Demands for a heritage trust: An Taisce is mounting a strong campaign for the incorporation of a heritage trust act into Irish legislation.
Such a legal structure would, according to John Ducie, vice-chairman of An Taisce, allow for the development of a heritage foundation to own and manage heritage properties in Ireland. It would also license other trusts, such as Birdwatch Ireland and the Dublin Civic Trust, to deal with specialist aspects of our built and natural heritage. The campaign is gaining momentum as members of An Taisce go to Scotland next week for the World Conference of National Trusts (see www.nts.org.uk). "We will approve the articles for a heritage foundation at our annual general meeting in Kilkenny this month. Then, we go back to the all-party Oireachtas committee later in the autumn with the aim to launch the heritage foundation in 2004," says Ducie, who is one of the speakers at a conference on the past, present and future of the Irish country house at NUI, Maynooth, Co Kildare today. The Irish Georgian Society also called for National Trust-type legislation last week on publication of its report, A Future for Irish Historic Houses by Terence Dooley, who is also speaking at the NUI conference.
A nation of car lovers
Ireland is the most car-dependent society in the world, according to a recent report, Transport Investment and Economic Development. Next Thursday, a seminar in Trinity College Dublin will address ways to reduce congestion and over-reliance on cars. Speakers from the Dublin Transportation Office, TCD Policy Institute and a researcher from Austria will suggest ways people can be made more aware of the pollution they cause by using their cars too much. The seminar coincides with European Mobility Week and precedes Ireland's Energy Awareness Week and Car Free Day on September 22nd. Tel: 01-6763188 for booking information.
Frog survey concludes
The Irish Peatland Conservation Council joins the throng of voices calling for the establishment of a national biological records unit, following the completion of the Hop To It Irish Frog Survey 2003. More than 1,500 recorders submitted data to the IPCC with frogs found in every county. Garden ponds were the breeding grounds for up to 40 per cent of frogs surveyed. The IPCC concluded that natural habitats in the wild are being lost due to drainage, peat extraction and pollution. See www.ipcc.ie for the complete picture.
Environmental festival
Organic farmers, eco-architects, composting experts, wholemeal bakers and many more environmentally-tuned individuals will be hosting workshops and open days in the north-west of Ireland from Friday, September 19th for one week as part of the Northwest Environmental Festival. Highlights include a living architecture display by Peter Cowman in Leitrim village on Saturday, September 20th (tel: 071-9623301), open days at Eirbyte, a small holding at Aughnasheelin, Ballinamore, Co Leitrim, which derives all its electricity from solar and wind power (tel: 071-9645835), and an outdoor conference at Aughamore organic farm, Aughamore, Carrick-on-Shannon on Sunday September 21st (071-9638263). Contact the Organic Centre, Rossinver, Co Leitrim for full programme details. Tel: 071-9854338.