Our Story — Irish Schools Sustainability Network

OUR dúlra agreement

A Commitment to Nature-Rich Education

A Conference of the Parties (COP)-style commitment: education system leaders and educational organisations pledge to support schools to improve biodiversity on school grounds.

What is Our Dúlra Agreement?

Our Dúlra Agreement has grown out of the Irish School Sustainability Network (ISSN), supported by a steering committee and driven, in practice, by the Biodiversity Working Group for Schools.

Our Dúlra Agreement recognises the vital role of educational leadership in understanding the biodiversity crisis, where system leaders and organisations supporting schools to commit to fostering educational environments where nature thrives alongside learning. Education system leaders pledge to lead by example ensuring that our educational communities become sanctuaries for biodiversity.

Download

How do you get involved?

Education System Leaders to include: Education Support Centres, educational trusts, Education and Training and Boards (ETBs), patron bodies, management bodies.

Firstly, download the agreement and bring it to your board of trustees and sign it. Email the signed agreement to info@issn.ie with the subject line "Our Dúlra Agreement Signature" and we add your organisation to the list of signatories.

Secondly, check out the resources below that will help you to support your schools.

Educational Organisations and County Councils

Are you in a position to a) support schools in mapping their school grounds using the National Biodiversity Data Centre tool, and/or b) support schools with specific biodiversity actions on school grounds as outlined in our ‘Actions to Support Biodiversity on School Grounds’ resource? If you are, download the agreement, bring it to your board of trustees and sign it. Email the signed agreement to info@issn.ie with the subject line ‘Our Dúlra Agreement Signature’ and we'll add your organisation to the list of signatories.

Funders or sponsors

Although progress has been made, it does not in anyway align with the deep and rapid transformational change that we need to see. Changing knowledge, attitudes and practices doesn’t occur overnight, it takes years of hard work and a mountain of energy. We know that this work, still even now, largely rests on the shoulders of individual champions in schools. If we are going to be successful we need to change the model of support. Instead of funding ‘one-off’ workshops and time limited programmes we need sustained support. We would like to see the funding that is available being directed to provide expert individuals to work in schools long term on a weekly basis, who will dive into the details with us, develop a whole school strategy, build capacity and facilitate this work. Your support to bring about change at the pace, our young people need, is an essential part of this vision. If you fund work in schools please get in touch as we'd love to talk.