Horizons

Convergence festival:Inspiring hope and provoking change are the themes that run through the Convergence Sustainable Living Festival in Dublin and Tipperary from next Wednesday until June 1st.

On Thursday at 8pm, co-operatives and community groups will discuss opportunities for the green economy. On Friday, Rethinking the City will look at smarter buildings, energy and transport systems. Next Saturday, you can hear about local food, currencies and energy from Transition Towns in Ireland. On May 31st, a conference on sustainable education is on in Cloughjordan, Co Tipperary. See cultivate.ie or call to Greenhouse, 17 St Andrew Street, D2.

National Heritage Week

May 31st is the deadline for submitting events for National Heritage Week, from August 21st to 29th. Community groups, historical centres, nature reserves and others will have their events listed in the event guide and on heritageweek.ie.

Meanwhile, a new programme has just been launched to enable volunteers to make contact with heritage groups in their locality. Organisations should submit their volunteer requirements to the Heritage Council, which will publicise the volunteering opportunities in each county. 1850-200878, events@heritagecouncil.ie.

Birthday at the zoo

Dublin Zoo is hosting a Native Species weekend next Saturday and Sunday as part of its celebrations for the UN International Year of Biodiversity. Many of Ireland’s wildlife experts will be on hand to talk about our native animals and plants. Zookeepers will also be celebrating the first birthday of the Sumatran tiger twins, Emas and Wanita. See dublinzoo.ie.

Finally, apologies to those trying to find Coole Park visitor centre and nature reserve from our incorrect address last week. It is near Gort, in Co Galway, and will host one of the six countrywide BioBlitz events today.

Ecoweb

epa.ie/education

Check out the Environmental Protection Agency’s new resources for secondary schools on this link. The materials on sustainable resources, clean air and water, biodiversity and climate change are based the EPA’s vision of the Irish environment until 2020.