Horizons

A Heritage & Habitat roundup

Castletown crafts

Castletown House, Ireland’s largest and oldest Palladian house, in Celbridge, Co Kildare, is the venue for the Irish Georgian Society’s annual Traditional Building Skills in Action exhibition today and tomorrow. Visitors can see craftspeople conserving decorative plasterwork, making wallpaper, building stone walls and restoring ironwork, and can attend free lectures. The Irish Landmark Trust will offer tours of the house and of the recently restored Batty Langley Lodge and Round House in the grounds. Admission is free and the event runs from 10am to 5pm each day. See igs.ie.

Biodiversity vitality

If we neglect our biodiversity, we put our economy at risk. This was the central message at a conference in Dublin on Thursday. In other words, the cost of sustaining biodiversity and ecosystems services is lower than the cost of allowing such services to decline. “Our natural resources and ecosystems underpin our economy: biodiversity directly supports industries such as pharmaceuticals, pulp and paper as well as construction and waste treatment,” said Dr Cathy Maguire of Comhar Sustainable Development Council, organiser of the conference.

Eco-summer kids

An eco-summer school is open to children in the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council area. Contributors include Brenda Palmer, who will help children create a butterfly garden; Dale Treadwell, who will identify trees, plants and insects; and Andy Fleming, who will teach outdoor survival skills. Activities run from 10am-2pm from July 5th to 9th at Archbishop McQuaid National School, Ballybrack. Cost €60. Booking on 01-2054817. Meanwhile, environmentalist John Feehan will host the Waterworld Mini-Beasts Summer School in Ferbane, Co Offaly, from June 28th to July 2nd. Cost €100. Bookings on 057-9346839.

Ecoweb

rediscoverycentre.ie

Find out about furniture recycling and restoring at this innovative business in Ballymun. Also, recycled paint is available for community projects. The next sale of restored and recycled furniture will be held next Thursday from 10am to 4pm.