May 2010
Active Environmental Education
Roscommon Summer Programme 2010(Thursday 1st July to Wednesday 7th July 2010)
Interested in the environment
Need some inspiration
Need Ideas for classroom activities
Then the Active Environmental Education course is the Summer Education Programme for you. Experience first hand the environmental gems County Roscommon has to offer and enjoy a superb mix of activities, interactive workshops and eco tours
Day 1 Water, Water everywhere Workshop and local eco field trip
Day 2 Learn how to make your own environmentally friendly cleaning products and ecocosmetics
Day 3 Outward Bound, Earth, Wind and Water Tour to Ballaghaderreen Area
Day 4 Notice Nature, Visit to this hidden gem
Day 5 Finish off the week with new friends with a relaxing Biodiversity Walk in Frenchpark Area with wildlife expert Michael Bell
Further Activities
SEAI Energy Workshop
Visit to Home Composting Demonstration Site
Trip to ESB Shannon
Bridge Power Station. Water Conservation Workshop. And much more
Benefits and Learning Outcomes
A great week for teachers to network with other schools in County Roscommon
Find out what is happening in other green schools
Get the answers you need from the Environmental Experts
3 EPV Days
Enjoy daily gourmet lunches and refreshment stops with fine foods. Dont miss this opportunity to take part in this action packed Summer Training Course.Sign up now
Download from www.roscommoncoco.ie or contact Suzanne Dempsey, Environmental Education Officer 0906637268 or e-mail sdempsey@roscommoncoco.ie
April 2010
National Spring Clean - Photos
Students from Abbeytown Community College, Boyle, promoting 'Gum Raps' during National Spring Clean month.
Students from Abbeytown Community College promoting National Spring Clean.
Students from Frenchpark promoting National Spring Clean.
Students from Frenchpark promoting National Spring Clean.
Students from Frenchpark with 'Binjamin' during Spring Clean.
Students from St. Patrick's Boys National School and Strokestown Tidy Towns at Spring Clean in Strokestown.
March 2010
Roscommon County Council is announced as Finalist in The Green Awards
Roscommon County Council was a finalist in the Green County Council Award category which recognises county councils who have provided a comprehensive array of sustainable services and who have actively encouraged businesses and consumers to become greener in outlook and practice. The awards ceremony took place on the 11th March at the RDS and unfortunately Roscommon County Council did not take home the prize on the night which went to Wicklow County Council.
Special guest of honour, John Gormley, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government said that the The Green Awards, now in their second year, were "well on their way to becoming the premier event in the environmental calendar" and that "the green economy provides one of the most significant opportunities for job creation and growth for Ireland over the coming decades". Duncan Stewart, who judged the awards, said that this year's entries were of "an extraordinary high standard and showed how seriously business, community groups, individuals and government departments were taking the issue of climate change."
February 2010
Five Roscommon Schools Awarded Green Flags
Congratulations to the 5 Roscommon Schools that were awarded the Green Flags at special awards ceremonies held in Radisson Hotel, Athlone on 25th February bringing the total number of Green Flags in the county to 60.
Abbey Carton N.S. Elphin
Four schools in the County received their second green flag for carrying out energy conservation programmes in their school. They are:
St Mary's N.S. Castlerea
Strabraggan N.S. Carrick-on-Shannon
The Don N.S. Ballaghderreen
Cloonakilla N.S. Athlone
According to Suzanne Dempsey, Roscommon County Council's Environmental Education Officer, "The amount of enthusiasm and effort the children put into their litter and waste, energy and water programmes in their schools is great to see and they are helped along the way with guidance from committed teachers, parents and caretakers in order to create an effective Green Schools Programme. The children are very aware of the difference they are making to their local environment and they bring this information and knowledge not only into their schools but also into their homes and they spread the word to the wider communities."
Green Schools is an international project designed to encourage whole school action to improve our environment. The seven-step action programme is co-ordinated in Ireland by An Taisce and supported by Roscommon County Council. It can be adapted to primary or secondary schools as well as adult education centres and playschools. The school / centre sets up a committee and comes up with an Action Plan in order to achieve reduction in waste, litter, energy or water. On achieving its targets, the school is awarded with a Green Flag, a symbol of having successfully met its environmental targets. Green Schools is a fun and flexible programme with the aim of being cross-curricular.
January 2010
Winners in Roscommon County Council's Anti Litter DVD Initiative Announced
Scoil Mhuire Secondary School, Strokestown: Overall Winner
Secondary School students from Scoil Mhuire, Strokestown, were the overall winners in Roscommon County Council anti-litter project which involved the making of an Anti-Litter DVD. The theme or aim of the DVDs was to raise awareness of the continuing battle with litter that we all face and that blights our towns and countryside.
Students from Roscommon CBS, Roscommon Community College, Abbey Community College, Boyle, Castlerea Community College and Scoil Mhuire, Strokestown took part in this initiative by producing their own individual DVDs. The students were totally responsible for the writing, acting, filming and production of the DVDs and the standard was extremely high. The time and effort that went into the making of the DVDs was obvious and the quality of each reflects very positively on the schools as well as the students involved.
The DVDs will be distributed to all schools in the County both National and Secondary and will the used as part of Roscommon County Council's anti-litter education programme.
Prizes were presented by the Mayor, Tony Ward and Mr. Frank Dawson, County Manager at the premiere of the showing of the DVDs in the Arts Centre, Roscommon, on Tuesday 26th January. Attending the premiere were students and teachers, tidy towns representatives and staff from Roscommon County Council. The winning students were presented with a Nintendo Wii.
Mayor Tony Ward congratulated the winning school, the other participating students and the teachers. He stated that the greatest challenge faced by the Council is trying to get people to realise and appreciate how unacceptable littering is and he hopes that this new project will convince people to change their behaviour.
Mr. Frank Dawson, County Manager, also extended his sincere congratulations to all the students who participated so enthusiastically in this project and whose efforts have resulted in the production of a compelling and thought provoking anti-litter DVD. He stated that it is his hope that all viewers of the DVD and particularly younger viewers will take on board the message being conveyed to them. He further stated that our youth is our future and it is they who will hopefully take the lead on positive environmental behaviour now and into the future.
Ms Suzanne Dempsey, Environmental Education Officer, also offered her congratulations and thanked Kevin Smith and Frances Raymond from The New Media Institute who worked with the students on this project.
Roscommon CBS
Roscommon Community College
Castlerea Community School
Roscommon County Council-Gum Rap Competition Revealed
Abbey Community College, Boyle
Prize winners in Roscommon County Council's Gum Rap competition were announced at a prize giving ceremony in the Arts Centre, Roscommon, on Tuesday 26th January.
Secondary school students in the County were asked to design a Gum Rap cover and the winning designs will be printed on gum raps and distributed to schools, youth clubs, and public offices.
This is one of the many anti-litter initiatives promoted by Roscommon County Council in its ongoing environmental education programme.
The winning students came from Abbey Community College with Mark Phelan, Abbey Community College, Boyle, receiving first prize for his design and Michael Grehan and Aine Horan receiving runner up prizes.
Suzanne Dempsey, Environmental Awareness Officer, thanked all students who participated in this competition and congratulated the winning students. She outlined that gum litter is one of the most common types of litter that destroys our footpaths and is very difficult and expensive to remove. This aim of the Gum Rap competition is to encourage everybody to dispose of their gum litter properly. As part of Roscommon County Council's campaign against gum litter two promotional campaigns were held last year in Boyle and Roscommon town and three specific Gum Litter bins were put in place, again in Boyle and Roscommon town.
Historical News
Waste Disposal Leaflets Published in Four Languages.
Roscommon County Council's Environment Section has recently published "Information Leaflets" in four different languages setting out details on how to dispose of Household Waste. The leaflet gives details of Civic Amenity Sites and Bring Banks in the County and their opening hours, also details of Waste Collectors.
The leaflets are printed in Portuguese, Polish, Russian and Lithuanian. Copies are available in the following locations:
- Roscommon County Library
- Boyle Library
- Castlerea Library
- Ballaghaderreen Library
- Strokestown Library
- Elphin Library
- Citizen Advise Offices in Roscommon Town, Castlerea Town, Boyle Town and Ballaghaderreen town.
Copies are also available from the Environment Section, Roscommon West Business Park, Roscommon town.