Malahide Estuary Enjoys a Much Needed Spring Clean

Fingal County Council joined forces with Environgreen Recycling to undertake a massive clean up for National Spring Clean at the Malahide Estuary on Friday, April 30th last. The Malahide Estuary is an area of natural beauty inhabited by native flora and fauna but sporadic littering has often generated an eyesore for local residents as well as a danger to the environment. The council provided litter picking equipment for the cleanup which was assisted by local volunteers. The joint effort which took several hours was a huge success and cleared 15 sacks of waste from the estuary including bottles, cans and plastic which were then recycled. A further cleanup of this important estuary will be undertaken in co-operation with DHL to mark World Environment Day on 5th June next.

Eco Week a Huge Success

Fingal Eco Week from 8th to 13th March last delivered a series of events with the aim of raising awareness and encouraging Fingal residents to change their environmental behaviour, reducing their impact on the environment. Officially launched by Mayor of Fingal, Councillor Ciaran Byrne, exhibitions and seminars included the very popular Smoothie Bike, the European Recycling Platform, An Taisce’s Green Homes programme, Walk or Cycle to School Days, Anti-Litter Poster Competitions, Home Composting and Organic Gardening workshops as well as talks on the 10:10 Climate Change Campaign and the Green Communities Programme. The week was informative, interactive, interesting and fun for all participants and proved to be a huge success. Most events were fully open to the public and we were delighted to see so many Fingal residents taking part. Following the success of Eco Week in 2010 we are already making plans for Fingal Eco Week 2011! For more info see www.fingalcoco.ie/environment

What is ‘Fingal Growing Places’ All About?

Photography by Fintan Clarke

Thinking Differently About Our Trees

‘The Forest of Fingal‘, a draft tree strategy for Fingal goes on display on www.fingalcoco.ie and at Council offices in Swords and Blanchardstown for formal public consultation from May 24th to July 23rd next. Comments on the strategy should be emailed to gerry.fitzgerald@fingalcoco.ie or to maria.quill@fingalcoco.ie or posted to Fingal County Council Parks Division, County Hall, Main Street, Swords before August 20th 2010. All submissions will be considered before the revised strategy is presented to Councillors again later this year.

Further information is available on www.fingalcoco.ie/Community

RecreationandAmenitiesDepartment/Parks/

IT’S TIME FOR A BIT MORE COLOUR

We want to make your parks and greens more colourful and more wildlife friendly by introducing wildflowers. Transforming your green spaces is a gradual process. First we have to let the grass grow longer and harvest a crop of hay every autumn. This allows the wildflowers to grow. We will sow more wildflower seeds and plant large drifts of familiar flowers like daffodils to speed up this transformation.

WE’RE STARTING ‘FINGAL GROWING PLACES’

This transition begins in 2010 and each year for the next 5 years we will increase the area managed for wildflowers. You’ll notice in some parks that we will only be cutting the grass in the kick- about areas and at the edge of your greens.

GET INVOLVED

We want you to help us to make your green areas more colourful and to keep them maintained. Help us to plant trees and bulbs and to sow wildflowers and be part of this exciting transformation as it happens. For more information contact growingplaces@fingalcoco.ie Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8