Birdwatchers of all ages should make their way to Bull Island, off the coast of Dublin's northside, tomorrow between 10.30 a.m. and 4 p.m. for Birdwatch Ireland's open day. As a new feature this year, teams of three are invited to join in a 90-minute bird race. Participants can walk, run, use skateboards, even scooters but no motorised vehicles are allowed. The challenge is to observe as many bird species as possible during the race. Entry fee £2. Don Conroy will host an art workshop for younger children at noon.
The Young Birders Esso Challenge , open to eight to 12-year-olds, will also be launched. Tasks include creating images of native or migrant birds and writing a book about the wildlife in your area. Entry forms are available from 01-2073237. See also www.birdwatchireland.ie
Conservation Volunteers begin their annual hedgerow season with a hedge-laying workshop on Saturday next in Tymon Park, Tallaght, Co Dublin. As Irish hedgerows continue to be under significant threat due to building and road development, this initiative is laudable. This year, Conservation Volunteers are offering landowners and farm managers an opportunity to participate for free in one of their forthcoming workshops, which concentrate on traditional woodland management. Woodland ecology, invasive species removal and tree planting will also be covered. Tel: 01 4547185 for booking details. See also www.cvi.ie
THE Winter Mega Messy Art Attack at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust at Castle Espie near Comber, Co Down, today sounds like a lot of fun. Local children can phone to check if there are any spaces left in the workshops from 10.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and 1.30 p.m. to 3.30 p.m. The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust is home to Ireland's largest collection of ducks, geese and swans; it also provides habitats for rare flowers and grasses, moths and butterflies and many mammals such as otters, badgers and foxes. Other forthcoming workshops include Moon Watching Rabbits, an evening of planet-watching organised by the Irish Astronomical Association (on Thursday at 7.30 p.m.) and a birdwatching morning at 11 a.m. on Thursday, November 30th. Tel: 048-91874146.
The architectural heritage of courthouses was celebrated recently in a publication from the Heritage Council. Entitled The Courthouses of Ireland (£25), it is a photographic and textual inventory of 165 courthouses throughout the country. Although significant improvement works have been carried out on a number of courthouses, the book warns that many still require sensitive refurbishment. The variation of architectural styles is as fascinating as the supplementary roles the courthouses often play. The courthouse in Granard, Co Longford, hosted the first harp festival in 1784, while the courtroom in the Carnegie Library in Castleisland now doubles up as a badminton court. See also www.heritagecouncil.ie
DID you know that if you want to fell a tree on your land, you must apply for a felling licence at your local garda station? The gardai will then refer the matter to the Department of Marine and Natural Resources, Johnstown Castle, Co Wexford. If you have a complaint about a tree which has been felled, you can contact your local garda. To preserve a tree on your land, you need to apply for a Tree Preservation Order from the planning department of your local county council. You need to supply them with a map of where the tree is and why you believe it should be protected. If a tree is felled which has a TPO on it, the gardai can take the owner to court and impose a fine. Likewise, if someone cuts down a tree without a felling licence, the gardai can prosecute, if they feel it is appropriate.
