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A chara,
This month we're highlighting some great resources including the launch of the Pollinator Guide for Community Gardens, and a link to all open EU funding opportunities. It's a great time of year to get involved in some outdoor action too. Check out the community groups we're showcasing this month, and find more near you through your PPN or browsing the IEN members websites.
The Environmental Pillar has sent their submission in response to the first public consultation on Ireland’s draft National Nature Restoration Plan. You can read the full submission here. You can also find a summary of nine recommendations here. The closing date is today, Wednesday 1st July. If you would like to send a quick email today to show your support for these recommendations you can send an email to nationalrestorationplan@npws.gov.ie
Le meas,
Catherine
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Contents
Community Groups Showcase
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Invasive Species in Ireland: Biodiversity threats, challenges and actions with West Wicklow Environmental Network
- Green Spaces for Health
- Inishowen Rivers Trust
- Blackrock Nature and Wildlife
- Coastwatch Ireland
Events
- See 'Quick Guide to Events'
Resources & Training
- ECO-UNESCO's Summer Camps in Dublin & Cork: Sign Up Now
- ECO-UNESCO's ECO-Sustainability Award Programme
- Launch of Pollinator Guide for Community Gardens
- Stop the Spread: How policymakers and gardeners can fight back against invasive plants
Announcements
- Groups from Kerry, Armagh and Dublin Win Young Environmentalist Awards
Funding Opportunities
- Your One-Stop Shop for EU Funding
Job Opportunities
- Community Climate Action Worker - Cork
Footer
- Find out more about IEN member groups
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Quick Guide to Events
July
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11th @ 10am: Rewild Your Energy – A Metabolic Reset Inspired by Nature - Leitrim
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11th - August 31st: Biodiversity Photographer of the Year Exhibition - Meath
| | Community Groups Showcase | | |
Join those who are making a difference for nature and climate in your county! Find people in your area who share your interests and goals for 2026. Below are just three groups out of hundreds in Ireland.
Find more on your PPN's website. Go to their 'members' section and sort by 'Environmental Pillar' to see some of the groups in your area.
Already in a group of your own? Find your PPN online (search 'your county' and 'ppn') to join for free and receive free training, information on local events and funding, and the opportunities to affect local policy creation in your County Council.
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Invasive Species in Ireland
Biodiversity threats, challenges and actions
An Evening with West Wicklow Environmental Network
Not only do invasive species cost the economy of Ireland €260 million per annum but they have ‘a major impact on biodiversity’ and are one of main causes of biodiversity loss worldwide, posing ‘a significant threat to our native wildlife, and the functioning of our eco systems.’
Responding to this threat, West Wicklow Environmental Network hosted ‘Invasive Species in
Ireland – Biodiversity threats, challenges and actions.’
On a boiling hot June evening in Valleymount, Co Wicklow over 30 people attended the WWEN event to learn about invasive species and what can be done about them. Patrick Hunt, WWEN committee member and horticulturalist introduced the topic. He told the audience many of us are unaware of what is invasive. Common plants such as Cherry Laurel, beloved for hedging across the land, pretty Lady’s Mantle and Montbretia are all invasive. ‘I’m dealing with them in my own garden,’ Patrick said, and sadly ‘in Ireland, there are now more non-native plants than
native.’
But not only are we seeing invasives in our gardens, they are a common site in our towns and villages.
The evening hosted talks from speakers Paddy Donovan of Donavan Forestry Services, Eoghan Connaughton of the Gaelic Woodland Project, and Lorna Kelly, Co-ordinator for Wicklow Uplands Council. Read more about the evening and input from speakers here.
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Green Spaces for Health
Cork City
Green Spaces for Health is a city-wide, community led initiative. We are an Eco Social Group; one of the most important aspects of our work is fostering a reverence for nature.
Through our work we maintain existing green spaces and seek out new greening opportunities. We extend our understanding of greening to encompass deep ecology, protecting biodiversity, creating new habitats, supporting green energy initiatives in our homes and businesses, recycling and up-cycling, harnessing permaculture principals, encouraging city dwellers to become citizen scientists, we record and map aspects of our natural world to help inform our future decisions and we collaborate with as many individuals and organisations as possible to realise a greener city.
Read more here
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Inishowen Rivers Trust
Donegal
The Inishowen Rivers Trust is an environmental charity that aims to protect, restore and improve the rivers and natural waterbodies of the Inishowen Municipal District.
The main aims of the Trust are to advance the education of the public, or any association, institution, voluntary organisation, company, local authority, administrative or governmental agency or public body or representative body in:
(a) The understanding of rivers, river corridors and river catchments, including their fauna, flora, biodiversity, economic or social activity, and river catchment management.
(b) The need for, and benefits of, conservation, protection, rehabilitation and improvement of aquatic environments.
Read more here
Email: info@inishowenriverstrust.com
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Louth
We are a group of nature enthusiasts that are looking to share knowledge with each other, and the wider community, about wildlife and plants on the coast, in and around Blackrock co. Louth and the Fane River estuary, through meet-ups, talks and projects
Read more here
or Email: blackrocknw@outlook.com
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IEN Member spotlight
Coastwatch Ireland
Coastwatch primarily protects wetlands by raising the public’s awareness of their value and demonstrating practical ways to save them. Our work includes the Coastwatch Survey, Seagrass Survey, Microlitter, Seaweed, and Marine Protected Areas Project.
More info and get in touch
See all IEN members here
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Rewild Your Energy – A Metabolic Reset Inspired by Nature
July 11th, 10am-4pm
Leitrim
With Fran Norgate, a certified Nutrition & Lifestyle Advisor . The one-day workshop is designed as a gentle, accessible introduction to circadian rhythms, metabolic health and energy regulation, suitable for people who are new to these ideas.
The focus is on helping participants understand why they may feel exhausted, foggy or out of balance despite eating well and taking care of themselves — and how reconnecting with natural rhythms can support energy, hormones and overall wellbeing.
Book now
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Biodiversity Photographer of the Year Exhibition
July 11th - August 31st
Meath
Come see the breathtaking finalists for this years Biodiversity Photographer of the Year competition. Exhibition is open to the public from the afternoon of Saturday July 11th. Check our social media or website for further details.
Make a day of it! Sonairte offers a great day out for the whole family, with nature walks by the river, a two acre walled garden dating from the 1800's, cafe and playground, as well as a farm shop. It's a great time of year to visit!
Location: The, Ninch, Laytown, Co. Meath, A92 D9XH
Exhibition open from July 11th (afternoon) until August 31st
More info will be posted here: Facebook - Instagram - Website
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ECO-UNESCO's Summer Camps in Dublin & Cork: Sign Up Now
ECO-UNESCO is hosting a series of educational and adventurous 5-day summer camps this summer! Taking place in Dublin and Cork throughout July and August, ECO-UNESCO has planned a series of exciting activities in nature for participants joining from Monday-Friday. We’re exciting to welcome two age groups to the camps this summer, Green Teens (ages 13-16) and ECO-Explorers (ages 10-13). Dates, pricing and exact locations can be found at (ecounesco.ie).
To register, please visit: https://ecounesco.ie/eco-camps/
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ECO-UNESCO's ECO-Sustainability Award Programme
As a leading organisation in environmental education, ECO-UNESCO is offering a programme to help other organisations embed sustainability into their activities. The ECO-Sustainability Award programme is a framework that outlines important operations to promote sustainable development, while awarding organisations recognition of their qualifications along the way. ECO-UNESCO is inviting more organisations to join this support network and offering free info sessions to assess how this programme may be of use.
More information can be found at https://ecounesco.ie/ecosustainabilityaward/
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Launch of Pollinator Guide for Community Gardens
On Saturday 20th June, Community Gardens Ireland launched our pollinator guide for community gardens with the National Biodiversity Data Centre in Greystones & Kilcoole Community Garden in Wicklow.
This is a project that started 3 years ago at a Community Gardens Ireland gathering, when a discussion was held about pesticide use at community gardens and allotments. Following this, contact was made with the excellent team at National Biodiversity Data Centre who quickly came on board.
Over the last 3 years, the two groups then worked together to produce this guide with inputs from members of the Community Gardens Ireland committee.
This guide highlights best practice for community gardens in order to make them pollinator friendly, along with advice for providing space for wildlife, including ponds, bird and bat boxes, and eliminating pesticide use.
Our hope is that this will inspire more pollinator-friendly community gardens throughout the island of Ireland.
Find the booklet here: https://pollinators.ie/communitygardens/
Read more about the launch here: https://cgireland.org/launch-of-pollinator-guide-for-community-garde
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Stop the Spread: How policymakers and gardeners can fight back against invasive plants
Join Oisín Ó Néill, Nature Advocacy Officer with the Irish Wildlife Trust, and Mary Reynolds, founder of We Are The Ark and nature activist, for a webinar discussing current invasive species policy, invasive species management and the Nature Restoration Law, what to avoid planting in your garden, and the importance of planting native species.
Oisín has been working hands-on in invasive species removal for many years and advocating for policy change at a national level. Mary has been actively helping people to rewild their gardens for years and is a passionate advocate for the importance of planting native species instead.
Watch the webinar here
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Groups from Kerry, Armagh and Dublin Win Young Environmentalist Awards
ECO-UNESCO's Young Environmentalist Awards (YEA) 2026 saw 28 awards presented to hundreds of young environmentalists from across the island of Ireland. This year, over 7000 young people participated in the programme, working on action projects throughout 2025 and 2026 in preparation for the final Showcase and Awards Ceremony that took place on May 12 at the RDS Dublin. The three Overall Category Winners taking home the biggest awards of the year are from Kerry (GoWild from Mean Scoil Nua An Leith Triuigh, winning the Overall Senior Category Award), Armagh (Wear Your Values from St Catherine's College, winning the overall Junior Category Award), and Dublin (Tackling waste in CityWise, Jobstown, Tallaght......the WORLD! from CityWise Education, winning the Overall Junior Category Award).
To register a group’s interest for next year, please sign up here: https://ecounesco.ie/young-environmentalist-awards/register/
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Your One-Stop Shop for EU Funding
An EU funding support service for Irish civil society
View all open EU funds: https://www.accesseurope.ie/
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Find out more about the work of IEN members
The Irish Environmental Network has 34 nationally active members, who work on a wide variety of environmental, biodiversity and sustainability issues.
You can read more about their work, get involved, or sign up to their newsletters to hear directly from them on their websites.
See all members here
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