FIRST Minister Arlene Foster was on hand as a very special guest as the seeds of the trees and flowers of the future were planted last week at Willowbridge School in Enniskillen.

The children of the Willowbridge Eco Schools club were excited to officially launch an eco-garden, with special guests and Mrs. Foster joining the pupils to plant an oak tree at the grounds of the school.

The Eco Schools programme was developed at Willowbridge by Finessa Wallace, with Mrs. Wallace speaking to a group of representatives from various organisations including Fermanagh and Omagh District Council (FODC) Deputy chairman, Councillor John Coyle; Sarah-Jayne Beacom, Bio-Diversity officer at FODC; Lough Erne Landscape Partnership; and Balcas.

Welcoming guests to the school on the beautiful, dry morning, Acting Principal Bernie Cornyn said: “The Eco-Schools programme is a wonderful educational programme, and it empowers our pupils – you will be so excited and surprised at the amount of knowledge they have.

“I think everyone in this group, and everyone across the school, really feels that they can make a difference to our environment, and change the planet.

"Some of them will tell you they are going to do so, which is a wonderful thing for them to be able to talk about.”

Mrs. Wallace praised the school community and said: “[Supporting the environment] has to start off with the children in the school, and every single person in our school community has embraced it wholeheartedly.”

She spoke about some of the initiatives that the school has launched, including the move to become a zero per cent waste-to-landfill school, adding: "Everything that leaves the school is recycled; we have zero plastic waste – Covid has impacted that a little.”

Speaking to the children, First Minister Arlene Foster said: “I’m so proud of you for taking up the challenge of dealing with climate change and dealing with the environment, and it's really important to look after our garden to make sure that everything is ready.”

The children were delighted to learn that the First Minister had previously served as a Minister for the Environment when she first entered the Executive.

She added: “I look forward to coming back, God willing, in five years’s time and seeing all the plans you have started – and you are the key people here, because you have started this.”

The Chair of the Board of Governors, Tom Palmer, spoke of the importance of Willowbridge School for the community in Fermanagh, and reminded guests: “Every day is a special day at Willowbridge.”

He reflected on an article he had read which suggested ‘We forget the past, live in the present, and look forward to the future’, and then said: “I agreed with most of that. But I think that we must remember the past.

"We needn't dwell on it, but we must remember, because if we don't, we have no benchmark for the future.

“When we look back at Fermanagh, in regards to special education, we had nothing here.

"In the 1960s, there was no such thing as 'a special school', and it was only through the efforts of many volunteers, most of whom have long gone [that such a facility would one day come to be].

"But all we have to do is look here [at Willowbridge] as a testament to them for their efforts. We look forward to the future, and remember the past.”

Following the visit, pupils and teachers had a fabulous day in the sunshine planting wildflower seeds supplied by the Lough Erne Landscape Partnership through funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Heather Gott, Community Connections and Volunteer Manager of the Lough Erne Landscape Partnership, said: "We are delighted to be able to support Willowbridge School through this exciting project which will enhance the biodiversity of the area and provide pupils with the opportunity to connect to nature.

"We really look forward to working with the school and seeing the flowers bloom over the next few months.”

Everyone will be waiting with interest to see how the new garden develops, and the beautiful sights that will be seen at Willowbridge.