Killarney spring school: Red deer spotting, bat watching and a tour of the early copper mines on Ross peninsula in Co Kerry are highlights of this year's Spring School at the Killarney National Park Education Centre, Killarney, Co Kerry from April 4th to 6th.
Participants will gain from a range of expert knowledge on the flora and fauna of this particularly beautiful national park. An impressive feature of the spring school is the number of boat trips and walks which complement the eco-speak of the weekend. Fee €85 for lectures, hikes and boat trips. Bookings on tel/fax: 064-35960 or e-mail knpeducationcentre@eircom.net
Meanwhile, also on April 4th- 6th is a Spring Birdwatching workshop run by ornithologist, Eric Dempsey. Based in the Celtic Ross Hotel, Rosscarbery, west Cork, the weekend including a trip to the Cape Clear Bird Observatory. Tel: 023-48722 or see www.birdsireland.com
Solar so good: Set up last year to promote the use of solar energy in Ireland, the Irish Solar Energy Association is holding its first general meeting on Friday, April 4th at the Tipperary Institute Campus, Thurles, Co Tipperary. The meeting will address such issues as how solar energy can assist Ireland to comply with emissions targets set out in the Kyoto agreement. The association also aims to influence regional and national policy to incorporate solar-related projects into their future energy plans. Contact Michael Lyons, tel: 021 4251104 or email michael_lyons@corkcity.ie for more details.
Human transport conference: The Effects of Human Transport on Ecosystems: Boats, Cars, Planes and Trains is the theme and title of a professional conference in the Royal Irish Academy, Dawson St, Dublin on April 1st and 2nd. The ecological impact of leisure transport, humans as disease carriers and the origin and spread of alien plants in Ireland are among the topics under discussion. Full programme and registration details at www.ria.ie/committees/biology/events.html
Opposing planning jargon: As more and more communities wake-up to the potential environmental damage of new industrial plants and the increasing suburbanisation of Irish towns and villages, action-groups are springing up all over the country to oppose planning decisions on such issues.
However, environmentalist, Mike Ewing believes that many such groups have great difficulty responding to the jargon-filled documents describing the developments they are instinctively opposed to. He is currently researching the needs of such local environmental activists with the aim to write a book on environmental campaigning.
If you have been involved in a local campaign and are interested in sharing your experience, contact him on e-mail: m.ewing@dol.ie or write to Mike Ewing, Knockvicar, Boyle, Co Roscommon.