Dublin City Community Forum’s 2014 Environmental Focus Group Seminar

The 2014 and final Environmental Focus Group was held this Saturday the 4th of October in the Wood Quay Venue, Civic Offices, Wood Quay, Dublin 8. Attendance was very good on a sunny but chilly October day that saw the true start of autumn after the heavy day of rain on Friday brought a late summer and September drought to a close.

Proceedings finally got under way with an opening address by Robert Moss at 10:30 am and the event was possibly the most well attended EFG seminar to date with around 70 people in attendance. Speakers included Cllr. Ciaran Cuffe representing the Dublin City Lord Mayor.

This year's seminar is the last to be delivered by the environmental focus group, as the Dublin city community forum is being replaced by the Public Participation Network. I hope that these events will continue, and that they will be supported by the PPN. This year's speakers included:

• Introduction – Robert Moss 10:15 am • Marion Kelly and Susanna Fuchs – City Farm - 10:30 am • Billy Creevy – Virgin Mary Community Garden– 11:00 am • Lynda Huxley – Swift Conservation – 11:30 am • Seamus Bradley and Sean Shanagher – Community Supported Agriculture – 12:00 am • Rian Coulter – Local Grown and Cooked food at NCAD – 12:30 am • Lunch 1pm – 2pm. • Cllr. Ciaran Cuffe – Representing the Lord Mayor of Dublin City – 2:00 pm • An Taisce Green Flag Awards for Parks – Michael John O’Mahony – 2:30 pm • Deborah Tiernan - Herbs from Gardens – 3:30 pm • David Sheerin and Anne – Drimnagh Castle Green Flag School – 4:00 pm • Thanks and Closing Remarks – Robert Moss – 4:30 pm — at Wood Quay Venue

The event provides a platform that showcases many Green Communities Group Projects, and this year the launch of the new An Taisce Green Flag for Parks Award. There was also a detailed presentation on Drimnagh Castle School’s progress with the Green School’s Programme.