Ireland

Be the director, leading actor/actress, camerman & producer of your own movie and win one of our cash prizes!

The ERA- Net SusCrop is launching a video contest to actively involve EVERYBODY from across the world to reflect, communicate and inspire on ‘what sustainable crop production means to you?’.

The competition is open to EVERYBODY and is supposed to activate multiple groups: school children, students, scientists, farmers/farmer-groups, and any person/group of random enthusiasts, artists (film, circus, music, digital/installation art, …), architects, social media/communication workers, etc.

KEYWORDS to inspire: sustainability, resilience, agriculture, forestry, ecology, crop production, crops, plants, science, nature, climate change, the future

However, we invite any kind of video: be original, think out-of-the-box! What does sustainability in the area of crop production mean to you? How should agriculture look like in the future? Do you practice sustainability procedures in growing crops or ornamental plants in your environment (e.g. your garden or balcony)?

More information on the different categories, prizes, eligibility conditions and selection criteria can be found on: https://www.suscrop.eu/video-contest-2022

We look forward to receiving your video!

Join our workshop to learn through play how bees collect pollen. These activities are suitable for 5-10 year olds.

Time frame 1 hour –  beginning at 12.30 and finishing at 1.30 pm sharp.

Book in for this free event using the following link

https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/celebration-of-fascination-of-plants-day-learn-how-bees-collect-pollen-tickets-337200053437

Celebrate Fascination of Plants Day 2022 with SETU Waterford Land Science staff & students at our

Citizen Science Workshop Day

21st May, 12 – 3pm @ the WIT/SETU Arena.

Citizen Science Workshop Events

12 to 12:30 pm: Launch of the Digital Story Map – This interactive whistle-stop tour of the flora & fauna of the Waterford Greenway is a collaborative project between the Dept of Land Science SETU, Waterford City & County Councils, the National Biodiversity Data Centre, and Compass Informatics.

12 to 3 pm – Bee Conservation Project Drop-in Workshop – Learn about the different types of habitats we can provide for pollinators, & see fascinating bees & plants up close under the microscope.

12:30 to 1:30 pm & 2 to 3 pm – Learn How Bees Collect Pollen – Sign your 5-10-year-olds up for one of these hour-long workshops. Please note that booking is required for these children’s workshops. Both workshops are the same – please only sign up for one.

To book into the workshop starting at 12:30 use this link, or to book into the workshop starting at 2 pm use this link).

2 to 3 pm – What’s in Flower now? A guided nature walk from the WIT/SETU Arena to the Waterford Greenway. Meet outside the WIT/SETU Arena front door at 2 pm.

Use this link to book the guided walk. If you’re interested in getting involved in citizen science projects relating to biodiversity, you can help by doing a Flower-Insect Timed Count (FIT Count) which is designed to collect new data on the numbers of flower-visiting insects. We will aim to do a ten minute FIT count at the end of the guided walk (subject to the weather!) therefore if you would like to take part, please download the new Biodiversity Data Centre Citizen Science Recording App in advance of the walk.

Join our workshop to learn through play how bees collect pollen. These activities are suitable for 5-10 year olds.

Time frame 1 hour –  beginning at 2 pm and finishing at 3pm sharp.

Book in for this free event using this link.

https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/celebrate-fascination-of-plants-day-learn-how-bees-collect-pollen-tickets-337205730417

This Community Growers Gathering, brought to you by Healthy Wexford and Wexford PPN, is an opportunity for community growers, and those interested in community growing, to come together to meet & chat.

The event also includes three speakers who are working in the area and aims to provide some useful information for communities.

Come along and dig in!

We are delighted to have the following three speakers for the event:

Community Education for Growers by Bridín Lyng-Moloney of the Waterford Wexford Education Training Board

Bridín is the Community Education Facilitator for County Wexford. Funding can be confusing and so Bridín will tell us about the different types of funding available in WWETB’s Community Education programme for community gardening groups and how it can be accessed.

Free Library for Gardeners by Lorraine Marrey.

Lorraine is a grower who is also a librarian, working for Wexford Public Libraries. Lorraine will highlight resources she uses and give you an insight into what the library has for free for Community Growers and those interested in gardening generally. If you are not a library member, bring along some ID and proof of address and Lorraine can help you get signed up on the night.

Fascinating Plants by Plant Science Lecturer and Researcher, Dr Cara Daly SETU Waterford.

Amongst other things, Cara is a lecturer and programme leader for the B.Sc in Horticulture at Kildalton College. In celebration of ‘Fascination of Plants Day’, she hopes to enlighten community growers with her talk on Fascinating Plants.

The event starts at 8pm with our speakers and will be followed by refreshments and chat.

Places are limited and so book now to reserve your place.

Event fundraising for Ukraine by drawing a chalk sunflower (in blue and yellow) on the ground and asking people to place coin donations (any amount) on the sunflower.

In return people receive information about sunflowers All you need to know about sunflowers (rte.ie) and sunflower seeds.

As well as the amazing buildings on the grounds, UCC is also known for its beautiful campus. The tree collection at UCC has joined some of the leading arboreta in the world after being accredited internationally by Arbnet in 2020. The UCC Arboretum has a collection of approximately 2,500 trees across the campus (c. 42 acres). There are approximately 120 different tree species in the collection. The collection is a diverse one, ranging from native Irish and British trees to American, Asian, Australian and European specimens. Some of the highlights of the collection include a pair of c. 150 year old Giant Redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens giganteum); the Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo), an Irish native; an Irish champion Wing Nut (Pterocarya fraxinifolia); and collection of mature pines (including Scots, Monteray and Bhutan pines). One of the most recent additions to the collection is an iconic Wollemia (Wollemia nobilis).  Join us for a guided tour of this beautiful arboretum from 7pm on 18th May.  You will definitely fall in love with the arboretum.  Also check out About the Arboretum | University College Cork (ucc.ie)  for more info.

A behind-the-scenes look at Plant Science Research at University College Cork’s School of Biological Earth & Environmental Science incorporating the Urban Farm Lunch at midday on the day.

At midday on the day, with support from the UCC Living Lab Project, the University Urban Farm Project will be launched.  This is the first University Urban Farm in Europe using this type of technology.  The Urban Farm is exploring the potential of vertical aeroponic technology (Tower Farms) for growing plants with a lower carbon footprint, using less water and a lot less land.

The event will kick off at midday and will run until 5pm on 18^th May on Distillery Fields site .

We will also have Tomas Quigley, Beekeeper, on-site talking to us about the honey being produced on the North Mall Campus. We are looking forward to welcoming all ages.

School and community groups welcome – no need to book in advance and the event is free.

Lots of freebies available!

Contact [email protected] for more information.

Fascinating Plants and Plant Research at UCD

A tour to meet our plant researchers and projects –  this tour will introduce you to some rare and wonderful plants, show you how we use imagery technologies, hemp research, disease resistant food for the future & current research into our heritage apple collection. 

Rosemount Environmental Research Station UCD Campus, Belfield.

18th May 2022. Meet at Rosemount Entrance 13.00 pm. Tour will last ~60mins

Contact & further information: n[email protected] / [email protected]

As part of our Treasure Town circular economy event, we are having a plant swap table where people can bring plants they have grown, or houseplants they have divided or propagated, and take others in exhange if they would like.  We are also having two biodiversity talks with Nuala Madigan from the Peatland Conservation Council, at 12.00 and 2.00 p.m. At 2.00 p.m there will be a plant propagation demonstration.