Ciarán Gray

Subject(s):: Science, Geography
Curriculum Strands:: Natural environments (Geography), Environmental awareness and care (Geography/Science), Living things (Science)
Counties catered for:: Cavan, Meath, Monaghan
Classes catered for:: All Classes

Ciarán is a qualified secondary school teacher on career break to follow his new passion which is teaching students how to grow their own organic fruit and vegetables and thus gain an appreciation and understanding of the origin of the food they eat. This learning empowers students to reduce their carbon footprint, become more self-sufficient and connect with their natural environment. In this work Ciarán also teaches students the importance of protecting and maintaining Irish heritage varieties of fruit and vegetables for future generations.

Ciarán’s teaching is student focused and can be adapted to the needs and resources of any prospective school. An example of what can be achieved is a student designed and created edible/sensory garden. This can be realised through, for example, the following process:

The teaching of the basic plant life cycle.
Assessment of space & resources available.
Election of plants to grow, including heritage varieties, native trees, top fruit trees, soft fruit plants, vegetables, herbs, (wild)flowers.
Student drawing & design of garden, including e.g. composting area, a pond, wildflower pollination area, growing area, sensory plants, edible/decorative plants, hedgerows, bird feeders and insect hotels.
Collection of required materials and plants.
Garden Creation: Students are guided through the building and planting process of the garden.
Garden Maintenance: Students learn how to harvest, use and look after their garden.

In addition to his work, Ciarán also offers local nature trails and organic community garden visits to further develop student learning and appreciation for organic growing and sustainability.

Ciarán Gray

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