The 'My Kerry Biosphere' calendar for 2022 was launched this week at an event in Killarney House as part of National Heritage Week.

The artwork on the calendar has been created by students from all over Kerry who were invited to connect creatively with the natural heritage of the Kerry UNESCO Biosphere Reserve earlier this year through a calendar art competition.

A total of 257 artworks were submitted with 14 chosen to create the 2022 ‘My Kerry Biosphere’ Calendar.
The Kerry UNESCO Biosphere Reserve is located in the centre of Kerry, with Killarney National Park at its core and the MacGillycuddy Reeks and the Paps mountains making up a significant portion of the area included. Biosphere Reserves are about learning how to live in harmony with nature. Connecting to our natural and cultural heritage is a big step in achieving this goal.

“The calendar art competition gives students all over Kerry a chance to engage creatively with the wealth of Biodiversity we are so lucky to have here in Kerry," Eleanor Turner, Biosphere Officer with South Kerry Development Partnership said. "It encourages them to begin exploring how we can support and protect these important species and habitats and how in turn these actions can benefit our community well-being and connection to our local places”, she said.

An art exhibition to showcase entries relating to both the current calendar and the 2022 one also took place in Killarney House as part of the Heritage Week event and the art will again be available to view in Killarney House from September 16 to October 15.

The Kerry Biosphere is also partnered with Leave No Trace Ireland, working together to encourage responsible use of the outdoors.

Maura Kiely, CEO of Leave No Trace Ireland, said: “We are delighted to have partnered with Kerry Biosphere in the development of this calendar. This calendar is a wonderful way to celebrate local biodiversity and appreciation of the outdoors." She added that they have included some top tips on how we can all enjoy the outdoors responsibly.

This competition is supported by the Creative Ireland Kerry Programme and the Kerry County Council Arts Office. Calendars will be available for sale in the coming weeks, please contact kerrybiosphere@skdp.net with any queries.