Huge congratulations to the team at Bonnington Training Centre who received their Green Campus Flag following four years and more initiative to go green. Horizons is one of just 22 sites in Ireland to have received a Green Campus Flag since the programme began in 2007.
Mr. Jerry Buttimer, Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, with special responsibility for Rural Transport spoke at the presentation and acknowledged Deirdre O’ Carroll and Valentina Stampa from An Taisce. Thank you to all the BTC staff especially Denis Mangan, Olivia O’ Reilly, Jackie O’Leary, Joan Crowley and Paul Sherlock for all their work and contribution towards the Green Campus.
Thanks also to the Cork business community who volunteered their time to support this initiative, to the Trigon Hotel Group, Amazon, FMC Agro Ireland and NetApp.
The Bonnington Training Centre hosted a great event to celebrate the raising of the green flag which included speeches from those involved, a visit to their gardens and the planting of an apple tree to commemorate the occasion.
The Green Campus Programme
The Green Campus Programme is an international environmental education and award scheme that empowers third-level students and staff to integrate sustainability into day-to-day campus management, operations, and linking it to daily learning.
The programme aims to ensure that members of a campus can engage in a meaningful way to enhance sustainability on the campus. There are a number of steps to achieve in order to register and qualify for the Green Flag award. Students and staff work together, to do an environmental review, to implement an action plan, and to monitor and evaluate actions carried out. Elements are linked to curriculum work, informing and involving the campus and wider community, and developing a green charter.
Good Green Campus Practices
Litter & Waste
Students and staff at the BTC examined the impact of litter and waste on the environment and put in place practical means for preventing, reducing and minimizing the amount of litter and waste produced by the centre.
Bottle Return Scheme
The group collect plastic bottles and cans from Heatherlee Canteen, the Ashville office and from Roots Café every week with their Team Leader Orla Joyce. Each week the cans and bottles are brought to Lidl, Aldi, SuperValu or Dunnes and deposited in the bottle return scheme bins. The credit is used to buy bulbs, seeds, garden equipment, compost and bird food.
Composting & Sustainability
The team at the BTC use their grass cuttings and leaves as compost for their organic vegetables. Composting reduces organic waste in landfill and prevents greenhouse gases. It also improves soil and recycles nutrients, reducing the need for chemical fertilizer and supports local sustainable food production.
Other sustainability ideas included hosting a clothes swap event, collecting water in wheelbarrows and creating a bug hotel!
Putting energy into saving energy!
The BTC have put steps in place to save energy and water resources. All lighting has been upgraded to LED lights with clear signs all around the centre to ‘Save Electricity’, ‘Turn off Lights’ and ‘Turn off Taps’.
Students ensure that washing machines, dryers and the dishwasher are full before turning them on and they try to air dry clothes as much as possible.
Staff integrate good green campus practices into their classes and they also do upcycling courses in Mayfield Community Development Program.
Biodiversity – the variety of all living things and their interactions
The BTC team examined the diversity of plant and animal life at the Montenotte campus and found ways to enhance and protect biodiversity. The gardens in Montenotte support pollinators and are enjoyed by the people supported by Horizons, the staff and also enjoyed by the local community.
Seed Saving Project
The group has established a fantastic seed saving project that brings all the students together as a team to help sort, package and swap out seeds. Seed saving helps protect and maintain a wide variety of plant types, especially unique or heirloom varieties that might otherwise be lost.
Seed saving is a key practice for sustainability, reducing the need for commercially produced seeds and minimizing waste in the gardening process. Participating in seed-saving groups, swaps, and exchanges also creates connections among gardeners and strengthens local communities.
Planting for the Planet
The BTC plants flowering plants that help pollinators to thrive. Seeds previously collected of the Sunflower, Nasturtium, French Marigold, Poppy and Old English Marigold have been planted and cared for. They also grow Lavender, Sunflowers, Cosmos and many more pollinators in the BTC, at the Sensory Garden and in the Garden Centre. The group also planted apple trees as part of Climate Action Week in October 2025!
Eat your Greens
The team at the BTC have successfully grown organic vegetables like potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, broad beans, runner beans, French beans, peas, tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, courgette, spinach, beetroot, cabbage, lettuce and chillies! Much of the veg was grown from seed collected the year previous.
They also have a lot of herbs growing in the multisensory bed such as parsley, coriander, mint and oregano and fruit such as strawberries, apples, pears, rhubarb and raspberries!
Congratulations
What a huge effort from all of the team, well done on all of your hard work. We are so proud that the amazing students and staff at Bonnington Training Centre have been awarded the Green Campus Flag and for being ambassadors for environmental awareness and sustainability at Horizons.
