Horizons

Ecologists Converge

An urban community market is what the organisers of this year's Convergence festival hope will spring forth this morning in Temple Bar, Dublin. With organic food, arts and crafts, workshops, demonstrations and puppet shows for children, the Earth Fair, which runs from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. today, is one of the centrepieces of this annual eco-fest. Other highlights include the Irish Organic Conference on Tuesday, Re-Thinking the City (with representatives from eco-cities projects in the United States, Canada, Sweden, South Africa and England) on Friday and the Natural Building Seminar on Sunday, May 24th. An exhibition on Ecological Footprints at ENFO, St Andrews St, Dublin offers visitors a chance to see how heavily they tread upon the world in terms of their consumption and generation of waste, etc. Booking and information on all events tel: 01 6746415 or e-mail info@sustainable.ie See also www.sustainable.ie/convergence.

For peat's sake

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Walk to the trees

Looking for ideas for woodland walks over the summer? Check out the free Tree Trails of Ireland guide. Published by Inversoft with the Tree Council of Ireland, it has suggested walks in forests and parks throughout the Republic and Northern Ireland. The guide includes descriptions of the location and its amenities, and easy to follow directions. For a free copy, send a stamped addressed A5 size envelope (47 cent stamp) to the Tree Council of Ireland, Cabinteely House, The Park, Cabinteely, Dublin 18.

Spy on nature

Birdwatch Ireland are moving into uncharted territory this summer with a five-day residential course for families. Entitled Wildlife Detective - Investigate Nature (July 27th - August 1st), it offers separate workshops for adults and children (over eight years old only) in the mornings, followed by a guided ecology exploration for everyone. The course is one of five centred around the picturesque Cape Clear Bird Observatory, Cape Clear Island, west Cork. The season kicks off next weekend with Beginning Bird Watching, a five-day course on identifying birds and their habitats. Cost €200 for adults, €50 for children. Accommodation at the Observatory is €15 per night. Tel: 01 2804322 for full details or e-mail info@birdwatchireland.org