ScallyWags PreSchool Muckross is making waves overseas thanks to its participation in a New Zealand environmental project.

The pre-school is the only school in Ireland involved in the initiative, which focuses on teaching children about the importance of caring for the planet.

“We’ve always strived to instil a love for nature in our students at ScallyWags,” said Patricia Quigley, the pre-school’s owner. “Three years ago, we discovered a website created by a New Zealand couple who shared our values, and we’ve been using some of their resources ever since.”

ScallyWags’ environmental efforts include entering a competition to create a friend for a kiwi bird mascot named Tock out of recycled materials. Their entry earned them a copy of the children's book ‘Tock Saves the Earth’.

This summer, ScallyWags took their environmental message a step further by submitting photos of the pupils enjoying nature for a music video created by the New Zealand project.

The video, featuring the song ‘Our Beautiful Earth’ written by Tock, has now been released.

“Being the only pre-school outside of New Zealand to participate in this project is a huge honour for us,” said Quigley. “The video has a wonderful message, and it’s fantastic for our students to see themselves featured alongside children from New Zealand.”

One of the video clips features the ScallyWags picnicking at Muckross Traditional Farms, with the stunning backdrop of Killarney National Park and a cameo appearance by the farm’s resident Irish wolfhound.

Watch the full video here: https://youtube.com/@tock-dot-earth