Northern Ireland naturalist and writer Dara McAnulty has spoken of his pride as the youngest person to feature on the New Year Honours list.
The 18-year-old, who is autistic, receives a British Empire Medal (BEM) for his environmental work and his work with people with autism.
He described it as “validation” that young people can “make a difference”.
He is among more than 80 people in Northern Ireland who are being honoured as part of the new year list.
Football legend Pat Jennings and BBC Radio Ulster broadcaster John Bennett are two of the best-known names on the Northern Ireland roll of honour.
Also receiving recognition are County Antrim street cleaner Stephen Burns and Katrina McDonnell, who runs the Homeless Period charity, providing sanitary products to women in need.
Dara McAnulty’s BEM comes after several years of environmental activism as well as prizes for his writing about the natural world.
He was 16 when he won the Wainwright Prize for nature writing for his book Diary of a Young Naturalist.
Speaking to BBC News NI, he said his honour was “absolutely incredible, not only for me but for young people in general”.
“It gives them validation that they can speak their mind and make a difference in this world,” said the teenager from Annalong in County Down.
“I’ve had a love of the natural world from a very, very young age.
“I discovered so much beauty in nature and the landscape – it was seeing the destruction of it that drove me to protect it.”
Former Northern Ireland goalkeeper Pat Jennings is made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for his football and charity work.
In his illustrious career he played for Tottenham and Arsenal, won 119 international caps and played in two World Cups.
In the years since his retirement he has been involved in cross-community charity projects and in grassroots football with the Irish Football Association (IFA).
“I’ve been very lucky with getting my MBE on the Queen’s Birthday Honours list way back in 1976,” the 77-year-old told BBC News NI.
“Especially when you get to my age you appreciate it more.”
BBC Radio Ulster broadcaster John Bennett, who has presented what is now the Sunday Club for 43 years, becomes Member of the British Empire (MBE).
A footballer and a folk singer in his youth, he has since worked on a variety of TV and radio programmes, covering sport, current affairs and music.
He told BBC News NI that his honour came “completely out of the blue”.
“I’m delighted, full of thanks and a bit humbled as well,” he said.
Former Northern Ireland international footballer Gail Redmond will be made a MBE for services to her sport.
The 43-year-old from Carrickfergus in County Antrim works as women’s development manager with the IFA, ensuing that young girls and women have the chance to excel at the game.
“I feel so humbled – to tell you the truth I just see it as doing my job,” she told BBC Sport NI.
“You look at the list on 1 January every year and see who is on it and now my name will be there.”
International bowler Sandra Bailie said she was “still struggling to believe” that she had been made a MBE.
The 62-year-old, from Comber in County Down, holds the record for the most Irish indoor titles (29) and has won British titles in triples and pairs competitions.
She has also excelled in outdoor bowls, with seven Irish titles.
“I like to win, I am very competitive, but I am also one of the best losers you will ever come across,” she said.
“I have tried to give something back to the game too.”
Street cleaner Stephen Burns, 56, from Portglenone has kept his village clean for two decades – he becomes a MBE.
The Mid and East Antrim Council worker said he thought his honour was a wind-up when he was told about it.
“I don’t know anything about how these things work – I just go and do my work every day,” he said.
“I would always try to go the extra mile – I always want to do a good day’s work.
“It is nice that the working man is recognised.
“I’m not sure I’ll be able to bring my brush with me [to Buckingham Palace].”
“It’s bittersweet because if our son Enda wasn’t killed this wouldn’t be happening,” he said.
“But you have to take what comes to you and make the best of it as much as you can and that’s what I’ve done.”
Former Ulster Farmers’ Union president Victor Chestnutt, 62, from Bushmills in County Antrim, is appointed an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to agriculture.
He described himself as an “ordinary farmer” who “spoke my mind” during his time leading the union.
“I suppose I thought that because I was known to be so outspoken I would never be put forward for something like this,” he said.
“I take this royal honour on behalf of all farmers in Northern Ireland.”
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
Dr Graham Harold Gudgin, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire – for services to economic development in Northern Ireland
Maria Teresa Jennings, Castlewellan, County Down, director, regulatory compliance, people and Northern Ireland, Food Standards Agency – for services to public health
Patrick Anthony Jennings OBE, Brickendon, Hertfordshire – for services to association football and to charity in Northern Ireland
Samuel David Pollock OBE, Antrim, County Antrim – for public service in Northern Ireland
Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
Dr John Edmund Stannard, Belfast, legal academic, Queen’s University Belfast – for services to legal education
Nicola Louise Bailey, London – for services to healthcare in Northern Ireland
Brian Baird, Newtownards, County Down, lately board member of Invest NI – for services to economic development in Northern Ireland
Michael Thomas Bell, Holywood, County Down, executive director, Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association Ltd – for services to the food and drink industry and to the economy in Northern Ireland
Joseph Patrick Breen, Ballycastle, County Antrim, lately senior scientific officer, Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs – for services to marine science and to environmental protection
Prof Francis Casey, Carryduff, County Down, consultant paediatric cardiologist – for services to healthcare in Northern Ireland
Victor James Boyd Chestnutt, Bushmills, County Antrim, lately president, Ulster Farmers’ Union – for services to agriculture
Dr Jennifer Elliott, Londonderry – for services to the arts in Northern Ireland
Carol Marie McCann, lately principal, St Dominic’s Grammar School – for services to education
Steven McCourt, Larne, County Antrim, head of reducing reoffending, resettlement and rehabilitation, Department of Justice – for public service
Mary Montgomery, principal, Belfast Boys’ Model – for services to education
John Gordon Milligan, Newtownards, County Down – for services to business and human resource management in Northern Ireland
Trevor Dale Robinson, Portadown, County Armagh, lately principal, Lurgan College, County Armagh – for services to education
Deborah Elizabeth Watters, Belfast, co-director, Northern Ireland Alternative – for public service
Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
Dr Roy Robert Anderson, Belfast – for services to science and nature
Sandra Hazel Bailie, County Down – for services to bowls
William John Gaston Bennett, Belfast – for services to radio and television broadcasting in Northern Ireland
Sandra Best, Lisburn, County Down, volunteer and trustee, Royal Ulster Constabulary George Cross Foundation – for voluntary service
Stephen John Bleakley, Fivemiletown, County Tyrone – for services to libraries and to the community in Fermanagh, Omagh and Fivemiletown
Kenneth Sydney Brundle, Killinchy, County Down – for services to business, to economic development and to the charitable sector in Northern Ireland
George Crawford Bell, Carryduff, County Down – for services to the music industry in Northern Ireland
Dr Anne Campbell, Belfast, reader, Queen’s University Belfast – for services to drug policy and practice
William James Coffey, secretary to the Historical Institutional Abuse Redress Board – for public service
Susan Shirley Cunningham, Belfast, lately president, North of Ireland Veterinary Association – for services to the veterinary profession in Northern Ireland
Jacqueline Dixon, Ballyrobert, County Antrim, chief executive, Antrim and Newtownabbey Council – for services to local government and to the community in Northern Ireland
Eileen Lilian Mary Donnelly, Dungannon, County Tyrone, board of governors, the Integrated College, Dungannon – for services to education in Northern Ireland
Lorraine Foster, Lisburn, County Antrim – for services to people with learning disabilities in Lisburn
Dr Godfrey Jonathan Gaston, lately director, Centre for Secure Information Technologies – for services to cyber security innovation
Brian Jozef Grzymek, Holywood, County Down, lately deputy director, Department of Justice – for public and voluntary service in Northern Ireland
Kathleen Margaret Joy Guthrie, Hillsborough, County Down – for services to the Reserve Forces and to the veteran community in Northern Ireland
The Reverend Matthew Henry Hagan, Coalisland, County Tyrone, chaplain, Southern Area Hospice and Rector of Tynan, Aghavilly and Middletown parishes, County Armagh – for services to hospice healthcare and to the community in Northern Ireland
Professor Anne Heaslett, Limavady, County Londonderry, lately principal, Stranmillis University College – for services to education
Peter Desmond Jack, Limavady, County Londonderry – for services to endurance sport and charity in Northern Ireland
Rabbi David Michael Kale, Belfast, faith leader, Belfast Synagogue – for services to the Jewish community in Northern Ireland
Samuel James Kee, Bready, County Tyrone, community development worker – for services to the community in County Londonderry
Gavin Joseph Killeen DL Londonderry, managing director, Nuprint Technologies Ltd – for services to further education in Northern Ireland
Robert Leckey, County Armagh – for services to education in County Down
Dr Alison Florence Livingstone, Randalstown, County Antrim, paediatrician, Northern Health and Social Care Trust – for services to safeguarding children in Northern Ireland
Peter Anthony McBride, Omagh, County Tyrone – for services to the economy and to the community in County Tyrone
Katrina McDonnell, Belfast, founder, Homeless Period Belfast – for services to women’s health
Patrick Joseph McGurn, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh – for services to the community in County Fermanagh and Tyrone
Prof Sonja Jayne McIlfatrick, Carrickfergus, County Antrim, dean of the Ulster Doctoral College and professor of nursing and palliative care, Ulster University – for services to higher education and public health
William Oliver, Castlerock, County Londonderry – for services to education, to business and to charities in County Londonderry
Heather Pratt, Chair, board of governors, Rossmar Special School, Limavady, County Londonderry – for services to education
Gail Redmond, Carrickfergus, County Antrim – for services to association football in Northern Ireland
Andrew Peter Saunders, Dromore, County Down, lately chair, Southern Regional College, County Armagh and County Down – for services to the further education sector in Northern Ireland
Prof Michael Gordon Scott, Ballymena, County Antrim, director, Medicines Optimisation Innovation Centre – for services to pharmacy in Northern Ireland
John Stewart, Katesbridge, County Down, district chairman, Royal British Legion Northern Ireland – for services to veterans
Prof Ursula Margaret Waite, County Armagh – for services to the agri-food industry and to the economy in Northern Ireland
Joseph Norman Wilson, Cookstown, County Tyrone – for services to business and to the community in Northern Ireland
Samuel Godfrey Young, Omagh, County Tyrone – for services to social work and to education
Medallists of the Order of the British Empire (BEM)
Stephen Burns, Ballymena, County Antrim, road sweeper, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council – for services to the community in Portglenone
Catherine Georgina Johnston – for services to Save The Children and to the community in Belfast
Robert James (Seamus) Collins, for services to seriously ill children
Roberta Joan Cooke, manager, Caw Community Playgroup, Londonderry for services to early years learning
Tracey Crothers – for services to the community in Maghaberry, County Antrim
Christopher Robert David Cuddy, Dungannon, County Tyrone – for voluntary service to the community in Northern Ireland
Peter Anthony Dolan, Omagh, County Tyrone, founder, Enda Dolan Foundation – for services to justice and to young people in Northern Ireland
Jahswill Rohi Alexander Emmanuel, Belfast, founder, Multi-Ethnic Sports and Cultures Northern Ireland – for services to the community in Northern Ireland
Julie Gough, Bangor, County Down – for services to midwifery in Northern Ireland
Lynn Green, Seaforde, County Down – for services to emergency nursing in Northern Ireland
Raye Elizabeth Greenaway, Portadown, County Armagh – for services to young people in Northern Ireland through the Boys’ Brigade
Derek Richard Greenaway, Portadown, County Armagh – for services to young people in Northern Ireland through the Boys’ Brigade
William John Hutchinson, Newtownabbey, County Antrim, volunteer driver, Belfast City Hospital – for services to Healthcare in Northern Ireland
William Iain Kennedy, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, director, Aisling Counselling Centre, and coach, Enniskillen Royal Boat Club – for voluntary service to the community in County Fermanagh
Dara Seamus McAnulty, Annalong, County Down – for services to the environment and to people with autism spectrum disorder
Winifred McConnell, Crumlin, County Antrim, registrar, Belfast City Council – for services to local government
James McDowell – for services to the community in Banbridge, County Down
Patrick Joseph McTeague, Magherafelt, County Londonderry, food technology technician, Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs – for public and voluntary service
James McVicar Morrison, Ballymena, County Antrim – for services to Agriculture in Northern Ireland
Anthony Oliver Morrison, Ballymoney, County Antrim – for voluntary services to the community in Northern Ireland
Michelle Veronica Mullan, Antrim, County Antrim, clerical officer, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen’s University Belfast – for voluntary and charitable service to the community in County Antrim
Siobhain Murphy, Antrim, County Antrim, co-founder, A Safe Space To Be Me – for services to the community in County Antrim
David Ronald Quigg – for services to police and military welfare in County Armagh
James Reed, Belfast, head of crime scene investigation, Police Service of Northern Ireland – for services to policing in Northern Ireland
William David Sargent, support services coordinator, the Open University – for services to higher education and to charity
Iris Smyth, Ballymena, County Antrim, lately senior telephonist, Northern Health and Social Care Trust – for services to healthcare in Northern Ireland
Carolyn Tailford, Lisburn, County Antrim – co-founder, A Safe Space To Be Me – for services to the community in County Antrim
Jonathan Gordon Topping, Belfast, general manager, Clayton Hotel, Belfast – for services to the Covid-19 response
Peter Giosuè Vannucci, vice-president, Bangor Football Club – for services to association football in County Down
Helena Mary White, Comber, County Down, county president, Girlguiding North Down – for services to young people in Northern Ireland
Alison June Wolfe, Larne, County Antrim, senior personal secretary, Labour Relations Agency – for services to employment relations in Northern Ireland
King’s Police Medal (KPM)
John Bannon, constable, Police Service of Northern Ireland
Lindsay Leanne Fisher, detective superintendent, Police Service of Northern Ireland
Alan Todd, assistant chief constable, Police Service of Northern Ireland