The Irish Times digest of environmental news around the country.
Ballymena goes green
Northern Ireland's first environmental information centre has just opened in the ecos centre in Ballymena, Co Antrim. An independent voluntary organisation, it received initial start-up funding from the Department of Environment in Northern Ireland. "We are now the first, impartial port-of-call on environmental issues (the centre does not campaign on any issues) and offer comprehensive information as well as signposting to the most relevant contacts at other organisations," says Neil Alldred, director of the centre. Members of 90 local organisations have already sampled the services which include a phone and e-mail query answering service, a library of periodicals, databases, DVDs and videos. Preliminary information is posted on www.eicni.org. Tel: 048-25639898.
Keep holly budding
Environmentalists have long been campaigning against the widespread cutting down of holly at Christmas. Instead, the environmentally friendly option is to plant your own holly tree (remember if you are hoping for berries, you must plant a female tree) and to judiciously select a few branches for festive decorations. According to Niall Mac Coitir in his book, Irish Trees: Myths, Legends and Folklore, holly (cuileann in Irish) is a symbol of protection, magical power and purification. The English name holly comes from holy which apparently "originates in the belief that holly's scarlet berries like drops of blood, along with its prickly leaves are symbolic of Christ's suffering."
Enlightenment explored
If your holiday plans include a trip to London, consider a visit to the newly fitted out Enlightenment Gallery at the British Museum. The gallery explores the philosophy underpinning the categorisation of the world between the 17th and 19th Centuries. So, you'll see labelled samples of tree bark, replicas of classical sculptures, Greek vases, terrestrial globes and celestial spheres. In an erudite article on the new gallery, Mark Irving wrote in the Independent on Sunday "There is no doubt that the urge to trade, to discover new routes of passage, new products and new markets was a significant driving force during the Enlightenment [in Britain]. But its all too easy (and indeed intellectually slack) to blame the 18th Century for the excesses and cruelties of later periods."
Take a look and consider afresh the legacy of Enlightenment explorers and thinkers.
Friends of the forest
Forest Friends Ireland (Cáirde na Coille) is celebrating the Winter Solstice tomorrow with a light ceremony, tree-planting, poetry reading, storytelling and performances of traditional Irish and World Music at the Glencree Reconciliation Centre, Glencree, Co Wicklow. Contact FFI on tel: 01-8376402 if you wish to travel there by bus tomorrow (cost €10).
FFI is also encouraging people to mark the Irish Diaspora by planting a tree during the week beginning on January 1st. They are recording the planting of such trees on their website. See www.cairdenacoille.org for full details.