Category Archives: Yosef Dvores

April 22nd marks the 54th Earth Day, a day to celebrate the beautiful planet we live on and nurture advocacy for ways to protect the natural environment.

In the 54 years since the first Earth Day in 1970, the world has taken huge strides to protect the environment. Amongst many others, some examples include:

• Banning DDT after Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring is thought to be a catalyst of the environmental movement, making public the undeniable link between pollution and human and environmental well-being. 
• Recycling has become the norm in many countries.
• The world came together to fix the hole in the ozone layer.
• Toxic lead is taken out of leaded gas.
• Conservation and protection of habitats has become more common.
• Climate Change was acknowledged and then the Paris Agreement went into effect.
• New generations of activism are taking a stand.
• In Ireland specifically, we have environmental roadmaps such as the National Climate Action Plan and the National Biodiversity Action Plan.

“In nearly every aspect, human beings have altered the environment to benefit one single species and disregard the estimated 8.7million other species on the planet. “

While there is a lot to celebrate, with decades of hard work done by environmentalists around the globe, there is also a lot left to do! Humans have continued to expand into once natural areas which leaves less room for all the other living things we share our planet with. Furthermore, pollution from this continuous expansion deteriorates the environment that is left behind. 

Earth Day demands that we acknowledge our impact on this planet. Our species has undeniably changed the face of this planet and all that live on it. In nearly every aspect, human beings have altered the environment to benefit one single species and disregard the estimated 8.7million other species on the planet. These two facts say almost all that needs to be said about humans impact on the planet:

• Livestock makeup 62% of the world’s mammal biomass, humans account for 34%. All the wild mammals on the earth only account for 4%!
• Half of the world’s habitable land is used for agriculture, meaning virtually half of the planet is used to feed humans.

Not to mention the climate change that we have caused, which will lead to the biggest impact of all unless we change our ways…. With no time to spare. 

This year’s Earth Day theme is Planet VS Plastic  which is unwavering in its commitment to end plastics for the sake of human and planetary health, demanding a 60% reduction in the production of ALL plastics by 2040.

Plastic production is currently at 380 million tons per year. In the previous decade, more plastic has been produced than in the entire 20th century with industry plans to grow explosively for the indefinite future. 

In 2023, More than 500 billion plastic bags (one million bags per minute!) were produced worldwide. A lot of these bags are used for maybe a few minutes (maybe thrown out instantly), and then pollute the environment for hundreds of years. Furthermore, they remain as microplastics in every niche of life on the planet.

Fast Fashion is an enormous part of plastic pollution, by producing over 100 billion garments a year. 70% of articles are made from crude oil, which pollutes the environment with microfibers. Nearly 85% of fast fashion ends up in landfills or incinerators, with only 1% being recycled.  

Plastic pollution is known to have blighted virtually all of the environment at this stage, including our own hearts, livers and bowels. It is a long time coming, but today is the day we can stand together and work towards a world with less plastic pollution.

In the 54 years since the 1st Earth Day, we have seen enormous progress for the environment, most of which would have been completely unheard of. We need to keep the momentum going! Try these simple but effective ways to minimize plastic waste:

Do not forget to get your Social Media Toolkit by earthday.org!

I was driving through the rugged mountains of Connemara with my best friend visiting from Canada seed saving was the furthest thing from my mind. That was until I got an unexpected call from Dr. Amanda Greer. She asked me if I wanted to cancel my day off and try and go on a seed saving mission to gather a few rare plants that would be demolished in a construction site. Having delivered Seed Saving training to volunteers across the country, I couldn’t have been happier to put my skills to good use.

Seed Saving – Not all heroes wear capes

Anne Murray, the Biodiversity Officer for Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council needed someone to help collect, clean and store the seeds of Blue Fleabane (Erigeron acer) and Pale Flax (Linum bienne). These are rare plants for the area and it was very important to the biodiversity that seed saving happened in order to sow them in a nearby location. 

A few days later I drove down and met with Anne so that she could show me around the site before she left for another one of her countless important tasks. I was thrilled when we spotted Blue Fleabane! I gathered up all the seeds into a paper bag and continued on my search for Pale Flax. I spent the morning and afternoon looking for it but to no avail. I was ready to give up hope, thinking that since they flower earlier than Blue Fleabane, they might have already seeded and fallen over. Luckily I spotted some as I went to check one last area a little further away. There was tons of it there so I spent a good couple of hours collecting as much as daylight would allow.

I was also happy to notice that there were also many areas flagged around orchids which Anne told me was for the translocation of the soil to the new site. This allows the precious soil and the seedbank within to be conserved.

Anne Murray and  Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council have done amazing work for biodiversity in the area. From saving its precious Local Soil, Local Seed project, to Invasive Species, Hedgerows, Red Squirrel projects and more!

As part of the Local Soil, Local Seed project, I delivered Seed Saving courses. These have been one of the most fun courses I’ve delivered and one of the most successful in terms of engagement.

Seed saving is something anybody can enjoy!

It is believed that seed saving was first done roughly 30,000 years ago. This practice is the reason why we have the fruits, vegetables and ornamental plants you see all around you. However, we have now come to a point in our history where we need to utilise the power of seed saving for the conservation of our diminishing native species.

Seed saving is an age-old tradition of resilience that is a great way to get engaged with nature and the community. It is a rather simple concept that is exactly what it says on tin: saving seeds in order to grow them in the future. This fun and empowering exercise is hugely important for protecting biodiversity because when you save local seeds, you are saving your local biodiversity. 

I would highly recommend everybody to give seed saving a try. Take life into your own hands and allow both nature and people to reap the rewards of what you sow.

Other blog posts that you might enjoy include The Inspiring History of TidyTowns and Biodiversity and What Biodiversity Funding is Available for your Projects?

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.