For a vibrant green Dublin and a healthy garden movement.
Changing the city one root at a time.
The 2012 Dublin Harvest Festival
This will be held within Wolfe Tone Park, Jervis St. Dublin 1 on Saturday 29th September 2012, from 11am until 5pm. It is being organised by Dublin Community Growers, a voluntary non-profit organisation which was set up to support existing community gardens and promote the development of new ones. The core ethos of Dublin Community Growers is represented by social inclusion and environmental responsibility. During the event organically grown produce from Dublin’s Community Gardens will be exchanged for free with any individuals who want to join in the fun by pledging to help out with their local community garden. This could be with specific projects, or with the general maintenance and gardening that such projects always require a hand with. As well as helping with watering, weeding, and other activities, such participants will also be able to acquire the horticultural and administrative skills that community garden project volunteers need in order to maintain these garden projects.
Dublin’s first free Public Harvest Festival will also feature many Workshops, Presentations, Information Stalls, Live Music, Film Screenings, as well as a Seed Swap. Amongst other activities, school children will be able to get involved in “Seed Bomb” Workshops, and pressing their own organic apple juice from apples that they bring to An Taisce’s Green Home Harvest Project Workshop. An Taisce, along with Healthy Food for All, is one of the partner organisations supporting the Dublin Harvest Festival. They will be delivering presentations on their Green Home Programme which supports households in reducing their bills by also reducing their environmental impact. A representative from An Taisce’s Green-Schools programme will also be on hand to provide information and guidance to those looking to bring a positive environmental message back to their school community.
For more information: Robert.moss2@mydit.ie
Dublin Community Growers is a network of community gardeners who meet monthly within central Dublin. An open group, they meet to discuss community gardening projects, and the issues faced by these projects. Dublin Community Growers also organise events to promote community gardens as amenities to be valued. The core ethos of Dublin Community Growers are represented by social inclusion, and environmental responsibility.
Benefits of Community Gardening
- Improves the quality of life for people in the garden.
- Provides a catalyst for neighbourhood and community development.
- Stimulates Social Interaction.
- Encourages Self-Reliance.
- Beautifies Neighbourhoods.
- Produces Nutritious Food.
- Reduces Family Food Budgets.
- Conserves Resources.
- Reduces Crime.
- Preserves Green Space.
- Creates opportunity for recreation, exercise, therapy, and education.
- Creates income opportunities and economic development.
- Reduces city heat from streets and car parking areas.
- Provides opportunities for intergenerational and cross-cultural connections.
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is a term intended to describe all of nature’s variety. It refers to all aspects of variety in the living world, including the variety of species on the planet; the amount of genetic variation that exists within a species; the diversity of communities in an ecosystem; and the rich variety of landscapes that occur on the planet. Biodiversity comes under threat through Habitat Destruction, Invasive Species,Pollution, and Over harvesting of Natural Resources.
Ireland
Ireland is home to approximately 815 species of flowering plants and about 80 native ferns, over 700 mosses and liverworts, 3,500 fungi,over 1,000 lichens and 1,400 algae. There are 32 terrestrial mammals, including ten bat species and two seals and 24 whales and dolphins have been observed in Irish waters. Some 425 bird species have been recorded, about half of which breed here, and the Red Grouse, Irish Jay, Dipper and Coal Tit are races unique to Ireland. The Viviparous Lizard is Ireland’s only land reptile, joined recently by the Slow Worm, which has been introduced in the Burren. We have three amphibians, the Smooth Newt,Common Frog, and Natterjack Toad. Ireland is home to many thousands of invertebrates, the most famous of which is the Kerry Slug, Geomalacus maculosus. Twenty-seven freshwater fish species are found in our lakes and rivers.