Young pupils from all over Ireland were praised today for their plans to tackle problems wreaking havoc with the environment.
Minister for the Environment Dick Roche presented awards to the 13 finalists of the annual Young Environmentalist Awards for their projects on a range of topics including waste, energy, biodiversity and eco-enterprise.
"Young people are more often aware than the previous generation of the nature of the challenges our environment faces and how each citizen has a responsibility to play a part in meeting these challenges successfully," Mr Roche said.
The overall winners in the junior category were Glenlola Collegiate School, Bangor, Co Down for 'Our Way To Save The Planet', while St Joseph's College, Athlone, Co Westmeath won the Senior Award for 'Farm Films: Reformation Required'.
The 13 award winners were chosen from more than 100 projects on air, water, waste, energy, biodiversity and eco-enterprise.
The Bangor school, which won its category for their project probing alternative energy sources, has installed solar panels and is planting 700 willow trees as a source of biomass energy.
Students at St Joseph's College worked with their local community to ensure authorities put guidelines in place for farm plastic recycling facilities to avoid the contamination of local water sources.
Groups of young people between the ages of 12 and 18 from schools and community groups can enter the annual competition run by the non-profit environmental organisation ECO-UNESCO and sponsored by the Department's information service, ENFO.
Elaine Nevin, national director of ECO-UNESCO said: "Young people in Ireland are concerned about their environment and want to do something positive to help conserve, protect and improve their localities.
"This year's projects have shown innovation and creativity and demonstrate that Irish young people feel empowered to take action for their environment."