Hi IEN,

Welcome to the December edition of Connecting Nationwide, our monthly newsletter full of environmental news and events throughout Ireland.

This month Cork Environmental Forum (CEF) celebrated some of Ireland's inspiring people and projects. They were acknowledged for their positive impact on the environment at the Environmental Awards 2023! In the words of CEF Coordinator Bernie Connolly:

“At a time when we are really seeing very locally the negative impacts of both climate and biodiversity loss it is so heartening to see so many actions being implemented across such a range of areas that are contributing positively to combat climate change, to halt biodiversity loss and build community resilience”

Read more about these inspiring stories below. You can also check out some of the groups who are active in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown, Galway County, and Kerry in our PPN Spotlight section.

The shortest day of the year will soon be here! Celebrate this day and the Christmas holidays with some of this months events, or mark the occasion by taking part in something new: a spot of bird watching and surveying to contribute to the conservation of your favourite little dinosaurs.

Looking forward to 2024, there two great courses coming up! See details below. Also, if you know of a young person who is doing great work for the environment, registration is still open for the Young Environmentalist Awards 2024.

All the best and stay cosy,

Catherine.

CORK ENVIRONMENTAL FORUM

ANNOUNCE ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD WINNERS 2023

  

Inspiring people and projects acknowledged for their positive impact on the environment

Cork Environmental Forum is delighted to announce their award winners for 2023 across their four sectoral pillars and the Circular Economy category. This year they also have a posthumous honour of a Lifetime Achievement Award for Andrew St. Ledger of the Woodland League.



The Awards are a time to pause, reflect and shine a light on the wonderful activism, commitment and work being done across the sectors, and the City and County, to support our environment.   

The Outstanding Individual category - winner - Lilian Gleave

Lilian Gleave, whose main passion is fighting fast fashion through awareness and education. A student at Kinsale Community College, Lilian has already taken part in so many positive actions to highlight the harmful impacts of fast fashion but also engaged in practical ways to address this such as imparting mending skills to younger students. Her interests extend to circular systems and the protection of water.

Business & Commercial Category - winner - My Goodness

The whole ethos of their business is about sustainability and working through a holistic approach to producing their food and drinks, from harvesting rain water for their kefir drinks to running the business in a very ethical and fair way.

Business & Commercial Category - commendation - Iona Appliances

For their foresight and considerable efforts through repair services to extend the life of white goods, they salvage what they can and sell new and used goods. 

Community & Voluntary Award - winner - Carbery Housing Association

Specifically for it’s RED WoLF Project. The association has for many years worked on the pressing need for sustainable living solutions. Through this innovative project it was able to retrofit houses, troubled by inefficient heating systems, helping to generate substantial financial savings for tenants but also significantly reduce carbon emissions, contributing to the fight against climate change

Community & Voluntary Award - commendation - Carbery Housing Association

A commendation has been given under this category to Bandon Environmental Action Group, an exemplar example of a local group taking action to protect and restore biodiversity in collaboration with the wider community. Having taken the time to develop a comprehensive and professional Biodiversity Action Plan in place for the town that is being overseen and most importantly implemented. 

Public Sector - winner - Lennon Taylor and the Kinship Project

The artistic collaboration supported by the City Council Arts Office and the Creative Ireland Climate Action Fund includes a programme of citizen-led skills and knowledge based public exchanges, artist's placements, the construction of a KinShip EcoLab based on sustainable construction methods, and a focused series of interventions at Tramore Valley Park. 

Circular Economy - winner - Cork Repair Café

The Repair Café which uses different locations and a range of “fixers” at each meeting is through repair lengthen the use and time of products in the economy, creating community and promoting activities and practical actions for sustainability.  

Lifetime Achievement Award - winner - Andrew St. Ledger

Whilst CEF is really saddened by the recent and too soon passing of one of the greatest advocates and friends of the environment, Andrew St. Ledger, we honour his lifetime of work with a Lifetime Achievement Award. A sculptor, an educator, a passionate advocator for the environment, most especially the protection and restoration of our native and ancient trees. Andrew together with our own local tree and heritage hero Ted Cook, set up the Woodland League in 1999. Many people are and have been involved but Andrew was at the forefront of carrying out their mission which is “dedicated to restoring the relationship between people and their native woodland”.  

Green Christmas Market

December 10th

Leitrim

A warm Festive welcome awaits you at the Organic Centre Rossinver, Leitrim. Its Green Christmas Market is being held on Sunday December 10th, from 11am -5pm.

There will be seasonal vegan and vegetarian food from Matt at the Grass Roof Cafe. Enjoy live entertainment, and hot mulled drinks, craft workshops, and natural decoration making. Get a chance to visit the centres free Sustainable Santa. Warm the cockles of your heart and immerse yourself in the sights and smells of Christmas.

Get your eco Christmas gifts from the market amongst the sights and smells and Christmas atmosphere, and a chance to browse our shop. All in the wintery natural surrounds of the Organic Centre.

Free entry. Follow the event on Facebook for more information.

Insurance for Repair Cafés: Information and Collaboration Session

December 14th

Online 7pm

Join a nationwide gathering of repair café organisers and other stakeholders to discuss the problem of insurance for community repair.

This event will bring together organisers of repair cafés and other stakeholders like lending libraries from around the country to discuss their shared problem of lack of access to insurance. It will provide an opportunity for people involved in community repair to share their stories about the issues they have had trying to get insurance cover for their events.

You will hear the findings of the Rediscovery Centre's research project looking into insurance for community repair in Ireland, as well as hearing from the CEO of the Alliance for Insurance Reform, who has been working with the Rediscovery Centre to try and secure cover for Irish repair cafés. Attendees will also hear from repair cafés about their experiences trying to secure product liability insurance.

This event is perfect for anyone who is running a repair café and is struggling with their insurance, or for anyone who is interested in running a repair café in the future. There will also be important lessons for other actors involved in circular economy activities who have experienced issues trying to get insurance!

Register here

Forest School Leadership Courses 2024

Brigit’s Garden, a registered charity dedicated to helping connect people with nature are excited to announce more Forest School Leadership courses in 2024, leading to a QQI Level 6 qualification. Four courses are underway already which will result in more than 70 qualified Forest School leaders in Ireland, ready to run their own classes next year.

Forest School is playful learning that can have a serious impact on a child’s self-confidence, social skills, creativity, self-awareness and much more. Forest Schools are rapidly increasing in popularity, but so are integrations of the principles into current educational settings, including primary schools, creches, youth centres, etc.

Our Forest School Leadership course offers a mix of on-site learning days in our specially design woodland ‘classroom’, on-line webinars and independent work and allows you to study alongside your current work and childcare commitments.

Please contact our education coordinator for more information: [email protected] and learn more on our website: https://brigitsgarden.ie/forest-school-leadership/

Organic Horticulture Course 2024 at the Organic Centre

Applications are now open for the QQI Level 5 course in Organic Horticulture 2024 at the Organic Centre, Rossinver, Co Leitrim.

Running over a twelve-month period the QQI level 5 course in Organic Horticulture is delivered in partnership with the Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim Education and Training Board.(MSLETB). The course is a fully funded and accredited further education course and is taught on-site. The course starts in early Spring and we would encourage you to apply as early as you can. Applications close in February 2024.

Please click here to apply. The course gives you everything you need if you are thinking about a future as an organic grower/farmer. Current modules include: Work Practice, Plant Identification and Use, Plant Science, Plant Protection. Organic Production, Biodiversity, Team Working, Fruit and Vegetable Production, Soil science and Growing media.

This course is open to anyone and you can find out more by talking to the team here at the Centre or by contacting Mayo Sligo Leitrim Education and Training Board (MSLETB). For more info email [email protected] or ring and chat to Steve, Phil or Ingrid on 071 9854338

Register now for the Young Environmentalist Awards 2024

ECO-UNESCO is thrilled to be attending COP 28, where we will bring two youth delegates who will share their experiences on our social media channels. On Saturday, December 2nd we held the Earth Gala, funded under the Youth Climate Justice fund.

We are extending the deadline for submitting an action project to our Young Environmentalist Awards to Wednesday, 20th December. Head to Yea.ie for more information. We are busy delivering workshops all over the country. If you would like to find out more please visit ecounesco.ie.

Register Here for the YE Awards

PPN Spotlight

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown

Environmental groups include Friends of the Earth, Crann, Dublin Cycling Campaign, Flossie and the Beach Cleaners, Clean Coasts, Dundrum 2030, St Brigid's Community Garden and more!

Add your group today!

Join DLR PPN

Galway County

Meet environmental groups such as Galway Bat Group, Tribes Beekeepers, Inishbofin Nature Trust, Conservation Volunteers Galway, Plastic Free Kinvara and more!

Join one of these groups as an individual to get involved in your PPN, or add you group to the Network below.

Join Galway County PPN

Kerry

Kerry PPN includes groups such as Transition Kerry, Just Forests, Ballyheigue Biodiversity Group, West Kerry Branch of Birdwatch Ireland, Goby Beach Clean up and Goby Project and more!

Add your group to the PPN and join them in being a voice for the environment.

Join Kerry PPN

Irish Starling Murmuration Survey

BirdWatch Ireland is calling on people across Ireland to keep an eye on the sky this winter and to report their sightings of one of nature’s most mesmerising performances – the Starling murmuration.

Find out how to take part here.

Irish Garden Bird Survey

Monitoring our favourite garden birds

Between December and February each year, we ask members of the public to keep note of the highest number of each bird species visiting their garden every week.  We also ask for information on the size of the garden being surveyed, the kinds of food, if any, being offered to the birds, and so on.  Taking part is fun, easy and an ideal way to get to know your garden birds better; it also makes an ideal school project.

Find out how to take part here.