Horizons

World Oceans Day: World Oceans Day will be celebrated in Ireland next Sunday (June 8th) with coastal walks, touch pools full…

World Oceans Day: World Oceans Day will be celebrated in Ireland next Sunday (June 8th) with coastal walks, touch pools full of marine creatures, information stands and children's events in and around Howth Pier, Dublin.

Developed throughout the world as a means to celebrate our marine environment and resources, World Oceans Day also aims to highlight important marine conservation issues.

Other activities include the Irish Wildlife Trust's marine survey and lifeboat demonstrations. Children can draw marine creatures with expert advice from artist and TV presenter, Don Conroy.

Events run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tel: 01 6604530 or e-mail enquiries@iwt.ie for further details.

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International volunteering

Would you like to partake in fruit harvesting on a community farm in Italy? Or, how about landscaping a nature reserve in Tubingen, Germany or restoring natural habitats of endangered plant and insect species in Finland? Or closer to home, would you consider clearing paths along an old railway line in Newcastle West, Co Limerick?

Potential volunteers will find a fascinating selection of short-term voluntary work projects in the Voluntary Services International 2003 book of International Volunteer Projects. The projects - in 46 countries in total - are mainly local environmental and community based initiatives and free board is provided for all volunteers.

Contact VSI, 39 Mountjoy Square, Dublin, tel: 01 8551011 or e-mail: vsi@iol.ie

Recycle for the children's sake

The new cartridge-recycling partnership between Ko-Rec Type, an ink cartridge recycling company in Birr, Co Offaly, and the Irish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children offers companies and individuals a fantastic chance to recycle and support a charity at the same time. The ISPCC is appealing to companies to contact them for ink-cartridge retrieval bins which will be placed in their premises and collected once full free of charge. The ISPCC receives a donation of €1.30 for every reusable cartridge they receive.

Contact ISPCC on tel: 01 6794944 or e-mail ispcc@ispcc.ie for more details.

The eco-village cometh

The village of Cloughjordan, Co Tipperary, is one step closer to becoming the site of Ireland's first eco-village. Just this month, after four years of planning, Sustainable Projects Ireland purchased a 70 acre site (subject to planning permission) in Cloughjordan. "Cloughjordan appealed to us because it is almost equidistant to Birr, Nenagh and Roscrea. It is on the Ballybrophy-Limerick train line and it's a historical little village with a mix of religious traditions," says Gavin Harte, manager of Sustainable Projects Ireland. The project's aim now is to secure planning permission to build a mix of housing, community and enterprise buildings following ecological building and design principles. An organic farm, community gardens, an orchard and a wildlife area are also included in the plans. New members are still welcome.

See also www.thevillage.ie, e-mail info@thevillage.ie or tel: 01 4912499 for more details.