It was with a great sense of pride, honour and privilege, that a group of our Primary Seven students travelled to South West College, Enniskillen in recent days, to participate and compete in Fermanagh & Omagh Environmental Youth Speak 2025.
This wonderful event was jointly organised by Comhairle Ceantair Fhear Manach agus na hÓmaí - Fermanagh & Omagh District Council, and South West College, Enniskillen. As a public speaking forum, the day’s event offered our precious young people from schools across Fermanagh and Tyrone, the opportunity to showcase their unique personalities and creativity, whilst sharing their views on one of the pressing issues of our time - the vital need to protect, maintain and increase the numbers of pollinators in our great biodiversity, most especially our bees, in a current situation of very concerning decline. Thus, the theme of the day’s public speaking event was “Where Would we ‘Bee’ without Pollinators?”
In exploring this theme, our students were required to address and speak about a number of crucial aspects and questions, which included:
Who are the local pollinators and what is their role?
Why are pollinators in decline?
What are the impacts of pollinator loss for nature?
What are the impacts of pollinator loss for people?
What ‘I’ can do to help?
Because the event was very much one based on Public Speaking, our students also had to hone their skills in a range of categories: platform manner, presence and overall impact; voice projection, delivery, flow and continuity; timing and content - ensuring that the clearly defined focus and topic was uppermost in their presentations and delivery.
Our two teams of students were simply wonderful ambassadors for St Mary’s and a credit to their parents, families, school and community! It was tremendous to witness and share in their collective passion, empathy, insight, compassion and knowledge of the vital role that pollinators play in our precious eco-system; their call to action for all of us as humankind in this great world; and the great efforts and creativity demonstrated in the weeks prior to and on the day, itself, in researching, preparing and delivering their thoughts, speeches and presentations.
It was, therefore, most joyful, inspirational, emotional and humbling, when the judging panel concluded their deliberations and delivered their results.
Many congratulations to Ava, Gracie and Mia who were awarded one of only three Highly Commended awards on the day! Following the girls’ success, it was then extra-special for our team of Aoibheann, Sapphire and Samuil to be announced as the recipients of the Runner-Up award in this prestigious event! The congratulations of our school community go to our six wonderful young people who represented themselves, their families and our school in such a fitting and admirable way, and to Eva, who was a wonderful support to her friends and peers in so many ways, and who travelled on the day, too.
A most sincere word of thanks and appreciation is conveyed to Mr Reece England, Climate Education Officer, Fermanagh & Omagh District Council and his colleagues; to Ms Supriya Foster, Sustainability Officer, South West College and her colleagues; to the National Trust; to Mr John McClaughry, Chair of Fermanagh & Omagh District Council; and to all the wonderful young people from many schools across our two counties who advocated, inspired and provided such a powerful and impactful voice and message, on the day.
