Wexford County Council’s Environmental Awards 2013 takes place at Ferrycarrig Hotel on Monday, November 11th. At the end of what has been a great year for local community activism across the county, especially through the various tidy towns groups, excitement will be at fever pitch among the many individuals and groups who have made a difference. We say you should all take a bow!
Wexford Tidy Towns, along with other on going environmental programs and initiatives in the town, were represented at the Wexford Tidy Towns stand at the Wexford Business Expo. This was held in Whites Hotel on Thursday 10th of October 2013, from 2pm to 8pm, with over 80 other exhibitors. It was free to enter and was a great opportunity to meet our supporters there, see some new faces and spread the word on the work we do. It was a successful day with lots of information exchanged and new contacts made. More information on the Expo can be found here.
A lovely evening was had by all who attended the Wexford in Bloom Awards Ceremony 2013 on Thursday night last 19th September. The Ceremony was hosted by Wexford Credit Union at their premises in Anne Street. Awards were presented to the Winners of the Wexford in Bloom Competition which this year received over 100 entries! The Wexford in Bloom Committee was delighted with the huge response to the competition. Over 50 prizes were presented ranging from Special Committee Awards to Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Highly Commended. The Judges were – Cliona Connolly, Environmental Officer, Wexford County Council , who judged the Primary Schools. Chris Maddock and Leanne Roche, both from Teagasc, Johnstown Castle, who judged all the other categories in the Competition.
The Chairperson of Wexford in Bloom Helen Corish-Wylde congratulated all the winners and participants who worked so hard to make Wexford Town and environs a more beautiful place to live in and a unique town for our tourists to visit and enjoy. She added that their floral displays and environmental projects reflect the positive community spirit that is alive and flourishing in Wexford. The Deputy Mayor Cllr. Joe Ryan, who is a member of the Wexford in Bloom Committee, also congratulated all who helped to make our town more beautiful and enhance our environment. He also paid tribute to his fellow committee members for their contribution to Wexford Town.
Invasive species are non-native species that, as a result of human activity, have been transported further than they could naturally travel and have subsequently disrupted their newly colonised environments. Biological invasions happen when an organism arrives at a place beyond its previous range.
Invasive species are now considered to be one of the greatest threats to biodiversity on a global scale. And they are in Wexford! There is presently a campaign underway to tackle the scourge of Japanese Knotweed in Wexford.
This talk in the Riverbank House Hotel, Wexford on Sept 19 (8pm) will give you a good introduction to the whole subject of invasive species and how we can best deal with them.
If you feel like swotting up before then have a look at this online brochure prepared by Niamh Lennon, Biodiversity Officer with Wexford County Council: Invasive Species.
The LAMA Community and Council 2014 awards highlight community projects and developments that enhance one’s local area. Councillors across the country nominate projects across 26 categories. Categories include Best Community Based Initiative, Best Eco-Friendly Initiative, Best Heritage Project. All projects must have been completed in the last three years (five years for parks). Details at www.lamaawards.org
Tipperary schools lead the way in raising awareness about the impact of litter, with this “My Litter, my responsibility video short”.
Redmond Park will be getting even more brownie points on the green front when they start composting leaves from this Autumn. The plan is to install some composting bays in the fenced off area in the corner of the park. Leaves will be collected from throughout the municipal area and brought here for composting. With proper handling the leaves will break down to give a lovely, nutritious compost. Up to now all leaves collected have gone to landfill with all the expense that incurs. The local authority will also save money at the other end in that they will not have to buy in compost. The project is a joint effort between Wexford Borough Council and Wexford Tidy Towns (Biodiversity Committee).