Competition winners will be notified by email.
For a chance to win a National Trust Gift Voucher, vote for the person who you think is doing a heroic job to help nature thrive in Northern Ireland. There are 10 candidates to choose from. Pick one by voting before midnight on Thursday 7 October 2021.
You’ll find the selection of candidates below (please scroll down) and you can cast your vote there too. If you provide an email address when you vote, you’ll automatically be entered into the draw to win a £25 National Trust Gift Voucher. That’s so we can email the gift voucher to you if you win.
The three candidates who get the most votes will win one of the following prizes:
All winners will receive their National Trust Gift Vouchers in October 2021 via email.
Please read the terms and conditions below before you vote.
I used the forest expansion scheme to plant 24,000 native trees. I also created 2 new ponds to encourage wildlife and sowed a new wildflower meadow.
I have used old kids paddling pools to create 2 wildlife ponds. I dug a hole, fitted the punctured paddling pools, and let them fill naturally with rainwater. The pond supports frogs, dragonflies, and ferns. All of this in the middle of a housing estate!
Aine and her son John have been participating in the I Can Grow Project at Acorn Farm. They have embraced growing together; reusing old wiring and containers to nurture their very own fruit and vegetables and taking great care of the seeds in the raised bed. John really loves checking on the veg and watering the plants and I’ve enjoyed getting some tips from the horticulturalist which I’ve passed onto friends. It’s lovely being able to lift something from your back garden and bring it into the kitchen to cook for dinner.
During the first lockdown I took on an alloment with my mother and my 2 boys aged 3 and 5 as we did not have a garden. Along with fruit and vegetables we decided as a family to make a wild flower garden due to the reduction of Bees and Butterflies to the Larne Area with the bad weather in May.
I’ve taught my 4 year old the importance of nature’s creatures. We give them safe warm places to live in the garden undisturbed. We have a bat colony and we also have hedgehogs, pheasants ect. We had two injured animals this year. We rescued a bat from a cat and took it to the ni bat association. It will be returned in spring to its colony, The Hedgehog had been a victim to a dog attack to the rehabilitation centre. Both only survived the hedgehog will have to remain in the rehab centre.
I grew this sunflower to over 10ft high. I have others that are around the 9ft. I also do litter picking in my home town of Castlerock which has been very busy this summer.
I grow flowers every year to encourage Bees and Butterflies. This year I grew my first wild flowers. As a result, the Bees and butterflies that visit my garden have multiplied this year. I also grow lavender, fragranced Roses and sweet pea.
For my daughter Katie’s technology class – during remote learning – the class were given the task of making bird feeders. The feeder was made up of old plastic screwtop jars, wire coathanger and old paintbrushes. So simple to make and we loved watching the birds visit it for feeding.
My boys have been making bird boxes and making their own bird feeders to attract different species into the garden. We hope to have a pair of doves nesting next year.
I created 2 wildlife ponds (a shallower one and a deeper one) all planted with native plants.
I also started an apiary with 3 hives and 2 nucs of native Irish black bees. To help the bees, I planted 40 pollinator friendly native trees and 10 fruit trees. I created an area with lots of different native wildflowers, which I’m currently harvesting the seed from and sharing with other people.
If you’re wondering how MyNI chose the 10 inspiring candidates that you can vote for, this is what we did:
Importance of being prepared for Northern Ireland’s unpredictable weather conditions Northern Ireland’s unpredictable weather conditions, particularly its relentless and powerful storms, pose a significant risk
Overview of The Mourne Mountains The Mourne Mountains, located in Northern Ireland, are known for their impressive geographical and geological features. The mountain range is
Embark on an enriching coastal expedition just a stone’s throw away from Belfast, as we unveil an array of captivating beaches accessible within a mere