landscape. Their work is not only impressive – it is inspiring. I commend every child and teacher involved for helping to shape a more connected and sustainable future for the Sperrins.”

Sperrin AONB Officer Dearbháile Hutchinson also thanked all those involved adding “We have been truly inspired by the level of engagement from the children, who have demonstrated considerable awareness and appreciation of our special landscapes, and the need to protect them. A huge thank you to the teachers, pupils and everyone else involved”.

‘Guardians of the Sperrins’ forms part of a wider community engagement exercise aimed at informing development of the first ever Management Plan for Sperrin AONB.

Highlighting the importance of youth engagement to this process Chair of the Sperrins Partnership, Councillor Sean Clarke stated “As future guardians of this landscape, young people’s views are critical in the development of the Sperrin AONB Management Plan. This project provided an opportunity to ensure these views were heard. We will continue to work with young people, so their voice is represented both at a development and delivery stage of the plan.”

This project has been funded by NIEA through the Carrier Bag Levy. If you would like to find out more about the project or the Sperrins Partnership, please visit – https://sperrinspartnershipproject.com