In these increasingly individualistic times, it is heartwarming to hear of benevolent gestures whose aims are simply and purely to enhance our natural environment. The Grove - on the corner of Morehampton Road and Wellington Place, Dublin 4 - is an example of such benevolence. The garden was bequeathed to An Taisce by Kathleen Goodfellow in the 1980s on condition that it be maintained in perpetuity as a place of refuge for wild creatures and plants.
After remaining overgrown for many years, the Grove was cleared and a network of paths put in place with the help of Conservation Volunteers Ireland. One now enters this wonderful little wilderness in the heart of the city via a side entrance on Wellington Place. Originally part of a much larger garden, it has some mature trees (mainly beech), holly, laurels and plenty of pungent-smelling wild garlic. An artificial pond and bird boxes have been put in place to attract birds. Magpies, blackbirds, song thrushes, robins, wrens, blue tits, great tits, house sparrows and chaffinches are expected to breed there. The plants will also attract butterflies and other insects. The Grove is hosting an open day next Saturday for local residents and other interested members of the public who live nearby. Call by sometime between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. and experience this oasis of calm in the heart of Dublin 4.
NEXT Wednesday is World Tree Day. And although neither the Tree Council of Ireland nor Crann celebrate it, the Horizons column has decided to mark it with the following excerpt from The Spirit of Trees, an exploration of the natural and cultural links with trees by John Feehan, Department of Environmental Resource Management, University College Dublin. The essay was in the Crann publication, Releafing Ireland magazine last year.
"Trees are the whales of the land . . . They are the dominant life forms on land, and they are the longest-lived, largest living things on Earth. Eighty-five per cent of Earth's biomass is plants, and 90 per cent of the plant biomass is trees. Their height, rigidity and longevity give them a permanence from our human perspective . . . These are the attributes which lift trees as far as possible into the air, so that they can spread leaf surfaces to intercept the maximum amount of sunlight. Charles Darwin in his diaries likened them to giant eyes, which was very perceptive, for they are vast batteries of light-receptive cells. They are the main go-betweens in the transformation of radiated solar energy into all the necessities of all multi-cellular life, plant and animal."
Meanwhile, the ENFO office on St Andrew Street, Dublin 2, is holding an exhibition on trees. Originally planned to coincide with National Tree Week (which was postponed due to the foot-and-mouth scare), the exhibition includes an array of posters which were entries for the competition to design a poster for National Tree Week. Information boards discuss the benefits of trees, the importance of woodland management and the fruits and fauna of the forests. There are lots of leaflets on tree planting. The exhibition continues until March 24th, opening hours 10 a.m. 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Tel: 01-8882001. The Tree Council of Ireland is planning to hold National Tree Week in the autumn. Tel: 01-2849211.
CHILDREN aged eight and up are invited to take a look at some of the objects in the National Museum of Ireland that relate to St Patrick tomorrow. The venue is the Archaeology and History Museum, Kildare Street, Dublin from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Next Sunday, at the same time, those over six can go along to the Natural History Museum on Merrion Street to listen to stories and songs that will bring the displays to life. Expect some roaring! Admission is free to both events. Meanwhile, the Wednesday lunchtime lecture series at the Natural History Museum continues next week with a talk at 1 p.m. on the Nature of Australia, by Dr John Rochford, Department of Zoology, Trinity College Dublin.
WEB WORLD
www.envirolink.com
SET up in 1991, this is one of the early environment sites. Its main interest for Irish readers is the worldwide coverage of environmental news, such as the story about Mexican loggers who are set to decimate butterfly populations there, and a German project to develop steam-powered cars. There is an abundance of details from North American ecocommunities which may provide inspiration for some Irish projects here. Envirolink also provides environmental and animal rights organisations with free Internet services.
E-mail: horizons@irish-times-ie
