An Icelandic school tracking birds on the move has won a govenment award

Schools in Iceland and Ireland have been working on a unique project, tracking the migration pattern of birds – Black-tailed Godwits – which migrate from Iceland to Ireland.

Now Siglufjördur school in Iceland has been rewarded for their work, winning a “Guardians of the Environment” award for the project from the Icelandic government.

Guðný Róbertsdóttir's class were presented with the award earlier this month.

"We all have a duty to look after the Godwits"

Willie McSweeney and his class at Scoil Iosaef Naofa in Ireland were delighted to hear of their partner school’s success and wrote to the Icelandic Minister of the Environment.

The children were pleased that the importance of the project had been recognised.  They wrote, “We believe that it is very important for both the Icelandic and Irish governments to do all they can to protect the Godwits and their habitats.”

Willie McSweeney's class also wrote about  the benefits of international links.  The class wrote, “we all have a duty to look after the Godwits while they are visiting our countries.”

Operation Godwit

Siglufjördur School set up their unusual link with Scoil Iosaef Naofa in Cobh, Ireland when they began to track the Godwits.

The birds come to the mud-flats in Cork harbour over the winter months and return to Iceland when the weather is warmer.

The schools got in touch through Jim Wilson, an Irish wildlife consultant who works with schools.  As the birds have been tagged as part of “Operation Godwit”, children at the schools can spot the birds and map their migration patterns.

More Godwit news

BBC World Class has been keeping up to date with Siglufjördur and Scoil Iosaef Naofa's project.

Read about how the project got started and an update on their work with an international team.

How did they do that?

The two schools were put in touch with each other through local contacts and Operation Godwit.

Find out more about the Irish school's Godwit Project on the Scoil Iosaef School website

Check out World Class World on the Move to order your copy of the World on the Move Schools pack, twin your school on migration paths, and explore the Radio 4 World on the Move portal.

Join BBC World Class and our partners will help you twin.

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