Horizons

For those involved in environmental projects, it's time to get your entries ready for this year's ESB Community Environment Awards. There are four categories: the natural environment; heritage; community development; and youth/education. The rules stipulate that the project which is submitted must already be up and running. Also, a project may be entered only in one category. And, take note, award money (£2,500 for the overall winner, £1,500 for each category winner, £500 to each commended project and £250 for local winners) must be spent on the development of the projects, not on repayment of debts or travel costs. Entry forms are available from Conservation Volunteers Ireland, P.O. Box 3836, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. Tel: 01-4547185. The closing date is April 27th.

Following the success of the Sustainable Ireland Source Book which was published last year, a Sustainable Network Directory is currently being put together. Groups, organisations and businesses active in the field of sustainability are invited to send their details for inclusion. Registration is free and the new network will be published on a website. Send the following details to sustainable.ireland@anu.ie - name of group, of business, contact name, address, telephone, fax, e-mail, website, description of activity (in less than 150 words). Also, if your business or organisation is interested in giving workshops or talks, Sustainable Ireland is keen to know.

An exhibition of photographs of Irish lighthouses during the 19th and early 20th Century is currently on show at the National Photographic Archive, Temple Bar, Dublin. Most of the 70 photographs were taken by Sir Robert Ball, the distinguished astronomer, mathematician, author and lecturer. For almost 30 years, Ball was a member of the Irish Lights Committee that circumnavigated the coast of Ireland every year, visiting up to 100 sights and inspecting beacons, buoys and lightships. Photographs of the construction of the Fastnet lighthouse, from 1899-1903, and Mizen Head station, with its unusual ferro-concrete bridge, are among those on show, as are panoramic views of Irish quays and coastline. The images are taken from a collection of 500 photographs which were donated to the National Photographic Archive by the Commissioners of Irish Lights last year.

The exhibition, which is entitled For the Safety for All, continues until April 28th. Opening hours 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday to Friday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturdays. Admission free.

The deadline for the ESSO Wildlife Challenge, held in conjunction with Birdwatch Ireland and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has been extended due to the foot-and-mouth crisis. The closing date for the competition, which includes group and individual projects for nine to 12-year-olds, is now April 27th. Telephone 01-2073237 for entry forms.

Dublin Corporation has released details of the depots where household hazardous waste can be deposited over the next two months. Old medicines, aerosols, anti-freeze, batteries, bleaches, fluorescent tubes, weedkillers, oils, paints and adhesives can be delivered to the following sites from 9 a.m.1 p.m. and 2 -5 p.m. on the specified dates, free of charge: the Dropping Well car-park, Milltown Road, Dublin 6, on Saturday, March 31st; Dublin Corporation Bring Centre, Collins Avenue Extension (opposite Dublin City University), Saturday, April 7th; Dublin Corporation car-park, Terenure village, Dublin 6, Saturday, April 28th; Whitehall car-park, Dublin 9, Saturday, May 5th; Upper Grangegorman Road (next to St Brendan's Hospital), Saturday, May 26th; Sandymount Coast Road Bring Centre (opposite Esso station), Saturday, June 2nd; and Finglas Corporation Depot (beside An Post) on Saturday, June 30th. In the Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council area, household hazardous waste can be left in the Dunnes Stores car-park, Cornelscourt every Saturday until May 19th at the same times. There are no mobile depots operating in the Fingal and South Dublin County Council areas. The Horizons column will give details of depots in Cork, Galway and Limerick in the following weeks.

Web World

www.defenders.org

The White House e-mail system became so overwhelmed by people petitioning the US president to reverse his position on allowing oil companies to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge that thousands of e-mails were returned to senders, according to Defenders of Wildlife, the lobbying group behind this website. As campaigning sites go, this is a strong one. While principally focused on wildlife on and around the American continent, it is of interest to all concerned about the protection of species and habitats. Check out the electronic editions of related magazines and information sheets on dolphins, wolves, bears, birds, sea otters, polar bears and bisons. Also opportunities to adopt a polar bear cub!