Powerscourt Estate announces the inaugural 2025
“Working with Nature Awards” ahead of Earth Day 2025.
Powerscourt Estate, Ireland’s premier sustainable visitor attraction is delighted to launch the inaugural “Working with Nature Awards” for 2025 ahead of Earth Day next week.
Celebrating people all over Ireland who are working to protect and restore nature. The “Working with Nature Awards” aims to honour and recognise nature protectors all over Ireland who are having impact across four (4) selected award categories including Pollinators, Biodiversity & Rewilding, Nature Media and Nature Education & Wellbeing.
The esteemed panel of judges for the awards include biologist and environmental consultant Éanna Ní Lamhna, Environmentalist Duncan Stewart and Alex Slazenger head gardener at Powerscourt Estate. All judges are passionate protecters of nature and have a breadth of knowledge and experience across all award categories.
The Powerscourt “Working with Nature Awards” recognises people, small businesses and community projects across the country who have contributed and are committed in any way to protecting and restoring nature.
Reflecting on the importance of these timely awards. Sarah Slazenger, Managing Director at Powerscourt Estate said.
“Protecting nature and biodiversity has always been central to our operations and our ethos at Powerscourt. We see Powerscourt not only a place of outstanding natural beauty but also a place of learning around biodiversity. We are committed to championing the protection of the natural world and see the “Working with Nature Awards” as a unique way to recognise all protectors around Ireland who are also committed to this goal.”
The nominations for the awards can be made at powerscourt.com/workingwithnature, the opening date for nominations was Tuesday 8th April and the closing date is Tuesday 3rd June (open for 8 weeks online). The award ceremony will take place on Thursday the 26th of June 2025 at historic Powerscourt House in Enniskerry.
Winners from each of the four (4) categories will receive a unique award meticulously crafted from hand-picked wood from Powerscourt Estate, a hamper from Powerscourt Garden Pavilion and a €500 bursary to be used towards their nature-based project or work.
The overall winner and “Outstanding Nature protector” will be gifted the Ultimate Powerscourt Experience – includes a stay at the 5* Powerscourt Hotel*, tour & food pairing at Powerscourt Distillery, Annual Membership to Powerscourt Estate, Four Ball at Powerscourt Golf Club.
Éanna Ní Lamhna, Duncan Stewart and Alex Slazenger (Head Gardener at Powerscourt Estate) are all judges for the awards. The closing date for nominations is the 3rd of June with the short list announced on the 6th of June and the awards ceremony taking place on Thursday the 26th of June at Powerscourt House.
Www.powerscourt.com/workingwithnature
You Tube Video –
NOTES TO EDITORS
About the Award Categories:
The Powerscourt “Working with Nature Awards” recognises people, small businesses and community projects across the Island of Ireland who have contributed in any way to protecting & restoring nature.
More details on the criteria for each award category and Nominations can be made at powerscourt.com/workingwithnature.
Category 1: “Pollinators”.
This category recognises people, small businesses, small farmers, pollinator friendly planting or projects working with pollinators. Examples – Beekeepers, community bee hives, wildflower meadows, community green spaces. Small farmers & community farmers.
Category 2: “Biodiversity & Rewilding”.
This category recognises people, small businesses, small farmers or projects protecting & restoring biodiversity (all ecosystems – land & waterbodies). Examples – designating areas for wildflowers, small farmers & community farmers – organic & regenerative farming, tree & native species planting and water protection projects.
Category 3: “Nature Media”.
This category recognises people, small businesses, projects, initiatives or organisations creating any public facing media & storytelling – visual or other which highlights the biodiversity crisis challenges & solutions and inspires people’s love of nature. Example – Documentaries, films, TV series, photography, visual arts, books, poetry, podcasts, craft, painting, dance, songs, musical scores, musicals, exhibitions, online creative works – e.g. social media channels where appropriate.
Category 4: “Nature Education & Wellbeing”.
This category recognises people, projects, initiatives, organisations or communities educating people on the wonders of nature, helping people reconnect with nature for health and wellbeing. Example – Community based nature groups, community-based foraging walks, nature education programmes, nature & health education programmes, mindful experiences in nature.
About the Judges:
Eanna Ni Lamhna qualified as a scientist in the 1970’s and did her post graduate thesis on the ecology of sand dunes and saltmarshes which was published in the Journal of Life Sciences. She set up the Irish Biological Records Centre in 1974 and is responsible for the original distribution maps of mammal and insects. She lectured postgraduates on sustainability for 20 years in TU Dublin. Her publications include a series of five studies on Irish Air Quality, nine books including Wild Dublin and her most recent – The Great Irish Biodiversity Book. She was President of An Taisce from 2004 – 2009 and more recently President of the Tree Council of Ireland. She is a judge of Environmental initiatives undertaken by local groups on a county level such as Pride of Place and Love Where You Live. She is a highly respected radio and television broadcaster on environmental issues. She writes the weekly Eye on Nature column in the Irish Times. She is a Co. Louth woman and has a husband, three children and seven grandchildren. She was awarded an honorary doctorate in Science by the University of Galway in November 2024 – the first Irishwoman to be awarded a D Sc. by that university.
Duncan Stewart is an award-winning architect and television producer, has been a leading Irish advocate for environmental, health and conservation issues for over 40 years.
A champion for environmental and architectural conservation since his student days, for the past two decades Duncan has also been a popular television personality in Ireland. His early shows ‘Our House’ and ‘About the House’ leaned on his architectural background as he promoted the values of quality Irish craftsmanship, efficient and sustainable materials and the value of energy conservation.
Duncan is driven by his interests in the protection of our environment, Ireland’s biodiversity, supporting local communities and the communication of climate issues.
Alex Slazenger is the head gardener at Powerscourt. Ever since Alex was a child, growing up on Powerscourt Estate, his dream was to become a custodian of Powerscourt Gardens. The gardens and river walk were both his playground and inspiration for his love of nature. Watching things grow and develop led to his desire to make this his career, so subsequently he studied horticulture at the National Botanic Gardens, leaving with a BSc. After working in the industry for 12 years, doing everything from maintenance, landscaping, and nursery production, he was appointed Head Gardener at Powerscourt. He has been instrumental with his gardening team in developing and implementing sustainability initiatives including a Rewilding program on the Estate.
Powerscourt Gardens:
Powerscourt Gardens in County Wicklow was named no. 3 in the World’s Top 10 Gardens by the National Geographic, second only to the Palace of Versailles and Kew Gardens in London. Powerscourt is the only one of the three that is not state owned. Dating back to the 13th century, Powerscourt is a vast country estate noted for its magnificent Palladian style mansion and 47 acres (190,000 m2) of formal landscaped gardens in the picturesque village of Enniskerry, County Wicklow. Set on a commanding hilltop position, against the backdrop of the Sugarloaf mountains, a sweeping terrace on the mansion’s southside opens onto a breath-taking, ornamental garden and lake.
The Gardens offer visitors a sublime blend of formal gardens, sweeping terraces, statues and ornamental lakes, secret hollows, and rambling walks. Managed by Head Gardener, Alex Slazenger and a team of gardeners, Powerscourt Gardens were designed from 1731 onwards, with the desire to create a garden which was part of the wider surrounding landscape. Powerscourt Gardens include The Walled Gardens, The Italian Garden, The Dolphin Pond, The Japanese Garden, Pets Cemetery and Pepperpot Tower, among other features and attractions.