Hi IEN,

I hope you're enjoying the lovely Spring sunshine! With everyone finding energy and motivation from the sunny weather, we are highlighting a lot of events for both April and May. See below for workshops, gardening courses, webinars, festivals and more!

There will be lots more events in May for Biodiversity Week too! This ten day celebration of biodiversity in Ireland will bring with it free events nationwide, as well as our annual Biodiversity Photographer of the Year competition, and a Scavenger Hunt for primary schools. Check our website from mid-April to find out what events are on near you. Until then, have a look below for April's events, as well as job opportunities, local and national news and announcements.

Beir bua,

Catherine

Leitrim Environmental Network

Leitrim Environmental Network (LEN) has been awarded a grant of €2,500 by Community Foundation Ireland (CFI) under the Climate Actions Work Engagement Fund to enhance climate engagement and outreach in the county. The funding will support the development of an information hub and initiatives to engage new audiences, encouraging wider participation in climate action and biodiversity efforts. The CFI fund is part of a national programme supporting 96 community groups across 23 counties with a total of €500,000 in grants. These grants, ranging from €2,500 to €10,000, aim to foster local awareness and community-led climate action.

Welcoming the funding, Bláithín Gallagher, Chair of Leitrim Environmental Network, said: “This funding will be beneficial for grassroots environmental action in Leitrim. Many people want to take action on climate and biodiversity but aren’t sure where to start. Our aim is to provide clear, practical ways for the community to get involved and make a difference.”

LEN recently had a public talk and members meeting on Saturday March 29th at the Drumshanbo Enterprise Centre with member John Matthews giving the packed room a talk on "Humans and Wildlife - a shared life and existence" peppered with stories and anecdotes from his encounters with animals of all sorts, from birds to badgers, pine martens and hares. Cathy Fitzgerald and a member of Carlow PPN also attended as they were up for a Drumshanbo Tidy Towns event on later that day with Eanna ni Lamhna speaking.

You can get in touch with Leitrim Environmental Network by emailing leitrimen@gmail.com.

APRIL EVENTS

Workshop: Jeans SOS!

April 12th, 10am

Dublin

Learn the secrets of invisible mending to fix those worn-out jeans and how to hem while keeping the original hem intact. Bring along a pair of jeans in need of some TLC, and Siv from Rediscover Fashion will guide you through the repair process!

We’ve got sewing machines available if you need one, but it’s best to bring your own if you can.

Don't miss the chance to give your jeans a second life!

Suitable for improvers and intermediate sewers.

Book here

Organic Gardening Course

April 13th, 11am. Every 2 weeks till 20th July

Meath

Learn to grow your own organic food with Sonairte's head gardener, taking place over 8 sessions in our beautiful walled organic garden.

The practical hands-on course will focus over 8 sessions on the basics of gardening

such as bed preparation, propagation, planting, watering, pest management, weed

management, disease management, harvesting, winter cropping, pruning and growing in a polytunnel.

Book here

Introduction to the Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) for PPN Representatives

April 14th, 7.30pm

Online

Join us from 7.30pm to hear from Kelley Bermingham, Dublin City PPN Representative on the Local Community Development Company.

Kelley is the Community Officer at St. Patrick's Cathedral, and has served on the LCDC since 2019. This evening she will share her knowledge and experience from her time on the committee.

There will be lots of time for questions and discussion at this event, so it is perfect for anyone who is thinking of taking a role on the Local Community Development Committee, or who is a newly appointed PPN Representative. This is also a space for anyone who has been serving on the LCDC and would like to ask about any challenges they might be facing in their own county. Together we can discuss and help each other in our roles as PPN Reps!

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/A81GCVbJRCCUyHgEv6ib1Q

Climate Cafe with County Carlow Environmental Network

April 22nd, 7pm

Carlow

Our next climate café will be in Waterlilies in Tullow on Tuesday 22nd of April from 7-9pm to celebrate Earth day. We hope you can join us there. A casual pop-up climate cafe where everyone is welcome to come and take part. Get informed and inspired about ways to become more sustainable. No need to book, just turn up!

If you have any questions please email County Carlow Environmental Network

Sat 3rd May we have an event planned for World Textile day in An Gairdin Beo, Carlow town. As part of this we are having a clothes swap shop, a clothes repair café and other types of craft events.

Home Mechanic: A 2 day course in the practical basics of bicycle maintenance

April 24th & 25th

Dublin

The Cytech home mechanic course is designed to give the enthusiast a good level of mechanical ability covering a comprehensive range of cycle maintenance areas.

It is a two day course, led by an experienced instructor who will guide the learner through a good mix of demonstrations and practical exercises.

Book here

Environmental DNA and One Health: Bridging Wildlife, Ecosystems, and Human Well-being



April 30th, 7.30pm

Online

Details to be published soon. Follow Wildlife Rehabilitation Ireland on Facebook or Instagram to hear more, or check in on their website www.wri.ie to see more information and find the registration link which will be posted soon.

MAY EVENTS

World Textile Day

with County Carlow Environmental Network

May 3rd

Carlow

Sat 3rd May we have an event planned for World Textile day in An Gairdin Beo, Carlow town. As part of this we are having a clothes swap shop, a clothes repair café and other types of craft events.

For further details please email County Carlow Environmental Network

Workshop: Get to Know Your Sewing Machine

May 10th, 9.30am

Dublin

Join Rediscover Fashion's Arran Murphy for a hands-on beginner's workshop designed to help you master your sewing machine with confidence!

In this fun and practical session, you'll learn how to thread your machine, explore its different functions, and perfect your stitch lines—all while working towards an exciting beginner-friendly project.

We encourage you to bring your own sewing machine so you can learn on the one you'll be using at home. However, if you don’t have one, don’t worry—we have machines available for you to practice on!

Book here

CELT Festival of Traditional Crafts Weekend in the Hills

May 10th and 11th

Galway

CELT’s traditional skills festival workshops are held over two days at Slieve Aughty Centre. Come along and choose from over 15 different crafts and skills to choose to do in our courses over two days and go home with new skills, the item(s) you made and new friends! Some of our courses are especially designed for children.

Saturday begins at 9:30am with registration and a short introduction. Courses start at 10am and finish up at about 5pm each day. Lunch is usually at 1pm and is included in your ticket price. Saturday night is spent around the camp fire telling tales and singing, so remember to bring your instrument.

Please check out all the workshops in detail and the booking link on the Celt website at the Weekend in the Hills page.

A Family Festival of Traditional Craft will also take place in July 5th & 6th

National Biodiversity Week

May 16th - 25th

Nationwide

Explore the rich variety of life in Ireland this May with a host of wonderful events and activities for the whole family.

2025 will bring the 13th annual Biodiversity Photographer of the Year competition, Scavenger Hunts for school and at home, and free events every day on all things wildlife in Ireland! Events will be both in person and virtual, so everyone can take part.

Events will be added to our website during April. www.biodiversityweek.ie

Whale Watch Ireland 2025

May 17th, 5 - 7pm

Various locations

On Saturday 17th May, IWDG in association with Inis, invite you to Whale Watch Ireland 2025 between 5:00-7:00 PM. This annual event, now in its 23rd year, comprises free and guided whale watches at local headlands and vantage points, as part of All-Ireland whale watch day. This year’s event will coincide with National Biodiversity Week Ireland which runs between May 16th-25th. These simultaneous land-based watches at around a dozen sites around the Irish coast provide IWDG researchers, whale enthusiasts and Citizen Scientists alike with a unique overview of whale and dolphin activity on the day and you can play an important part.

While there are of course no guarantees of sightings, given reasonable weather you have a good chance of seeing some of the marine species that can be viewed locally. We advise participants to dress appropriately for the weather conditions on the day. Please note, there are no boats involved and no bookings necessary. There may be a short, elevated walk from the meeting point to your watch site, so sensible footwear is recommended, and your local watch may not be wheelchair accessible. You should bring binoculars, your sense of humour and refreshments, but please leave your pets at home.

This event is suitable for all ages and is aimed at everyone from the novice wildlife enthusiast to more experienced naturalist, with a keen interest in marine wildlife and biological recording. In the event of unsuitable weather your watch leader may need to cancel your local event at short notice; so, if any doubt, please check in with them using the contact details on www.iwdg.ie/events or this link. 

Biofest: The West Cork Festival of Biodiversity

May 17th & 18th, all day

West Cork

We are running Biofest again for the second year as part of Biodiversity Week on May 17th and 18th. On Saturday 17th, there will be a full day of workshops starting at 10 am and culminating with a bat walk at 11 pm with lots of events in between - walks, talks, conversations, practical workshops and information sessions. All workshops will take place in Leap at CECAS.ie. Accommodation is available through their website. On Sunday, there will be site visits to local projects with information and conversation. A full programme and media links will be available soon. Watch this space. Until then, if you have questions you can email biofestirl@gmail.com.

BioFest is an independent community festival which celebrates the biodiversity of West Cork, through workshops and events with the people who are working for its better future. BioFest is delivered through the collaborative efforts and resources of its leading partners the Green Economy Foundation and CECAS with funding from the IEN.

Weekend Whale Watching Courses 2025

Looking for a weekend with a difference? Why not join the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) www.iwdg.ie, Ireland’s leading marine conservation NGO, on a weekend whale-watching course in West Cork during summer 2025.

In taking part, you will also be actively supporting whale and dolphin conservation and research in Ireland. Our 2025 residential weekends are once again based at the CECAS centre, Leap, West Cork www.cecas.ie, and combine a relaxed learning experience at this former retreat, providing a unique opportunity to learn more about the 26 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises, that can be found in Irish waters.

Suitable from ages of 18 years upwards, our courses cater for all levels of interest, from the complete novice to the wildlife enthusiast who’d like to learn more about Ireland’s cetaceans, how to find and identify them, IWDG’s recording schemes and how you as Citizen Scientists, can contribute to their conservation and the latest research.

Bookings link for May 23-25th Course:

https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/residential-iwdg-weekend-whale-watching-species-id-course-in-west-cork-tickets-1227003072219?aff=oddtdtcreator

Bookings link for Sept. 12-14th Course:

https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/residential-iwdg-weekend-whale-watching-species-id-course-in-west-cork-tickets-1227752373399?aff=oddtdtcreator

Enquiries or further details, email padraig.whooley@iwdg.ie , Ph. 00 353 (0)86 3850568

CELT OPEN DAY

MAY 24th as part of National Biodiversity Week 2025

Galway

Join us for a fun day-long celebration of biodiversity and our native woodlands at the Slieve Aughty Center and a showcase of some of our expert traditional craftspeople from our Weekend in the Hills - Festival of Traditional Crafts.

We also have an Open Call for collaborators and participants to engage with us in a new creative story telling project on the day - Writing the Land: The Great Forest of Aughty

Writing the Land is a collaborative community outreach and fundraising project for nature protection and forest restoration organizations and local communities in the Slieve Aughties. Through the development of an anthology and locally based participatory arts project, our artists, poets, community collaborators, and contributors are invited to join us in championing the once Great Forest of Aughty as a living, breathing archive that holds centuries of ancient mythology, ecological and social history. As a site rich in biodiversity, cultural and historical connections, the forest serves as the focal point for exploring the dynamic relationship between a people and their environment. Through this project, we aim to document, interpret, and co-create a shared narrative emphasising its relevance to both the local community and broader native woodland and environmental conversations urgent for our times.

We have established this creative platform to invite participants to co-create with us a project that highlights the creative nexus between the land and inhabitants of Sliabh Aughty in multiple media, written and virtual.

For more info please contact info@celtnet.org

AUGUST EVENTS

Earth Activism and Social Permaculture Training

with Starhawk and Alfred Decker

August 19th - 22nd

Slieve Aughty Centre, Galway

The Centre for Environmental Living and Training (CELT) in partnership with Cultivate, Cloughjordan, are delighted to offer this unique and inspiring 4 day workshop and bring together earth activists, change makers, rebels and dreamers to share some time in nature, strengthen our connections, and deepen our creative vision.

Facilitated by international guests Starhawk and Alfred Decker, with a local contribution from Davie Philip of the Cultivate Cooperative (Cloughjordan), this special gathering will take you on a journey of transformation, regenerating inner and outer landscapes.

We will explore how an understanding of ecology and the principles of permaculture can infuse our activism, including how to structure groups and organizations that can meet our core human needs, while also sharing key tools for staying calm, grounded and present during moments of chaos and challenge.

To book your place please visit -

https://www.celtnet.org/events/earth-activism-and-social-permaculture-with-starhawk-and-alfred-decker

All Ireland Permaculture Gathering

Sat, 23 - Sunday 24th August 

Slieve Aughty Center, Loughrea, Galway

CELT are delighted to be once again supporting the All Ireland Permaculture gathering returning to the Slieve Aughty Centre in Co. Galway this year -

To book your place visit permaculture.ie

For more information please visit -

https://www.celtnet.org/events/permaculture-gathering-2025

Support the Study of Ireland's Dolphin Populations

The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) and University College Dublin (UCD) School of Veterinary Medicine are working together to uncover the health of live-stranded dolphins on Ireland’s coast, but we can only do it if we reach our funding goal.

During 2020 - 2024, 350 dolphins, whales and porpoises stranded alive around Ireland, yet we still know little about their health. 147 of these live-strandings involved dolphins in the live stranding hotspots of the Mullet Peninsula and Brandon Bay.

With climate change adding new threats, this research is more important than ever. Please donate and share to help make it happen! Pledge now, every little bit helps.

Read more and back this project here

Leave No Trace Ireland Awarded Heritage Council Funding

Leave No Trace Ireland is delighted to announce it has received funding through the Heritage Council Organisations Support Fund 2025 – a key initiative aimed at strengthening the capacity of heritage organisations to deliver sustainable and impactful projects across Ireland.

This funding, awarded by The Heritage Council, will enable Leave No Trace Ireland to expand its core education programmes, enhance organisational capacity, and drive innovative initiatives that merge environmental sustainability with heritage preservation. Read more here.

Communications Officer

StreamScapes

StreamScapes is hiring! We are seeking a dedicated and enthusiastic individual to join our team in the role of Communications Officer. The Communications Officer will play a crucial role in developing a strategic Communications Plan, overseeing the development of digital content, supporting daily operations of StreamScapes including social media monitoring, guest services at our Stream School, and other administrative tasks.

This is a part-time fixed-term contract position, funded in part through The Heritage Council.

Interested candidates should submit their CV and a cover letter outlining their qualifications and interest in the position to info@streamscapes.ie by Friday 2 May 2025.

More information here

Tender for Research: IEN Offshore Renewable Energy & Marine Biodiversity Capacity Building Project

Review of the legislation underpinning environmental safeguards in the development of ORE in Ireland

The main purpose of this project is to review the environmental legislation underpinning the development of Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) in Ireland, both at a national and EU level.

We are particularly interested in understanding the place of the environment within the legislative framework; evaluating the robustness of the legislation in safeguarding the environment in the face of the biodiversity and climate crises; and identifying existing and remaining gaps in the legislation.

The new deadline is April 11. The project will run from late April to September 2025 and the tender value is now €25,000.

You can find out more at: https://ien.ie/learn-about-our-work/