Description

Rewilding your Garden – Ecological Restoration – Saturday June 17th – 10am – 4:30pm

How can we re-connect with our land and gardens in a way which can also help us re-connect with ourselves and our place in nature?  We will get to know some plants, creatures, habitats and natural elements that you can share your space with.  Explore the enjoyment of working with a seasonal ecological garden while protecting and restoring habitats and ecosystems on your doorstep.

We will explore how we see the landscape and how we can work with the local nature that surrounds us.  Create a simple plan that welcomes wildlife, useful plants and abundant nature back into our gardens.  Learn some skills to help connect with and maintain these shared spaces for nature, which includes us! There is no one formula, but there are many approaches and practical ideas which we will share on the day.

 

Learning outcomes

  • Explore why all life relies on interconnected habitats, ecosystems and natural elements.
  • Discuss how we can protect and restore habitats and ecosystems in our green spaces.
  • The importance of Irish place names in developing a sense of connection to our land and why plants need to live in communities, just like us.
  • Draw a simple sketch, adding natural elements with realistic action timelines.
  • Where to go for further information about place names and natural gardens.

 

 

Practical skills

  • Develop your plant and habitat eyes so that you start noticing what is around you and the connections with the ecological and Celtic seasons.
  • Meet with some plants which can be wild, edible, medicinal and useful.
  • How to draw a simple sketch of your land, plan to develop diverse and interconnected habitats in your own garden/space.
  • Create a simple natural habitat that you can create at home, using local and natural materials.
  • Simple propagation of plants and sharing of seeds.

 

Tutor – Niamh Ní Dhúill

Niamh Ní Dhúill is self-employed in the area of practical biodiversity, nature and ecological gardening education since 2000.  She founded the Kerry Earth Education Project with Ian McGrigor in 2000.   She established Natural Kitchen Gardens in 2013 which evolved to become Natural Wild Gardens in 2020.  Niamh works with a wide range of schools, community groups, agencies, organisations and individuals. Her main work focuses on practical nature education; which includes sharing skills for biodiversity projects, habitat protection and restoration, nature connection and local food education.

Niamh has been working with Learning About Forests Ireland (LEAF Ireland) since 2017 in the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce.  She is currently co-ordinating An Choill Bheag:  a woodland planting educational initiative of LEAF Ireland.  This work is a practical educational programme, planting small biodiverse native woodlands with students and the development of educational material and resources for both students and teachers.  She has also worked with the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce on their Green Schools and Investigate Forests Programmes.  Niamh also collaborates with Biodiversity Partners in the development and delivery of Woodland Education Programmes and Community Biodiversity Plans.

Niamh provides biodiversity and ecological gardening consultancy services, advising on planning, creating and maintaining ecological gardens, with a focus on growing food and creating/restoring habitats for wild plants and animals.  She shares skills to enable and support people to create their own edible and biodiverse spaces.  She runs practical workshops on how to grow and use both wild and permaculture plants and how to make home remedies and tonics.  Niamh is a trained Seed Guardian with the Irish Seed Savers Association since 2017.  Niamh has been a volunteer member of Transition Kerry’s steering group since 2007 and has been on the team of facilitators who have developed and delivered the ‘Transition Kerry Community Biodiversity Leadership Programme’.  Niamh is passionate about the Irish language and place names (logainm/ainm áit).  She integrates Gaeilge into her work, using a bilingual approach, sharing with others the connection between land and the Irish language.  Niamh is also a registered Heritage in Schools Specialist with The Heritage Council since 2000.  www.naturalwildgardens.ie

 

Cost : €86.50 (includes locally grown seeds and divided plants to bring home)

Some plants/seeds, native/useful will be provided to share on the day.  Please bring along some pots/bags to take these away with you as well as a simple drawing or photos of your land and any ideas you want help with.

 

Bookings & Information

Our courses always get positive feedback from participants and you will benefit from on hand expert tutors with years of experience in their field. It’s a great opportunity to meet like-minded people and spend some time in our gardens, orchards and woodlands in beautiful East Clare.

You can book courses online or you can telephone us on 061 921866 or 921856.

  • Workshop prices: from €80
  • 10% discount for supporters.
  • Workshops suitable for adults only – children under 18 years are not permitted to attend.
  • There is a 100% refund for cancellations made at least 2 Weeks prior to the course date. No refund after that time.
  • Café serving lunch and refreshments

The Night Orchard Pop Up Café will open onsite at Irish Seed Savers on each course day serving hearty lunches, soups, homemade cakes and tea / coffee. The café is vegetarian and uses organic, locally sourced, in-season ingredients to produce healthy and nutritious food.