Young Kerry bloggers were awarded in Killarney on Saturday for their creative nature competition entries.

Three winners were selected from the entries, in first place, Lissi Nickelson from Midleton, County Cork, in second place Calum Wynton and in third was Aoibhinn O’Sullivan both from Foilmore.

Young Nature Blogger began in 2020 as an initiative by UNESCO Biosphere Isle of Man.

This year, Dublin Bay and Kerry Biospheres joined in; running their own local challenges, with entrants aged 21 and under invited to submit up to 500 words on their own favourite place, animal or experience in nature.

The Kerry Biosphere competition closed on September 24 after receiving 70 entries from all over Ireland.

Elaine Grandfield, teacher in Foilmore National School where both runners-up are in Fourth Class said the competition appealed to them as it kickstarted their Biodiversity Flag Campaign.

"It was a great opportunity to get the children focussed on their special place and we were delighted to find that they all chose places right on their doorstep. It is wonderful that children are gaining such an appreciation for their locality. The children really enjoyed the project and loved sharing their stories with their classmates."

Prizes were awarded to the overall winner and both runners-up on Saturday at Killarney House. Each winner received a certificate of their achievement, a goody bag from Killarney National Park complete with t-shirt, hats, notebooks, a copy of the ‘My Kerry Biosphere’ 2022 calendar and more.

The entry from the overall winner Lissi Nickelson, who wrote a piece about an encounter with an otter has now been forwarded to the Isle of Man Biosphere Team who are coordinating the international element of the competition.