At a time when many summer schools are losing their edge and becoming a tired vehicle for scholarship and craic, a midlands school is reversing this trend.
Last year saw the first Lough Ree Environmental Summer School, and it was a wonderful success because it brought together all that is best in the summer school idea and ignored the rest.
A mark of its success is that this year the event will be called the ESB Lough Ree Environmental Summer School, as the power company has moved to sponsor the event.
Details of the school were announced last Tuesday. It is to be expanded this year from a weekend to a week, running from July 11th to 18th.
The ESB will be injecting £40,000 into the packed schedule, which will bring those taking part in the events out and around the third-largest lake in the country.
These trips form the core of the summer school, and those attending will be treated to walks and voyages around the lake.
Safari-style walks and tours will be conducted by experts like Dick Warner, Eanna Ni Lamhna, John Feehan, Padraig O'Donnell, Cathryn Hannon and Herman Murtagh.
The school will be literally stretching its legs, and the tours this year will take in the whole of the lake and its environs with tours to Rindoon Peninsula, the Royal Canal, Moate Park, near Roscommon town, and Cloonlarge and Clooncraff bogs.
In addition, there will be a wide range of cultural and other events aimed at creating a greater awareness of the environment, with a special emphasis on environmental tourism in the midlands region.
The highlight of the strong arts festival programme will be a performance by the Classic Brass Quintet on the opening night, July 11th, in St Mary's Church, Lanesboro.
Earlier in the day in St Mary's Hall, Lanesboro, local children will stage a specially commissioned Eco Drama Production and there will be art exhibitions, photographic exhibitions and music of all kinds during the week.
Announcing the programme Dick Warner, the environmentalist and TV presenter, set the tone of what is to come during the week when he voiced his concern at the significant increase in building development around the lake.
"It is clear to see that dozens of new houses and commercial developments are at the planning stage in Cos Longford, Westmeath and Roscommon," he said.
"There must be a clear and decisive planning policy adopted for this region, otherwise the undisturbed beauty of the lake will be destroyed." The school booking office can be contacted at (043) 27070.