Go Wild Week 2025
Wild Youth has marked the beginning of a new school term with their annual Go Wild! Week.
Wild Youth are celebrating the third annual Go Wild! Week. This year was slightly shorter, with all workshops taking place from Monday 22nd to Wednesday 24th September 2025. Go Wild! Week is designed to get young people to engage with nature and their surroundings in a way that fosters respect and appreciation for the natural environment.
To mark the week, Wild Youth selected Year 8s from Edmund Rice College as their chosen school for 2025. In the run up to the week, the school received a Resource Pack to help support environmental learning. All six classes in the year group received:
- A Belfast Hills Partnership USB memory pen with BHP Environmental Education Resource Guide
- Digital Invertebrates ID Guides
- Two Belfast Hills Partnership Bird Migration Posters
- Material for bird feeders including plant-based fat, pinecones, and porridge oats
The packs contain resources to support learning both in and outside of the classroom through practical lessons. By supplying materials for bird feeders it is also hoped that the students can learn how to support biodiversity in a practical matter.
Nature Sessions
Additionally, Year 8 pupils were also selected to take part in bird-ringing sessions throughout the week. Through the hands-on sessions, students got to encounter some common birds from the local area up close. Daily sessions, delivered by Aidan Crean, helped students understand the importance of monitoring and recording population numbers. The sessions demonstrated how bird-ringing informs our understanding of bird survival and decline. Aidan was delighted by the enthusiasm shown by all classes throughout the entire week.
“A huge thank you to Silvia, Aidan and Ryan from the Belfast Hills Partnership for giving our Year 8 pupils such a fantastic experience during Go Wild Week!
The highlight was bird ringing on our school grounds. This was an unforgettable opportunity for our students to get up close with local wildlife, hold the birds and discover all about their species and migration. The excitement and wonder on their faces said it all!
There were great curriculum links embedded throughout the week, with eco-systems in Geography and Science, as well as caring for the environment in Religion. The pupils loved seeing their learning come alive in such a hands-on way.
We have also loved the brilliant resources provided after the week, as well as the materials to make bird feeders. These kept the learning going long after Go Wild Week ended.
Thank you so much for allowing us to be a part of this invaluable opportunity!”
Ms Trainor, teacher at Edmund Rice College
Wild Youth is a joint project between the Belfast Hills Partnership and Ulster Wildlife, funded by The National Lottery Community Fund for Northern Ireland and Breedon Group plc. This project delivers wild wellbeing sessions with 11-25 year olds, in and around the Belfast Hills, using nature as a tool to connect with young people and increase their physical and mental health, incorporating the 5 steps to wellbeing.