Wellness Food For the Soul

Background to Our Wellness Module:

Our ecology team have been gathering in local community groups around all four regions to learn about the natural processes, systems and positive impact we can have on our local environments. Wild Work is the overall movement, the wellness module was nestled into the middle of the 6 modules, delivered over 12 weeks. It was a perfect opportunity to take stock of what the participants learnt and how they can go forward sharing their Wild Work experience.

The Wellness sessions were structured to orient fellow participants in the locality they are from, by pointing to the places they were from, where they live now and places they love.

The participants were encouraged to spend time alone in a ‘sit spot’, where they could practice observing, noting and drawing the sights and sounds around them.

During the wellness sessions, they had moments to experience nature on their own, together in pairs and as a group. The endless configurations of how we experience the outdoors, allows us to nurture our mental health in accessible ways relevant for changing personal circumstances.

According to Pfizer “Wellness is the act of practising healthy habits on a daily basis to attain better physical and mental health outcomes, so that instead of just surviving, you’re thriving”.

The partner and group exercises nudged participants to explore each sense separately and to note what senses each of us tend to rely on. By doing simple sensory and mindfulness exercises, observing details with isolated senses, is the first step to taking stock of what resources we have at our disposal.

From our group conversations, simple, yet radical realisations came up for participants. We can take stock by appreciating over-looked situations; We have access to the outdoors, we are part of a network with similar interests, we meet individuals with special skills. We are all in good enough health to observe what is around us through the five senses, taste, touch, smell, sound and sight.

If we start with the basics, by using each sense to appreciate and learn from the elements outside, we are building up a mental health resource bank to face the challenges that we as individuals, community groups, and global networks face.

During the course of the 2 hour wellness sessions, we set out to orientate ourselves in our outdoor spaces, engage and build a sense of ‘trust’ between people and their surroundings. Through orientation, appreciation and resourcing through our sensory experiences, the next step is to face our challenges. The Wellness in Wild Work, module aims to empower people to create local solutions together.

Finally, wellness in nature is there to inspire and to share what we create and co-create. Lizet, our wellness facilitator, shared her favourite way of expressing her natural creativity.  She infused her favourite picnic snacks with wild and foraged ingredients. 

“I believe by sprinkling just a little bit of wildness into our foods, we are learning to connect with nature respectfully and for the wellbeing of all living and growing creatures.” Lizet Mulder

Sharing Recipes to feed the Soul

We thought of sharing a little inspiration to forage and make some wild treats yourself.Here are three recipes for  the delicious wild snacks the Wild Work participants feasted on after their Wellness Sessions.

Here are some pointers for making a plant-based, gluten-free wild pesto, seed crackers, and yummy cured carrots.I hope that the little bites sprinkled with wild and foraged ingredients awaken your senses. We hope that these snack ideas encourage safe and sustainable foraging. So go forth and explore the seasonal treasures growing in your gardens, woodlands, meadows and coasts.

 

WILD PESTO:

• 1/2 cup of Nuts/seeds of choice:(chop/ blend in food processor first)
  • Walnuts (more bitter and less fatty option)
  • Cashews (creamy, chewy, fatty option)
  • Sunflower seeds (for a milder, lighter taste)

• 2 cups of Seasonal greens: 
  • Dandelion leaves: Spring – Summer (great for a Digestive Spring-clean)
  • Stinging nettle tops (Spring -Early Summer. DO NOT pick from nettle plants already in flower. pick with gloves, rinse with hot water, work with care) 
  • Wild Garlic leaves: Spring – Summer. Yummy! The fragrance is much more potent than the taste.
  • Cleavers’ tips (also known as Sticky -Backs): Spring – Late Summer  (combine with other edibles to add a bit of digestive Spring-clean)
  • Plantain: Spring- Late Summer (great as a pesto on its own, or combine for a softer taste with Nettles or Dandelion leaves.
  • Vetches: Spring- Middle Summer (add a few sprigs to add sweetness and pea flavour)

• 1-2 tablespoons of Oil:
  • Wild Irish Flaxseed oil (for Omega 3)
  • Extra Virgin Olive oil (for a green fuller flavour)
  • Rapeseed oil (lighter flavour)

• Additional spices and sprinkles:
  • nutritional yeast flakes (for a cheezy substitute)
  • smoked paprika to taste (for a smoky addition)
  • salt and pepper to taste (add before final blend)
  • squeeze half a lemon into pesto.

Tips: 

• Pick seasonal.
• Pick top growth bits from multiple plants, not over harvesting from just one plant.
• Pick only what you will use. 
• Pick in a place with no pollutants: away from dog walkies, exhaust fumes, stagnant water, livestock fields. 
• Keep your pesto in small sterilised jars, and top of the pesto with a layer of oil to preserve.

 

SEED CRACKERS;

• Mix and chop your Seeds of choice:
  • Flax/Linseed (3/4 cup)
  • Sunflower seeds (1/4 cup)
  • Pumpkin seeds (1/4 cup)
  • Sesame Seeds (1/8 cup)
  • Chia seeds (1/8 cup)
• Keep the seeds in a large bowl.
• Soaking liquid:
  • Blend a punnet of cherry tomatoes/ 3 large tomatoes 
  • with a 1/8 cup of water

• Add some herbs and spices to the liquid:
  • Smoked paprika to taste (for a smoky addition) (2 teaspoons)
  • Coarsely ground Coriander seed (teaspoon)
  • Ground/ Whole cumin seed (teaspoon)
• Soak Flax seed mix in the spiced liquid for 5-15 minutes.
• Oil to line the baking tray:
  • Wild Irish Flaxseed oil (for Omega 3)
  • Extra Virgin Olive oil (for a green fuller flavour)
  • Rapeseed oil (lighter flavour)
  • Coconut oil (stronger taste)

• Warm the oven to 140 degrees Celsius.
• Spread the combined seed mix as thin as possible in an oiled baking tray (use a silicone tray liner for easy flipping)
• Before popping the tray in the oven: score the spread out seed mix with a knife to form 3cm squares.
• Bake the crackers for 20min at a low heat. 
• Flip the crackers over (hopefully they don’t stick or break in the wrong places)
• Bake for another 10-15min, check the colour to be deep golden to brown.
• Let it cool and harden to a cracker, or bake for a shorter time for a more chewy bite.

 

CURED & PICKLED CARROT;

• Warm the oven to 140 degrees Celsius.
• Slice 6-8 medium carrots with a potato peeler.
• Add and mix in 1 tablespoon of salt into carrot slithers.
• Spread the slithers on a non-stick baking tray.
• Bake for 30-40 minutes. Turn and mix carrots halfway, and return to the oven.

Meanwhile:

• Sterilise your jars and lids by boiling it in a pot or running a steam cycle on a dishwasher.
• Make a salty pickle brine in a saucepan with:
  • 3/4 cup of water
  • 1/4 cup of tamari/ soya sauce
  • 1/4 cup of vinegar (rice vinegar and apple cider vinegar works well)
  • 2 tablespoons of oil (flaxseed oil for Omega 3/ Olive oil)
  • 1 tablespoon of dried dill
  • 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon of crushed coriander.
  • 1 teaspoon of cumin (or dandelion seeds for some patient wildness) 
  • 1 teaspoon of dried carrageen seaweed (for some ocean wildness)

• Pickle your carrots by filling the sterilised bottles halfway with brine and the rest with carrots. 
• Top off with a layer of oil. Let it stand to cool. 
• The best time to taste the carrots is four hours to a day later.
• The cured carrots keep well in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.

Yum! Enjoy! Feel free to share your versions of these wild snacks with your friends.

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At Veri Connect the software is only the beginning…….We enable effective programme delivery and compliance in a sustainable way through digitisation. Sustainability is core to our work. By removing paperwork from compliance and training delivery, we are passionate about making the communities and businesses we serve more environmentally responsible . We supply training management software for businesses in the public and private sector who need to capture data about their existing programmes. We also have an in house development team who build industry specific custom training solutions for large organisations who need something more bespoke. Finally, we provide training programme management and deliver training for large training programmes. Our key areas are employability, mentorship and biodiversity. 

Plastic Free July

Unfortunately a common topic of conversation with the participants of our environmental courses is the overuse of plastics in our everyday lives. Plastic is an extremely versatile product. It has a vast range of consumer and industrial uses and it can be difficult to visualise a world where we are not reliant on it. The focus should be on more sustainable alternatives and try to rethink our habits at work and at home.

We decided to participate in Plastic Free July. If you haven’t heard of it before it all began in Western Australia. Rebecca Prince -Ruiz is the founder of the Plastic Free Foundation. From humble beginnings in local government it is now one of the most influential environmental campaigns in the world. The ethos of the campaign is one that really appealed to us because of its gentle approach of encouragement as opposed to shaming people about behaviours that may not be environmentally ideal.. Their core values are

• Honesty and integrity
• Inclusivity of people, ideas, visions and approaches
• A focus on providing solutions
• Authenticity and collaboration
• The belief that small changes add up to a big difference

Environmental Courses Small Changes Big Difference

That last value resonates with the team here and the participants of our environmental courses because we are firm believers that big change starts at a local level. Delivering environmental courses in Water Biodiversity Training and Biodiversity Training allows us to see the appetite for change in communities all across Ireland. There is an awareness there that environmental health and human health are inextricably linked. Large plastics such as bags and straws can choke marine life while microplastics cause internal damage in animals. In turn then we are vulnerable because we are consuming fish.

At our networking event after one of Water Biodiversity Environmental  Courses in Galway we heard first hand from Alec Reid first hand from the link between our local streams and rivers and the oceans surrounding us. He writes in his guest blog ‘There is significant pressure placed on our coastal environment owing to the actions we take on land. Storm water overflows, agricultural runoff, urban waste water, land drainage, surface water overflows or sewage treatment all present a significant environmental challenge to marine life when they are discharged either directly or via freshwater inputs (river, stream, groundwater) into the marine environment.’

In a study called The long-term legacy of plastic mass production the takeaway message is that we can’t keep polluting the oceans and hoping that technology will progress enough to clean up the mess. There has to be a concerted effort to stop the plastics reaching the oceans with river barriers and an overall reduction in the use of plastics in general. So how can you get started on your journey to reduce the use of plastic in your day to day life?

5 Ways to Make a Change

These are the 5 ways we are going to encourage the participants of our environmental courses to focus on for the month July to kickstart a life long habit of better choices.

Coffee Cups
Refuse to use disposable coffee cups: The quick solution here’s to never leave home without a reusable cup. There are plenty of options on the market made from sustainable materials such as glass or stainless steel. We made a decision not to go out and buy a cup but just use something that we had at home already. The impact of this decision is that it’s a very visible solution and may encourage others to follow your better choice.

Shopping for Fruits and Vegetables
Buy fruits and vegetables without packaging: Many supermarkets have their fresh produce stored in unnecessary packaging. There are stores that you can go to that don’t and they may not be as convenient or a little bit more expensive but choose to shop there when you can. Something else we discussed was to make your feelings known to your local supermarket and that might encourage them to look at alternatives. The impact of this will be a reduction in the amount of plastic packaging reaching our oceans.

Plastic Bottles
Refuse to buy Water in plastic bottles: Similar to the coffee cups this is a relatively simple habit to introduce. Consider a water bottle made of more sustainable materials and refill it from the tap or use a filtered system if there is a problem with the water in your area. In an extra step it may be worth talking to local representatives about the increasing water fountains in public spaces to allow people access to drink or refill their reusable bottles. The impact is a reduction in the pollution and quantity of bottles that end up in landfill.

Straws
Buy sustainable straws: The tide is definitely turning when it comes to the use of plastic straws. Most restaurants and shops have switched to a paper alternative but we are encouraged to stop single use products in general. It’s much better for the environment if we have well made items that will last years and years. We have decided to bring our own straws and if by chance we forget then we will ask for no straw. The impact of this will reduce waste and also straws are detrimental to sea life if they get that far so there will also be a positive impact on animal welfare.

Party Decorations
Choose long lasting alternatives: Who doesn’t love a good party and the decor can set the mood and really elevate a social gathering. This shouldn’t come at the expense of our environment. You can make your own bunting out of old clothes and use paper alternatives and make a decision not to include balloons in your plans. Invest in generic items rather than ones for a specific event and that way they can be reused and even shared amongst friends. The impact of this will be increased awareness of the alternative choices that we can make and it will encourage others to follow in your footsteps.

The future of the planet looks quite bleak if we continue to use plastic at the same rate we are currently. Industry experts predict an increase in production and that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the earth’s oceans than fish. You may think you can’t do much to combat this problem but change starts with one person. On every one of our environmental courses we will encourage the participants to take part and at Veri Connect we plan to do what we can for the month of July. Then keep going one good habit at a time.

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At Veri Connect the software is only the beginning…….We enable effective programme delivery and compliance in a sustainable way through digitisation. Sustainability is core to our work. By removing paperwork from compliance and training delivery, we are passionate about making the communities and businesses we serve more environmentally responsible . We supply training management software for businesses in the public and private sector who need to capture data about their existing programmes. We also have an in house development team who build industry specific custom training solutions for large organisations who need something more bespoke. Finally, we provide training programme management and deliver training for large training programmes. Our key areas are employability, mentorship and biodiversity. 

TidyTowns and Biodiversity– How communities are doing their part to help protect Ireland’s Biodiversity   

Today the TidyTowns competition is one of the most recognised and celebrated community environmental initiatives in Ireland. Few are aware that the history of Ireland’s national TidyTowns initiative dates back to 1958 when it was launched by Fáilte Ireland, who back then went by the name of Bord Fáilte. At this time Ireland had a nationwide festival known as Tostal, the focus of which was to celebrate all things Irish. TidyTowns was introduced as a part of this festival. The TidyTowns initiative was the natural evolution of the National Spring Clean Campaign which ran throughout the early to mid 50’s. With just 52 towns entering the competition in its inaugural year, the competition quickly grew in popularity and today an average of 700 entrants are recorded each year. 

From its beginning, what was the aim of this initiative? The goal was simple; to encourage communities to look after and improve their local environment and to make their own space a better place to live in. TidyTowns wanted to increase participation nationally while also raising the standards of  all participating communities. The competition side of the initiative was instrumental in helping them to achieve this. It helped to create friendly rivalries between communities and raised the bar as groups would learn from one another’s entries and try to implement the projects in their own areas. It’s sort of like the saying; A rising tide lifts all boats. While the foundation of TidyTowns is the national competition, the heart of TidyTowns is the spirit it instils in its participants. An ethos of work ethic, community and fostering a love for one’s place. 

Since its inception, hundreds of thousands of people have been involved with TidyTowns all across the country in some way, shape or form. In the absence of volunteers, Tidytowns would have never become what it is today, without the generosity of the ordinary people who spend countless hours of their time to enrich the space around them. Community involvement, engagement and cooperation and having a strategic and systematic approach to activities are key to doing well in the TidyTowns competition. TidyTowns is not just restricted to towns however, areas of all sizes can take part under different classes. Since the very first winners, Glenties, Co Donegal, the focus of TidyTowns has always been participation over competition and this has led to the long and successful history of the initiative.  

 

From its name, you might imagine that TidyTowns is all about cleaning up your surrounding area. When you think of TidyTowns, images of neatly cut lawns, freshly painted buildings and well weeded ornamental flower beds and hanging baskets may spring to mind. At its core however, TidyTowns is about doing things properly. This means well planned out projects, proper maintenance of buildings and amenities spaces, natural and man-made. A respect for natural space and biodiversity is foremost to this.

In 2007 the running of the competition was taken over by the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government. With this change came a drastic shift in the structure and focus of the competition.  The scoring system received an overhaul, increasing the total count from 300 to 400 points. Within this, one of the biggest changes was the emphasis on the ‘Wildlife and Natural Amenities’ category which saw its scoring increase by 67%, from 30 to 50 points.    

TidyTowns has evolved over the years to reflect best practices when it comes to issues relating to the environment and today you can see project being rolled out across the country such as wildflower meadows, butterfly patches, native and wildlife friendly planting, wildlife signage, putting up specially designed boxes for bat, bird and insects, and keeping ivy on stone walls. This means TidyTowns and biodiversity are a match made in heaven.

Today, TidyTowns is organised by the Department Rural and Community Development, who are responsible for the initiative with the help of the national sponsor SuperValu as well as a number of other organisations who sponsor the special awards. For the main competition, communities are judged through 8 categories with a possible total score of 470 points. The categories are:

• Community – Your planning & involvement
• Streetscape & Public Places
• Green Spaces and landscaping
• Nature & Biodiversity in your Locality 
• Sustainability – Doing more with less
• Tidiness & Litter control 
• Residential Streets & Housing Areas
• Approach Roads, Streets & Lanes

 

Between 2000 and 2015 the United Nations developed a framework to guide global development. Known as the Millennium Development Goals, the framework set out 8 key targets. Some of these included reducing child mortality, improving maternal health and eradicating world hunger. Following on from the UN’s Millennium Development Goals, in 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), were adopted by 193 UN member states with a series of ambitious targets which fall within 17 overarching goals. Many of these goals have been aligned by TidyTowns to their 8 categories. For more detailed information on the SDGs you can check out this website here:   https://sdgs.un.org/goals

TidyTowns and Biodiversity

Today, the category of Nature & Biodiversity in your Locality is worth a total of 55 points. This alone emphasises the importance of considering TidyTowns and biodiversity when planning out your  projects as 55 points could make or break your campaign in the main competition. On top of this, while each of the 8 categories are judged independently it is wise to study each one as many of them can overlap and can contribute to another category. For example, attaching rainwater planters to downpipes throughout your community can score in Sustainability for reducing water usage, it can score in biodiversity as it can reduce runoff into nearby waterbodies. Benefits of this include reducing the quantity of pollutants reaching waterbodies from surface runoff, reducing the probability of flash flooding, all while the planters provide a habitat for native wetland plants. You can also score within the Greenspace and Landscaping category by selecting appropriate native species within the planter so it can support a variety of wildlife including pollinators and add colour and texture to otherwise uniform built areas. 

There are over 200 prizes given out each year with a total prize fund of €250,000 up for grabs. From the pot, €200,000 is reserved for the main competition which has several categories. There are also a number of special awards available outside of this main competition. These special awards are provided and judged by a variety of sponsors across a broad range of topics. These awards are outside the main competition so if your group is particularly strong in a particular category but weaker in the other categories, these special awards could be a nice way to be rewarded for your hard efforts. 

This year there are a tonne of great special awards available for biodiversity and environmental related projects:

• The Bat Conservation Ireland Award
• Tree Project Award
• Climate Action Award 
• Air Quality Award
• SDG Award
• Agent Brite Litter Awareness Award
• Water and Communities Award
• Leave no Trace Award 
• All Ireland Pollinator Plan Award 
• EPA – Circular Economy Award 
• Save the Bees School Award 

For more details on each of these awards – see link: https://www.tidytowns.ie/competition/2022-special-award-entry-forms/

It is important to be mindful that when undertaking work on natural environments, always seek assistance from the relevant authorities, especially when working in sensitive habitats. Engage with your local NPWS (National Parks and Wildlife Services) wildlife ranger for guidance on protected species and habitats in your area and IFI (Inland Fisheries Ireland) Fisheries Environmental Officer for instream works and timing of such work. These authorities can provide guidance on the efficacy of your planned project so that they don’t negatively impact biodiversity. They may also be able to point you to experts who can help you best design your project. 

If you are engaging in water related projects, through the Local Authorities Water Programme (LAWPRO) you can also seek guidance from your community water officer. All of these professionals are very approachable and are more than happy to help guide communities to help their local wildlife. For more details on who your community water officer is check the link here: https://lawaters.ie/team/communities-team/#filter=*

In 2021, out of 847 entries, Ennis was announced as the winner of Ireland’s Tidiest Town. Ennis TidyTowns was very strong in the Nature and Biodiversity category. With many projects running including herbicide free weed control and multiple efforts to encourage pollinators. They also had a wall ecology project exhibiting the importance of old stone walls as habitats, an event where 100 trees were planted off the Kilrush road and a Tree Trail was completed in Tim Symthe Park.  

Today biodiversity is under threat from many angles. The introduction of Invasive Alien Species (IAS) is the second biggest threat to biodiversity just after habitat loss. Here in Ireland, the management of IAS costs the economy around €200 million each year. Water quality is also under significant pressure from many human activities. Despite many improvements in recent years most Irish water bodies are still not of satisfactory status. The decline in all insect populations including pollinators is also a very concerning trend.

Strong communities like those formed through TidyTowns will be crucial in helping to ensure biodiversity has a place in our communities in the years to come. Without the hard-working efforts of communities through initiatives like TidyTowns, the picture does not look good. While we still face an uphill battle to conserve what biodiversity we still have left, it is encouraging to see the many creative ways that TidyTowns groups come up with each year to help do their part, using what they have to protect their local nature.   

         

Bonus tip: 

Trying to grow your group? Today there are many great ways to keep in touch with your group and organise your events and projects. Having an active group page on social media can help you increase your reach so you can increase your volunteer network and maybe even encourage more young people to get involved with your projects. The link between TidyTowns and biodiversity could be highlighted in that space. With many of these social media platforms, the more engagement within the group the more the platform will promote your group to users of the social media platform. In practice, this means regular posting, uploading of videos and photos, commenting and running polls can increase the number of people who see your group page which can lead to new members joining your group on social media and potentially act as a funnel to get them helping on the ground. Another benefit of this is that it also ticks the box of raising awareness about your projects and their impacts, which is one of the judging criteria in the Nature and Biodiversity in your Locality and Sustainability – Doing more with less categories.     

The closing date for applications for Tidy Towns 2022 was the 20th of May. While it is too late to get involved in this year’s competition it won’t be long before we are gearing up for TidyTowns 2023. Have you lots of ideas for brilliant community projects but not sure how to fund them? Check out our blog on funding for lots of great tips on how to get started- What Biodiversity Funding is Available for your Projects?. Here at Veri Connect we also offer courses which help participants understand the natural world around them. We offer guidance geared towards communities, on many of the issues biodiversity faces today and show real world examples of projects that can have massive benefits to biodiversity and water quality which could be applied to your local area. 

 

Climate Action Initiative Wild Work Endorsed by An Taoiseach

On a very special day for the company we enjoyed an audience with the Taoiseach in the beautiful surroundings of Fota House and Gardens. The reason was to celebrate our role as lead contractor on the digital platform and climate action programme delivery of Wild Work. In his own words.

‘I am greatly encouraged to hear about the various elements of the new modules being delivered by Wild Work, including training on our historic connections to nature, managing habitats for biodiversity and using nature for our overall wellbeing and mental health.’ An Taoiseach, Michéal Martin.

 

Under the shade of a tree our chat proved to be nice and relaxed and I took the opportunity to share our story. He was enthused about us operating as a female led Enterprise Ireland Supported high potential  software company.  In his speech he re-enforced that trends of biodiversity loss needed to be scaled, which is what we do best.  Disrupting  the delivery of such important skills-based programmes by supporting the learning with a digital platform. 

“The tools to help turn these trends around are accessible, and it is our duty to use them to the best of our capacity for not just the next generation, but also for our current generation.”

Our clients, SECAD Partnership CLG, West Limerick Resources and Cavan County Local Development  had a strong vision and as the main contractors on the programme it was our job to bring that vision to life. The plan was ambitious, 20 locations across four regions, multiple modules with online toolkits to complement the on-location education. The ecologists led by Dr Amanda Greer created a world class curriculum that I’m immensely proud of  to support the ethos of Wild Work which is to help people, help nature, help people. 

The modules included diverse subject matter from the history of biodiversity in the Irish landscape, the importance of biodiversity for wellbeing all the way to how the Wild Work Framework will function to support biodiversity action into the future. In a novel approach a Wild Work Toolkit was developed containing an exciting range of e-learning activities to support the learning and as the programmes continued, content would be added to by the participants themselves as they experienced the training.

 

Back in 2017 part of the  inception of Veri was the demand for technology to support and progress the delivery of skills-based initiatives.  I was confident that the sector would evolve and Wild Work is the perfect example of this. 

In his speech the Taoiseach spoke warmly about Kieran Cowhig, one of our ecologists both of whom are Nemo Rangers supporters and he pondered that with men like Kieran on board that the Wild Work journey was sure to be a success. I am so grateful for the opportunity to give kudos to my team. The final word from the Taoiseach is a sentiment that unequivocally share.

‘Wild Work is exactly the kind of locally led initiative that I want to see rolled out right across Ireland.’

You can read the Taoiseach’s official speech here : https://www.gov.ie/en/speech/49fc9-speech-by-the-taoiseach-micheal-martin-td-at-the-launch-of-the-wild-work-co-ordination-project/

Impressive Roundup Showcasing A Wide Range of Kilkenny Based Companies

Think Business has compiled an impressive roundup of Kilkenny based companies who are excelling in their chosen industries. We are delighted to be included.

The South East of Ireland has always had exciting business prospects and employment opportunities. The range of options available to entrepreneurs and employees has only increased with the push towards remote work practices. Not only do we have more sunshine is the south east but a real ability to capitalise on recent developments in numerous industries. Our strong communities and the lower cost of living is real incentive to think about Kilkenny as a base.

The companies included in the article written by Barry Walsh are all very different in what they have to offer. The food and drinks industry is well represented with Ballykeefe Distillery , Costello’s Brewing Company , Riversfield Organic Farm, and Cake Face.  We not only share a spot in this article with ND Sports Performance but we also share an office building. TJ Reid Health and Fitness rounds it out for the health industry.  You may remember Dialize Clothing  from the Late Late Show Irish Business Special where they won the overall prize for best innovation during Covid-19 award.

Loanitt are a tech solutions company going from strength to strength and finally the behemoth that is CluneTech which has just become a member of the unicorn club and operates in over 20 countries world wide.

We were never in doubt that Kilkenny is a great place to operate from and in. This affirms that point.  You can read the article HERE

Biodiversity Funding opportunities to help you kickstart your environmental dreams

We all want to help the environment in one way or another. But after hearing the constant negative news about the trajectory of the natural world, it’s easy to feel disheartened. But there are also many positive changes happening all the time for the environment, which often get side-lined by the doom and gloom of mainstream media. It’s important not to get overwhelmed and focus on what you can do, which is actually quite a lot. 

And luckily, you’re not alone. There are always people ready to help, and even more that will be ready with a little encouragement. At the end of the day, our species are very social creatures that have evolved to work together. Instinctively, we love to get together for a common goal. Never underestimate the impact that one small group of individuals can have on their community.

 

 

Community-based initiatives and widely praised for being one of the most critical components of the environmental movement. The volunteer movement in Ireland is unmatched.  It is the local activism that plays one of the biggest roles in progressing societal norms towards a more sustainable future. That is why the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) highlight the need for governments and agencies to support community initiatives.

With all that in mind we decided to signpost a few funding opportunities  you can take advantage of to increase the quality of life for your community and the natural world around it.

LEADER Funding:

Since its launch in 1991, LEADER programme has helped rural communities across the European Union to actively engage and to direct the local development of their area, through community-led local development. One of the objectives under it’s remit is to provide funding for local projects that improve biodiversity.

• A big opportunity but don’t get discouraged, reach out for support because the reward is worth the effort.
• How to apply: https://www.nationalruralnetwork.ie/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/How-to-Apply-for-LEADER-Funding-NRN-Information-Leaflet.pdf
• To see previously funded projects, visit: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/b849be-local-action-groups-approved-projects-2014-2020/

Community Water Development Fund:

• Relatively straightforward application process, made easier by your local LAWPRO officer. Get in touch with them today: https://lawaters.ie/team/communities-team/
• This fund helps local communities improve the quality of their streams, rivers, lakes and coastal areas. https://lawaters.ie/funding/
• Previous application form (new one is an online portal) : https://consult.watersandcommunities.ie/en/content/community-water-development-fund-grant-application-form-2022

Other Biodiversity Funding Opportunities:

• • Find biodiversity funding opportunities through NPWS: https://www.npws.ie/biodiversity/biodiversity-funding
  • Biodiversity Ireland – funding for biodiversity recording
  • Inland Fisheries: https://www.fisheriesireland.ie/services/funding/habitats-conservation-funding-call-2022
  • Teagasc – funding for native woodland establishment – https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/forestry/grants/establishment-grants/native-woodland-establishment/
  • Anti Dumping Initiative Funding – Dept. Communications, Climate Action & Environment 
  • Community Enhancement Programme 2022 – https://drcd.gov.ie/community/community-enhancement-programme/ 
  • The Community Biodiversity Grant – the Community Foundation for Ireland. One biodiversity funding  grant of €10,000 and five grants of €5,000 
  • Water Heritage Week – Funding available for events held during Water Heritage Week 19th to 25th August 2022 
  • The Community Heritage Grant Scheme 2022 
  • Local Awareness Initiative Funding

If you are aware of any other funding that we have missed feel free to let us know.

Additional Guidance

The Wheel:

• Great resource for training and guidance https://www.wheel.ie/
• Must become a member to gain access. Membership:
• Free for organizations that take in less than € 25,000
• € 25 for unwaged individual, € 75 for waged
• The Wheel has a huge database for funding grants, but it costs to access it:
•  € 100 for members, € 200 for non-members
• Plus more training through weact.ie – FREE
• Helpful video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTtAQ8IpDNQ

We have witnessed the passion and power of local community groups at our various training courses and networking events. It does require some work and a bit of determination but the funding is there to help those who are willing to tackle local biodiversity issues. The very best of luck to anyone who applies and do let us know how you get on.

 

Heading West to Reflect on our Success.

My colleagues Michelle, Amanda and I all took some time out to head West over the past few weeks to celebrate the huge work of our clients Forum Connemara and Galway Rural Development. Their vision together with Lawpro was to create ambitious programmes to share skills and knowledge from our ecology team and develop action plans to animate small changes across the breath of beautiful regions. Over 300 people in total, with more than 100 in person and in online sessions, combined with high quality action plans. These are the visible outcomes to be brought forward for water quality and biodiversity improvements.

On the 4 hour drive last week , with my hands free , the calls from work were coming thick and fast but as we crossed the county boarders it was apparent that the beauty and biodiversity around us were silently encouraging us to slow down.

Ambition is defined as ” A strong desire to do or achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work.”

I couldn’t help but ponder all the hard work that we embarked on with our clients. It was so apparent in the wonderful events we shared together with the participants and clients.

 

As CEO of the company , I am so proud that at Veri Connect we empower companies and communities to undertake these type of ambitious programmes, reassured that Veri Connect will manage the complexities. Our clients take a leap by showing the ambition, we then streamline the process, augment communications via the digital dashboard and link the data to the projects for compliance and success. Allowing our clients to enjoy the journey by giving them the tools for successful completion.

Sustainability is at the core of everything we do, but sometimes we need to realise that we can’t always sustain constant hard work . The demands of business, family and emotional life, often mean that we have to slow  down a little and enjoy smelling the roses of success. Like we did at the Wild Goat Café last week!

The time in the west of Ireland showed me the value in connecting communities, networking and peer learning. Also it made me realise that when the opportunity came up, extending my stay in this beautiful part of the country for an additional 24 hours of slow down allowed me to recharge and be ready to head off again. It gave me time to reflect and focus, ready to enable effective programme delivery and compliance in a sustainable way through digitisation once again.

                                                 

 

Cuan Beo Environmental tells us how oysters can teach us how our land based activities effect the marine environment

Untold wonders of the watery world, ecological processes of incredibly intricate design,  systematic environmental catastrophes unfolding over time and genius nature based  solutions to our impending doom owing to an environmental disaster of our own making –  all can be revealed to you by an oyster – but first you have to learn how to listen to them!

Communication with an oyster is certainly difficult. He is a faceless, noiseless, voiceless  molluscan bivalve that generally lives under a couple of million of gallons of water, so to plainly ask him ‘Mr Oyster, are there any land based water pollution pressures directly  affecting your habitat?’ will most likely leave you without a satisfactory response and  understandably frustrated. But maybe the oyster is answering us and we just have to  change how we listen!

If we observe the oyster over time, examine how he is interacting with his environment,  examine what he is eating, examine how he is reproducing and consider the water he is  living in and how this water is delivered to his environment, we’ll begin to uncover  tangible connections between land land and sea, and understand through the changes  observed in the oyster’s behaviour how our land based water management activities  directly impact the marine ecosystem and marine biodiversity. 

There is significant pressure placed on our coastal environment owing to the actions we  take on land. Storm water overflows, agricultural run off, urban waste water, land drainage  ,surface water overflows or sewage treatment all present a significant environmental  challenge to marine life when they are discharged either directly or via a fresh water  inputs (river, stream, groundwater) into the marine environment. These discharges can  result in huge mortalities in marine life or substantial habitat lost owing to a number of  detrimental habitat alterations such as increased sedimentation, increased eutrophication,  direct pollution via harmful substances or substantial reductions in salinity concentrations  and temperature ranges owning to increased fresh water land drainage. 

There is sometimes a misconceived belief that the ocean is so vast that it can withstand  these pressures and that the majority of land based pollutants are diluted into the open  Atlantic – the opposite is in fact the reality! There are ‘invisible’ boundaries in the ocean,  created by a number of different factors including tides, areas where fresh and salt water  meet, currents, areas of different depth or temperature, and many others, that effectively  retain water in a the immediate coastal environment. This means that land based  discharges do remain in the immediate coastal coastal environment for a significant  period of time and present a risk to marine life or result in habitat loss for a number of  marine species.  

Studying marine life like the oyster, trying to understand his decline in population, his  increased mortalities or poor reproduction and settlement allows us to quantify the impact  of these land based water pollution activities and understand how our actions can directly impact multiple ecosystems – unfortunately, studying oysters usually reveals how we are  acting to their detriment! 

However, it is not all doom – luckily the oyster is an optimist, and just as often as he tells  us we have done something wrong he rewards us when we do something right! When we  improve a fresh water input into the marine environment this almost immediately translate  to an improvement in oyster survival and marine biodiversity in general. If we reduce  nutrient enrichment by planting buffer zones on land this results in healthier algae  populations for oysters to graze on, if we reduce sedimentation by installing siltation traps  on rivers and streams and allowing them to flood and meander naturally this creates more  ‘clean’ habitats for new oysters to settle on, and if we retain more water on land through  wetlands, surface water capture and rain water capture this eliminates large drops in  marine salinity concentrations owing to substantial fresh water discharges.

The water biodiversity training provided by Veri Connect to community groups is invaluable in  demonstrating how we can improve our land based water management and achieve large  scale environmental restoration through actions as simple as installing rain water  harvesters, digging a pond or leaving some land for floods. The right action in the right  place can go a long way – and we don’t need to prove it, the oysters will do that! 

Many thanks to Alec Reid who is the Oyster Reef Restoration Officer at Cuan Beo Evironmental Clg, Galway Bay for this guest post. We were privileged to hear Alec speak at a Networking Event for Galway Rural Development, his passion and knowledge in his field of expertise had everyone in the room captivated.

 

 

 

 

Water Biodiversity Training in Fingal

At the end of our water biodiversity training programmes we encourage participants to attend a networking event. Here there is an opportunity for the attendees to showcase the Action Plans created throughout their training. This final event has proven to be a social event, a networking opportunity and a celebrations of achievements. On the night we give certificates of completion and you even get a cup of tea and a biscuit.

People of All Ages and Backgrounds Attend

The networking event for  Fingal LEADER Partnership water biodiversity training was an excellent example of the diversity of people that attend our programmes. One such attendee was Alex Konieczka. Alex is the Environmental Youth Officer at ECO-UNESCO and Director at Understory and she kindly agreed to talk about her experience attending the water biodiversity training.  Alex is on the left of the picture, very happy with the net, trays and waders that were provided as part of the course! Also in the photograph is Ruth Gaj McKeever who picked up the certificates for herself and her Dad and our Lead Ecologist Dr. Amanda Greer.

 

I took part in the water biodiversity training course, by Fingal LEADER Partnership in association with LAWPRO, which was a perfect mix of scientific information, practical advice, hands on experience, case studies and talks from guests. The course allowed me to connect with with a diverse group of passionate people from all over Dublin and surrounding counties. All of the participants had different interests, backgrounds and experience and had their own unique insight to share. We all came together very quickly and worked very well as a team. The course was amazing for making connections.

Personally, I think the biggest differentiator of this course was the encouragement and mentorship I received, to take action in my own community. We not only discussed the theory of taking action, but the physical work that goes into it, the challenges we may face and most importantly, the solutions. The course supported me in creating a project called Catching Raindrops, during which I will work with a community group in Ringsend and Irishtown this year, to improve rainwater harvesting through installation of water butts, increase rainwater retention by connecting gutters to planters in houses and businesses in the area and equip the community with knowledge and skills to conserve & protect water. I feel like many doors have been opened for me as a result of taking this training course.

You can follow Alex on Facebook and Instagram where she shares her passion for creating Zero-waste products designed to connect us with nature.

Wild Work Programme of Events Begins

It feels like the Veri team are expectant mothers this week, after 9 months of nurturing creativity, digitally enabling our ecology team all on our Veri platform , developing online content and working on VR elements, the Wild Work project arrives in Cavan and West Limerick this week,  and to its original home Cork in a few weeks.

Our role has been to lead the project as a solutions provider for data driven programmes.  We have a team of a dozen people ensuring all communications and KPI’s are tracked and measured to achieve the best outcomes for the over 400 volunteers. With our ecology team under Dr. Amanda Greer we are bringing Irish place based learning into this new innovative blended programme.

 

Work Place Well Being

Work place well being is one of the key themes of the programme. Wild Work has developed important relationships with many businesses directly engaging with over 100 individuals in the business community.

“If you want to make your workplace a more vibrant, fun, enjoyable, healthy place to work, try and learn what nature you have at your premises and see what you can do to help it. Get your staff involved and the outcome will be that everyone will be much happier and more interested and excited in the place that they work”

William O’Halloran, Wild Work Team Leader

Our work with businesses aims to bring nature into the workplace by helping companies discover, protect and promote the biodiversity that can be found at their site. Encouraging nature and wildness at work is not only good for biodiversity, but for people too. By engaging staff through nature walks and talks, we show how nature can greatly benefit mental health and stress management.

“Rather than people sitting in offices, if people can go for a walk at lunchtime and have a bit of colour and diversity and learn something from that, then it will be very beneficial.”

 Dermot Kelly, Director Regulatory Affairs at Pfizer

The free, flexible, 12-week training programme will be delivered in 20 locations across South Cork, West Cork, West Limerick and Cavan, as an extension of the award-winning Wild Work not-for-profit biodiversity initiative first established by SECAD Partnership CLG in 2017.  It is hoped that, over time, it will be rolled out nationwide and will inspire other counties to create similar programmes for the benefit of both people and place.

“The Covid-19 global pandemic and Ireland’s commitment to the sustainable goals agreed at the recent COP26 UN Climate Change Conference have brought the wellbeing of both people and the environment back into sharp focus and so initiatives such as Wild Work have never been more important.“

As a team we are so privileged to transform and digitise the original Wild Work into the 2022 programme.

“Over its five-year history the Wild Work model of learning has already provided more than 200 education and awareness sessions, delivered 5,500 consultation hours, sown over 18,000 m of wildflowers, and developed more than 50 nature friendly landscaping projects.  This new training initiative represents a significant expansion of its work into counties Limerick and Cavan in a bid to engage more people in the important work of protecting, valuing and enhancing our flora, fauna and habitats for the benefit of our people, our communities and the places in which we all work and live.“

Already almost booked out, registrations for the free Wild Work Training Programme are open online at www.wildwork.ie.

No previous experience or qualifications are required to take part.