Carlow's 'Guardians of the Grassland' on duty
Councillor Ken Murnane, Cathaoirleach of Carlow County Council, with students and teachers from Tyndall College, who created a cheetah scarecrow to highlight the negative impact of fast fashion on the environment. Pic. Michael O’Rourke Photography
SINCE time immemorial in Ireland, the sight of overgrown lawns, grass verges and other green spaces has been deemed a stain on the landscape, which must quickly be rectified with a strimmer or mower.
However, thanks to extensive research on biodiversity, we now know that for many of our pollinators and birds, an overgrown or ‘untidy’ green space is the most abundant of food sources.
Thankfully, the students at Carlow’s schools are well aware of this fact, and, in conjunction with the council, have created 6ft tall scarecrows to stave off any would-be trimmers.
The scarecrows, dubbed ‘guardians of the grasslands’ appear in multiple locations across Carlow town and will watch over a selection of green space the council has let grow wild for the remainder of the summer in an effort to promote its ‘urban pollinator’ foraging network.
Scarecrows have been created by students from Tyndall College, St Mary’s CBS, Old Leighlin National School and Ballon National School, who were asked to design them on the theme of fast fashion.
Hannah Murphy, a teacher at the Resource Centre in Tyndall College said the students had great fun making the scarecrows and aligning their creations with the overall theme.
“They made a cheetah for their design – inspired by fast fashion because cheetahs are fast,” explained Ms Murphy.
“The cheetah is wearing clothes from fast fashion brand Shein and they painted the scarecrow as well and got creative with it. We’re very proud of their work,” she added.
The conditions stipulated that scarecrows had to be maximum size of 6ft tall and 6ft wide and be able to withstand all that the Carlow weather forecast can throw at them.
The scarecrows will be on guard in various green spaces around the town until September, when the council adopts a low mow/no mow policy.
“Not only does this help to provide a food source for urban pollinators, but it will also support Carlow’s biodiversity,” said Carlow County Council Biodiversity Officer, Shane Casey.
Speaking about the initiative, Cathaoirleach of Carlow County Council, Councillor Ken Murnane said, “creative projects such as this are a fantastic way to promote these efforts and to get the next generation interested and involved.”
