The Education Minister said encouraging children and young people to learn about the environment is very important.

Minister John O'Dowd made the announcement today as he visited the environmental education programme of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) at the CAFRE Greenmount Campus in Antrim.

During his visit, the Minister was shown how the RSPB helps local children learn about wildlife and its importance to the environment. He also met with pupils from Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School, Belfast, as they attended the facility on a learning trip.

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Mr O'Dowd said: "The cumulative negative effects of humanity's actions on the environment are well known and now beyond dispute. Industrialisation over the last two centuries has resulted in incalculable damage to the environment on a global scale.

"It is therefore very important that we teach children and young people about the world they live in and how their actions can impact on their environment. Environmental education is embedded in the curriculum from Foundation Stage onwards, ensuring that children experience hands-on outdoor learning from a young age."

(CD/JP)