Meet the team

Our 'Biodiversity in Schools' team consists of an amazing group of talented individuals including scientists, teachers and horticulturists. Between them they have decades of experience in the classroom, in the school garden and in the environmental education sector in Ireland. They are a positive, practical and passionate team who are committed to help tackle the biodiversity crisis, encouraging the next generation and continually raise the bar of nature education in Ireland. 

Mark Nolan - Director

​Mark is the co-founder of Biodiversity in Schools. He is an environmental scientist (Trinity College Dublin) with a masters in science communication (Dublin City University) and over 16 years experience working in the environmental education sector in Ireland. He manages the day-to-day running of 'Biodiversity in Schools', coordinates fundraising and works with our partners to deliver impactful change to young people across Ireland.

Caitríona McCabe - Finance Coordinator

​Caitriona is the co-founder of Biodiversity in Schools. She is a qualified and experienced primary school teacher (Hibernia College), a zoologist (Trinity College Dublin) and has completed an advanced diploma in business management (Ulster of University). This allows her to merge her passions of working with young people, exploring the amazing world of biodiversity and the wellbeing benefits that come from connecting with it. She has over a decade of classroom experience while also working with some of Ireland's leading environmental education organisations. 

Diarmuid Hayes - Education Coordinator
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Diarmuid has a degree in ecology (University College Cork) and a masters in forest ecology (Munster Technological University). He has taught students both indoors and outdoors for several years, including 4 years spent as a classroom teacher in Vietnam where he also started a Nature Club for young learners. He really loves forests and rewilding, and is very enthusiastic about passing on that love of the outdoors to the next generation. He believes getting hands-on experience with the natural world is the best way to learn. Diarmuid coordinates our education programmes and team of nature teachers nationwide. He is also the coordinator of the Nature Hero Awards.

Caroline Graham - School Garden Coordinator
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Caroline is our school garden mastermind! She has completed a postgraduate diploma in Garden Design (Garden Design Academy of Ireland) and a certificate in children's garden design through permaculture. She has also designed and managed her local school garden, taking it from a blank space to an outdoor learning hub. She is passionate about reconnecting our younger generation with the land and to work with nature, rather than against it.  She loves spending time in her own garden when she gets the chance and going for forest walks with her family and Dog Rocco G. Caroline oversees all our school garden designs and developments across Ireland.