Microforest III | Spring 2022
In spring 2022 the Microforest project focused on teaching students how to create and develop a habitat for insects and birds. Over the course of six sessions from March to April 2022 students of Blakestown Community College participated in a series of activities led by artists Gareth Kennedy and Eileen Hutton and folklorist Michael Fortune to develop a new ecosystem in the Microforest on the grounds of their school.
The programme began with artist Gareth Kennedy introducing the new transition year students to the Microforest, explaining how it works and how to care for it. Together, they planted new trees and discussed how to create an ecosystem. The following week, they visited the National Museum of Ireland, examined samples, learned about Irish insects and birds, and familiarised themselves with the different types of bird nests.
Under the guidance of artists Gareth Kennedy and Eileen Hutton, students constructed insect hotels—also known as bug hotels or insect houses—to provide shelter for insects and a feeding ground for birds, encouraging and attracting them to the area. They also built bird boxes to offer a safe place for birds to construct their nests, protected from the natural elements and predators, as well as providing shelter from the cold during the winter months. With the assistance of artist Eileen Hutton, students created botanical or natural pigment inks as an eco-friendly, sustainable, and non-toxic alternative to regular paint to colour their bird boxes before installing them in the trees near the Microforest.
The workshop series continued with a drawing session where students captured their selected native birds using ink and feathers as drawing media. They then welcomed artist and folklorist Michael Fortune to the Microforest to learn about bird songs and folklore. Students recorded bird songs and stories related to their assigned bird, which they played on our PA system the following week to introduce the school to bird calls from a diverse Irish woodland and to conclude the programme.
The Seanchaí Microforest, located at Blakestown Community School, was created by artist Gareth Kennedy in collaboration with the Transition Year art class and their teacher, Mary Quinn. It offers students immersive, hands-on experiences in nature, encouraging learning around sustainability and climate action. The project aims to inspire young people to develop their own environmentally conscious initiatives. It is led by Kennedy in partnership with Fingal County Council Arts Office, Blakestown Community School, and The Arts Council of Ireland. Video by Arcade Film.
Eileen Hutton’s practice explores reciprocal relationships with nature, focusing on the vital roles of honeybees and birds in ecosystems. She constructs artificial habitats—such as nesting boxes and beehives—and creates collaborative sculptures with these species. Blending ecological and artistic intervention, her work reimagines human–nature connections. Her multidisciplinary approach includes small-scale construction, fibre techniques, photography, installation, and community workshops, alongside scientific methods like specimen collection, microscopic analysis, and museological display.
Michael Fortune is an artist working primarily in film and photography, with a practice rooted in collecting and documenting everyday life. Drawing on traditions of social documentary and anthropological film, his work often uses familiar formats like home video and snap photography. He holds a BA in Fine Art from LSAD and an MA in Film and Screenwriting from IADT. Fortune has received numerous awards and exhibits widely in Ireland and abroad. His collections are housed in libraries and universities across Europe and North America, and he regularly collaborates with the Folklore Department at University College Cork.