Students have always been in the vanguard of social change in Ireland. On this topic, it is vital that Irish students should make their voices heard. If a teenage Swedish girl can change the world, you should not underestimate what you can do in the interests of climate justice. Start by getting involved!

Emeritus Prof. and An Taisce Board Member, John Sweeney.

Students can now join An Taisce for just €2! We know it’s a tough time for many people, especially students, amid the spiraling cost of living. We also know students and young people are key to climate action and building a better future. They must be at the forefront of change. That’s why we’ve lowered the cost of student membership.

An Taisce

Founded in 1948, An Taisce is Ireland’s oldest environmental NGO. An Taisce began with a small group of people committed to protecting Ireland’s beautiful nature and rich heritage. Although we’ve come a long way in 73 years, there's still so much work to do. 

Today, An Taisce’s work still focuses on our built and natural heritage, but our vision has expanded to encompass the climate and biodiversity emergencies as well as community and well-being because these interconnections cannot be ignored.

As a membership organisation, we thrive on the ongoing support of passionate heritage and nature lovers like you. Our membership helps protect our independent voice on environmental issues and planning in Ireland, and sustains us in advocating for change to slow climate change and biodiversity loss. 

We need students and student societies to collaborate with us so we have the resources, knowledge, and community connection to uplift both people and the planet.

 

Student Society Affiliation

We are looking to partner and collaborate with existing environmental student societies across Ireland. We want to develop a student forum across Ireland’s third level colleges and universities to give students an opportunity to meet and organise on the environmental issues they care about. The forum will also elect a representative to sit on An Taisce’s Council and feed into the work of the organisation.

Interested? Get in touch!

Current Student Member Benefits

• Free and discounted entry to other National Trust properties around the world through the into.org/places programme. 
  
• Discounts on entry to heritage, cultural and nature sites around Ireland. 
  
  
• Discounts from eco-conscious stores 
  
• Access to member-only events 
  
  
• A sustainable planning workshop for your student group with An Taisce's experts.
  
  
• Volunteering and activism opportunities in An Taisce committees or Local Associations.
  
  
• Quarterly Newsletter
  
  
• Access to advice on environmental, planning and heritage matters from our experts.
  
  

Join Now! Click below.

Why you, why now?

Students have always been in the vanguard of social change in Ireland. On this topic, it is vital that Irish students should make their voices heard. If a teenage Swedish girl can change the world, you should not underestimate what you can do in the interests of climate justice. Start by getting involved!

We have become blasé about statistics, but if you are a student born in the 21st Century, 19 of the 20 warmest years on record globally have occurred during your lifetime. Last year was the hottest ever year in Europe and the joint hottest ever for the Earth as a whole. The warming of the planet is increasingly approaching critical tipping points in key regions from which recovery will be extremely difficult, if not impossible. In some cases, such as the melting out of the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets, the process may already be well underway, with consequences for the way weather systems much further away from these polar regions will behave.

We have already seen changes in the Irish climate. If you are under 30 years old, Ireland is already 0.65degC warmer than the 30 years average before you were born. It may not seem like much, but in the last 7 years, we have seen the stormiest winter for at least 143 years, the wettest winter on record over most of the country, a couple of very severe droughts and some wayward hurricanes approaching the south coast. Outside of Ireland you will remember reading or seeing the forest fires, the record hurricane season, and perhaps even the heatwaves in parts of northern Siberia (only 2,500km from the North Pole) where temperatures over 38degC were measured last summer. 

International agreements to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are not succeeding. Irish emissions have continued at a level far above what we solemnly committed to over a decade ago. Powerful vested interest groups continue to call the shots and well-financed sceptic groups continue to peddle climate science denial. But the longer the hard choices are avoided, the more damaged the legacy that you will inherit to tackle at great expense during your working life.

The Climate Emergency is part of a larger emergency involving biodiversity and indeed how we treat the natural world. The pandemic is in many ways a manifestation of this interconnected set of problems. There are few organisations in Ireland that take a holistic view in their activities combining both advocacy and education. An Taisce does both through its lobbying as well as administering the well-known Green Schools, Green Campus, Blue Flags, Clean Coast programmes. Support them in their work by actively participating in your university’s student society.

Emeritus Professor John Sweeney,

Irish Climate Analysis and Research UnitS (ICARUS),

Department of Geography,

Maynooth University

Our Work

The Advocacy Unit

An Taisce’s Advocacy Unit works to shape policy in Ireland, to create vibrant, liveable, sustainable communities that support human health and wellbeing. 

We focus on these three key areas: Climate Change, Policy and Planning, as well as Cycling. 

The Education Unit

Our Education unit runs a wide range of programmes and projects, including Green Schools, Green Campus, Clean Coasts, and Climate Ambassadors. 

Since the establishment of the Education Unit in 1993, we have engaged with thousands of people across Ireland. Over 90% of primary schools are registered with our GreenSchools programme. 

Land and Properties Held in Trust

An Taisce preserves a myriad of land and heritage properties, including nature reserves and historic buildings. Lands held by us in trust include beautiful bogland habitats in Co. Mayo, limestone karst lands in Co. Clare, islands in Co. Donegal and an urban wildlife haven with mature trees in Co. Dublin.

Join Now! Click below.