Greetings!

A big hello to our new subscribers who found us at Electric Picnic this weekend! IEN staff member Amy Dugdale was attending, as well as some of the IEN groups who hosted information, talks, games and activities at the Global Green. These groups were Cultivate (based in Cloughjordan Ecovillage), Wildlife Rehabilitation Ireland, FEASTA, Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, Leave No Trace, Global Action Plan and The Environmental Forum. I hope you had lots of great conversations and fun, and are recovering after the weekend!

Davie from Cultivate hosting a panel on the Power of Community

Alex and Niamh from Global Action Plan

Wildlife Rehabilitation Ireland

Aoibhin from Leave No Trace

Cian and Csilla from Irish Whale and Dolphin Group

Time travelers from The Environmental Forum with insights from the future

This month I want to highlight a campaign Hands OFF Nature. The European Commission has discreetly launched a consultation over August with a view to weakening EU environmental laws. According to European Environmental Bureau everything is potentially on the table, including our biggest campaign wins to adopt or defend nature laws such as the Nature Restoration Law, Habitats Directive, EU Deforestation Regulation, or Water Framework Directive. You can take quick action now by using the Environmental Pillar's tool to make a submission here by September 10th. You can read more about the campaign below.

I've also included a new section in the newsletter; the Community Groups Showcase, highlighting some of the local groups in the country who are doing great work in their area.

As always, there are lots of events listed below from national and local groups, including Autumn festivals, Environmental Gatherings and workshops. Have a look at the Quick Guide to Events for an overview. In our Local News section we have a pond project resource from Westmeath Environmental & Climate Action Network, and an article from West Wicklow Environmental Network.

All this and more below.

Beir bua,

Catherine

Frog Pond Biodiversity Project

Westmeath

Westmeath Environmental & Climate Action Network would like to share resources from a local project:

Frog Pond Biodiversity Project, at the Lynn Road, Mullingar. This project from Coiste Glas Gaelscoil an Coillín is a collaborative wetland building project between multiple local groups. They are working to create a wetland habitat on the school grounds. When the project is complete, it is hoped that it will raise awareness among students and staff of local schools about the importance of aquatic biodiversity and water quality in a lived in environment, and that it will be a focus area for everyone in Mullingar to get a greater understanding of water quality generally.

You can read more about this project here.

Habitat and Heritage on Granamore Hill

Wicklow

When members of the West Wicklow Environmental Network gathered at the foot of Granamore Hill, near Hollywood, on Saturday 23 August for the WWEN’s annual Heritage Week outing, the bright tormentil flowers underfoot provided a striking reminder of the interconnectedness of livelihood and landscape.

A member of the rose family, the yellow tormentil, abundant in the Wicklow Hills and long celebrated for its curative powers, was the first botanical plant to be illustrated in a published work in Ireland. However, the 1729 pamphlet in which tormentil appeared showcased neither the plant’s visual attractiveness nor its nature value but instead focused exclusively on its industrial potential in the tanning of leather.

The story of tormentil is a story of the deep and complex interdependence between humans and their natural environment, a story brought further to life over the course of a wonderful morning (and – for an especially enthusiastic few – afternoon) by Granamore farmer Denis Halpin, Brian Dunne from ACRES Leinster, Ruairí Mac an Tuile of the National Parks and Wildlife Service and Helen Lawless of the WWEN and Mountaineering Ireland.

Read the full article here to hear about positive farming and land management, and rewilding efforts on the bog.

Find out more about West Wicklow Environmental Network:

www.westwicklowen.ie

info@westwicklowen.ie

Find us on Facebook and Instagram!

Community Groups Showcase

Get to know some of the local groups in Ireland who are working for climate and biodiversity, all members of their local Public Participation Network. Find your PPN here 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.

Cork Repair Café

Hosting Repair Cafés and promoting the circular economy.

Fixing household items, clothes, bikes and more! Find out when their next repair café is on their Facebook page or email them on the address below.

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/corkrepaircafe

Email: corkrepaircafe@gmail.com

Irish Wildlife Trust Monaghan Branch 

The IWT aims to conserve wildlife and habitats throughout Ireland while encouraging greater understanding and appreciation of the natural world and the need to protect it.

The Monaghan Branch was recently selected as a County Finalist in the Heritage section of the National Lottery Good Causes Awards, with the Dromore Catchment Mapping Project, which is in collaboration with Friends of the Dromore - Associate Member of the Erne Rivers Trust.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/iwtmonaghan/

Email: monaghanbranch@iwt.ie

Limerick Bat Group

Bringing together people in Limerick City and County who love bats. Hosting bat survey events and volunteer opportunities, training, recording, exploring, mapping and enhancing.

We are a group of people living in and/or around Limerick City and County who love bats and want to work towards protecting and raising awareness of these special creatures. We have a variety of projects on-going that seek to educate ourselves and the public about bats and enhance our natural environment for bat conservation.

Website: https://limerickbatgroup.wixsite.com/website

Facebook: www.facebook.com/limerickbatgroup/

Email: limerickbatgroup@gmail.com

SEPTEMBER EVENTS

CELT at Field Exchange Agricultural Festival, Brookfield Farm

Sept 6th

Brookfield Farm, Coolbawn, Co. Tipperary E45 W599

CELT are delighted to once again be a part of Brookfield Farm's amazing Field Exchange Agricultural Festival this year with our Crafts and environmental Awareness stall on site as part of the Family Friendly Festival Day on Sat Sept 6th. 

In the face of climate disruption, biodiversity loss, and community fragmentation, Field Exchange aims to be a vital space for dialogue, culture, craft and creativity, and reimagining how we relate to land, food, and place. This Festival sets the stage for a reimagining of agriculture and our rural communities - as creative, cultural, and ecological actors. 

Bringing together farmers, artists, craft makers, researchers, community advocates, and policy-makers to explore how creative approaches to agriculture can help build thriving rural communities, nourish well-being, and cultivate a deeper connection with the land and place. This day will inspire, connect, and co-create visions for the future of farming and local food.

CELT are delighted as part of the Family Friendly Day on Sept Sat 6th to be showcasing a number of our wonderful Weekend In The Hills, Festival of Traditional Crafts. tutors, including Alan & Kate Burrows of Westcountry Willows, Sean Walsh, Sugán Chair & Green Woodwork Crafts, and our dedicated wild food forager, Olwyn Williams from Foraging and Yoga with Olwyn, alongside CELT's Community Climate Action and Biodiversity Educational Stall.. with  lots of information on the latest issues, local and national campaigns and resources.. 

Join us for a wonderful family friendly food and craft festival experience on beautiful Brookfield Farm overlooking the Lough Derg landscape. A day filled with themes of sustainability and a love for nature.  Set in the working landscape of Brookfield Farm - with its wild edges, hedgerows, and active agroecological practices, connecting people with shared interests, offering CELT’s engaging and exciting craft workshops

Mark your Calendars!! We look forward to seeing you there for what promises to be another wonderful weekend!! Bígí Linn!!

Field Exchange Festival  Creative Agriculture for Thriving Communities

Takes place from September 5 - 7 September 2025

• Day 1: Field Exchange Symposium Fields of Possibility Friday at King's Hill E45 EA09
• Day 2: Field Exchange Agri food Festival Saturday at Brookfield Farm E45 W599
• Day 3: Celebration Lunch with Tipperary Food Producers' Network Sunday at King's Hill E45 EA09 - 

For more information and to book you tickets please visit - 

•  https://brookfieldfarm.rezgo.com/details/398724/field-exchange-agri-food-festival-2025
• https://www.brookfield.farm/field-exchange-festival/

Seed saving workshop

Sept 7th, 11am - 2pm

Meath

Join us for a hands-on, 3-hour workshop where you’ll learn the art and science of seed saving. Whether you're a home gardener, urban farmer, or just curious about food resilience, this session will equip you with the skills to harvest, process, and store seeds from your own plants.

We’ll take you step-by-step through seed saving methods using a wide variety of organic vegetables currently growing in our 250 year old walled garden. From tomatoes and beans to lettuces, cucumbers and more, we’ll demonstrate real-time techniques for extracting and storing seeds to ensure strong germination and healthy future crops. 

No experience necessary—just a passion for growing! Come away with valuable knowledge, confidence, and some seeds of your own to take home.

Read more and get tickets here

Eco Film Series

Our Blue World

Sept 10th, 7pm

Carlow

Join us for the first of our screenings of our Autumn/ Winter Film Festival in partnership with Visual Carlow on Wednesday, 10th September 2025 at 19:00 hrs where we will be screening Our Blue World, a groundbreaking documentary that explores humanity’s profound relationship with water and reveals how human agency can help re-balance the planet’s water systems.

We are also delighted to share that Paul O’Callaghan, Executive Producer and Ruán Magan, Director will be joining us on the evening for questions and answers.

See more info and book your tickets here

Cavan Environmental Network Gathering

Sept 11th, 7.30pm - 9pm

Cavan

Calling all environmentally minded community groups in County Cavan! Join us for an informative and engaging support gathering for your groups work in helping the environment.

Meet like minded groups and hear about supports and funding from speakers including LEADER, Cavan Public Participation Network, Cavan County Local Development and more.

Venue: The Pastoral Centre, H12 E5C7

Refreshments served

Book a place now: info@cavanppn.ie

More info: 086 351 2308

Weekend Whale Watching Courses 2025

Sept 12th - 14th

West Cork

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 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

Reducing Food Waste Through Fermentation

Three part workshop

Sept 17th, Oct 12th, Nov 15th @6.30pm

Carlow

We are partnering with Carlow County Council, and a familiar face Dee Sewell for a 3-part Fermentation Workshop with sustainable chef Derek of The Live Raw Kitchen. Fermenting food is a great way to produce healthy and flavourful food and reduce food waste. The cost of the 3 workshops is €5.

Booking is required, places are limited. 



Full details and booking via > https://www.eventbrite.com/e/reducing-food-waste-through-fermentation-3-fermentation-workshops-tickets-1554900171269?aff=oddtdtcreator

To follow the fermentation process, commitment to the 3 workshops is a must. Please note you cannot book the workshops individually. 

Get in touch if you are part of a group that wishes to participate: carlowenvironmentalnetwork@gmail.com

AbhainnChara Festival 2025

Sept 19th - 21st

Galway

Celebrating Life with our Slieve Aughty Local Landscape Partners Abhainn Dha Loilliocht

An Ancient Future, Rooted in Land, Music, and Story. Celebrate music, culture, and community while supporting the restoration of our rivers and forests with Abhainn Dha Loilleacht

 Kilbeacanty & Gort | 19–21 September 2025

🌿 About the Festival  

AbhainnChara Festival is a weekend of music, culture, community, and rewilding in the heart of the Slieve Aughties.

We gather to celebrate our rivers and forests, to listen to voices both old and new, and to imagine together an ancient future where culture and ecology are deeply intertwined.

The festival brings people together around music, storytelling, and dialogue, weaving tradition with contemporary creativity, and linking community spirit with ecological restoration.

🌿 FOR FULL FESTIVAL PROGRAMME & FESTIVAL TICKETS: Please visit - https://facebook.com/events/s/abhainnchara-festival/25392774450324802/

Féile na nÚll 2025 - Apple Festival

September 20th, 12pm - 5pm

Tipperary

A Taste of Cloughjordan Ecovillage

APPLE PRESSING | FOOD CAFE AND STALLS | APPLE BAKE CONTEST | KIDS ACTIVITIES AND ECOVILLAGE TOURS

Get ready for a delightful celebration of all things apple at Féile na nÚll, the annual community apple festival! This vibrant event will take place on Saturday 20th September at 12:00pm in the beautiful Cloughjordan Ecovillage.

A highlight of the festival is the hands-on apple pressing. Bring your own apples and containers to transform them into delicious, freshly squeezed juice!

Spot the Orchard Thieves and Bake Off Chefs from Cloughjordan Circus Club, or participate in a ClotheSwap with a difference!

A food cafe and stalls will offer a tempting selection of culinary treats, local produce and unique handmade crafts - a perfect opportunity for food enthusiasts and curious shoppers alike.

Adding a delicious competitive spirit to the day is the Apple Bake contest. Participants are invited to showcase their best apple-based creations, from comforting pies to flavourful chutneys.

For those keen to learn, engaging talks and insightful tours will be offered during the day, providing a chance to connect with the local community and discover more about sustainable living.

Whether you’re passionate about food, love nature, or simply seek a fun and educational day out, Féile na nÚll has something for everyone. So save the date, gather your apples and come and join the festivities!

More info here

CELT Festival of Traditional Crafts Weekend in the Hills

SEEDS OF SOLIDARITY

Sept 27 & 28th

Galway

FESTIVAL Location - Center for Environmental Living and Training -

CELT C/O Slieve Aughty Center, Kylebrack

Loughrea, Galway, H62 DY77

Celt are delighted to welcome you to a new Family Friendly Sustainable Living & Eco Arts Festival event in the Sliabh Aughties as part of our annual Festival of Traditional Crafts Weekend in the Hills and national Sustainable Development Goals Week programme an this September!

The Centre for Environmental Living and Training (CELT) are delighted to offer this unique and inspiring 2 day Sustainable Living & Eco Arts Festival including our annual Traditional Crafts workshops and bring together earth activists, change makers, poets, film makers, rebels and dreamers to share some time in nature, strengthen our connections, build solidarity and deepen our collective and creative vision. 

This Festival sets the stage for a reimagining of our rural communities - as vital creative, cultural, political and ecological actors with impact at home and abroad. Bringing together artists, craft makers, researchers, foresters, farmers, community advocates and policy-makers to explore how creative and cultural approaches to our local landscape can help build thriving rural communities, nourish well-being, and cultivate a deeper connection with the land and place. 

Over the weekend we will explore how we can infuse our collective and creative climate actions, how to create solidarity between networks and address key challenges.

To find out about our full programme and to book your place please visit our website celtnet.org 

FUTURE EVENTS

WEXFORD WEEKEND IN THE WOODS

Oct 4th, 10am - 4.30pm

Wexford

In collaboration with Soul Sanctuary we are delighted to offer 2 new workshops on the East Coast on Saturday Oct 4th..from 10am - 4.30pm 

Workshops includes a One Day Green Wood Crafts Workshop with Sean Walsh on Green Wood Furniture making 

And a one day workshop with renown Dave Swift in Traditional Leather Craft work..

For more information and to book your place please visit celtnet.org 

Wildlife Rehabilitation Course and Advanced Wildlife Veterinary Treatment Course

October & November

Introduction to Wildlife Rehabilitation Course - Oct 11th & 12th - Meath

We are delighted to announce that booking is now open for our Introduction to Wildlife Rehabilitation course. This 2 day course is a comprehensive introduction to wildlife rehabilitation. Topics include the legal and ethical issues regarding wildlife rehabilitation in Ireland; safe rescue and handling techniques of wild animals; how to perform a physical examination; first aid and common ailments encountered; what to feed wildlife and how to house them; zoonotic diseases; and release considerations.

The highlight for most attendees are the practical sessions which include capture and handling to physical examinations, tube feeding and more.

More info

Advanced Wildlife Veterinary Treatment Course - Nov 22nd & 23rd - Tipperary - More info

IWDG Whale Tales 2025: Shared Stories from the Sea 

Nov 7th - 9th

Belfast 

We’re delighted to announce that WT25 is heading to Belfast this November. This much-loved event brings together IWDG members, volunteers, officers and anyone interested in whales, dolphins, and porpoises for a weekend of shared stories, learning, and connection. 

The event is open to all and aims to strengthen the link between science, storytelling, culture, and community involvement in the celebration and appreciation of these charismatic animals in Irish waters. 

We’d love to see you there! 

Feel free to spread the word to anyone who shares our passion for Ireland’s whales and dolphins.

Registration is now open at https://iwdg.ie/whaletales2025/

Hands OFF Nature!

Don’t let the EU weaken nature protection

Act now, before 10th September!

The European Commission has discreetly launched a consultation over August with a view to weakening EU environmental laws. Under the Trojan Horse of administrative burden they are looking for feedback on waste, industrial emissions and environment assessments.

We have seen under this and other regressive Commissions that “simplification” will translate into the dismantling of environmental standards and safeguards. According to European Environmental Bureau everything is potentially on the table, including our biggest campaign wins to adopt or defend nature laws such as the Nature Restoration Law, Habitats Directive, EU Deforestation Regulation, or Water Framework Directive. We can see that industry across Europe have already mobilised and the forestry sector in particular are targeting the NRL and the EUDR.

We have until September 10^th to scupper their plans and change the course of events.

The EU NGO coalition has mobilised the Hands OFF Nature campaign to respond to this threat.

• They have created a tool to facilitate the public in responding to the Commission’s consultation. You simply fill out your details and then opt to write a personal message or choose an auto-generated response.
• To facilitate engagement in Ireland the Environmental Pillar have created a dedicated webpage to host the tool. You can share the link to our page with your contacts and ask them to use the tool to make a submission.

Key Actions

1. We ask that you submit a response to the Commissions consultation before September 10^th calling on the Commission to improve implementation and enforcement of existing environmental laws rather than weakening them.
2. Call on your friends, family and networks to also do the same. We have strength in numbers but we have a lot of ground to make up. 

Speak up now using our tool https://environmentalpillar.ie/hands-off-nature/

Checking River Health in the Field 

In this new video, StreamScapes Field Educators Rauri and Jess demonstrate kick sampling, a simple, hands-on way to survey the freshwater invertebrates that reveal river health. Watch the video here.

These indicator species give us powerful insights into the conditions of our rivers, helping track changes and threats that aren’t always visible.

Every observation helps build a clearer picture of biodiversity in Ireland, so don't forget to submit your kick sampling records to the National Biodiversity Data Centre.

Learn more at streamscapes.ie

Proudly funded by The Heritage Council.

Introduction to the Nature Restoration Law

Thank you to those who attended our introduction to the Nature Restoration Law with Fintan Kelly. The recording is now available to view here: https://youtu.be/WDq2z80qayM

Fintan mentioned the upcoming Community Conversations that will be taking place around the country. These will be the best way for you to interact with the Nature Restoration process from a community level. Community Conversations are running Sep - Oct, organised by ACT and Hometree. There are 10 events countrywide in total, with one being held online, and each focusing on different themes. There will be a public announcement next week by the Minister. Dates will be on restorenature.ie. In the end there will be a synthesis report that summarises everything.

New website - WEAll Ireland - Cultural Creatives: Tools for a Wellbeing Economy

http://www.culturalcreativesguide.site

If you're interested in helping to bring about change in the economic system towards a regenerative 'wellbeing economy' that supports people and nature, please take a look at the new Wellbeing Economy Ireland Hub online 'toolkit': Cultural Creatives: Tools for a Wellbeing Economy", and pass the link on. 

This website is a living resource to support the thinking, people, and practices shaping the transition to a Wellbeing Economy across the island of Ireland.

It includes the following sections:

“Deepening Understanding”: frameworks and other resources to help explore and communicate the principles of a wellbeing economy and the dynamics of systemic change.

“Changing the Story”: tools for narrative change—inviting imagination, ecological storytelling, metaphor, and meaning-making to challenge the dominant growth narrative and envision new possibilities.

“Enabling Connection and Collaboration”: techniques for holding space for creative dialogue, collective reflection, and intercultural/intergenerational exchange, so as to build capacity for designing and hosting inclusive spaces that nurture trust, creativity, and collaboration.

This website was developed by IEN members Feasta and Cultivate, along with our fellow WEAll Ireland Hub members: the Irish Doughnut Economics Network, QUB School of Law, the Playhouse Theatre in Derry/Londonderry, and the European Health Futures Forum. It's part of a project funded by the Shared Island Unit at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 

The website includes a form for uploading suggestions for resources to add, and a link for signing up to the Cultural Creatives mailing list. 

OPEN CALL - Writing the Land - The Great Forest of Aughty & Community &  Cultural Storytelling project in partnership with the Woodland League! 

We are delighted to host a storytelling platform and welcome community collaborators and participants to share their ancient forest and biodiversity stories with us for our creative story telling project titled - Writing the Land: The Great Forest of Aughty

Writing the Land is a collaborative community outreach and creative 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, urgent for our times. As a site rich in biodiversity, cultural and historical connections and significance, 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 still to both the local, creative, native woodland, and environmental communities. 



This creative platform wishes 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