Make a nest box for your garden!

Join the Strangford and Lecale team and Woody for a nest box building workshop as part of National Nest Box Week.

Attendees will get a chance to make their own nest box and bird feed to bring home and use.

National Nest Box Week takes places from 14-21 February 2020 and it’s a chance for you to encourage birds in your garden to come home to roost! The idea behind the week is to encourage us all to put up nest boxes in our local areas, not only to protect the wildlife we already have, but to enable even more birds to brood...

Learn more about the science and research undertaken by the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland and have your say in its future strategy.

The world has changed since the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland was established in 1947; climate-change and the need for its mitigation and adaption combined with the increasing demands for low carbon energy, raw materials and water presents a series of challenges and opportunities for GSNI.

To help meet these new societal challenges and opportunities, GSNI is developing a new...

When recording species information on the CEDaR website, it is now possible to record the habitat type. The habitat tab is now available in the Spatial Reference section of the record submission page. Here you will find a drop down list of broadscale habitat types. By selecting one of these, a second list of more detailed habitat descriptions will appear.

By recording habitat type alongside species records it will ultimately help to inform broader scale ecosystem management.

Record your species sightings here:

https://www2.habitas.org.uk/records/home 

Local Councils Launch Free Digital Growth Programme to Help Small Businesses

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council has joined forces with Ards and North Down Borough Council to launch a Digital Growth Programme to support the development of micro and small businesses in the regions.

This project is part funded by Invest Northern Ireland and the European Regional Development Fund under the Investment for Growth & Jobs Northern Ireland (2014 -2020) Programme.

Are you a Social Enterprise or thinking of setting up a Social Enterprise in Ards and North Down?Come along to our series of workshops that will help you plan ahead to develop and grow your social enterprise.To register please contact Mary on 028 9061 0826 or by email: mary@workwest.co.uk

Stand up for trees in your community and apply for a Woodland Trust tree pack today here 

Our red squirrels are under threat from habitat loss, food competition with the non-native invasive grey squirrel which also spreads diseases that further knock back our native reds. You can help by joining people like you who are helping to save our reds by working together in local squirrel groups. These community groups are taking direct action to improve the habitat suitability for reds. NI currently has 15 Red Squirrel groups who work with the eNGOs & DAERA along with local landowners securing the future of the red squirrel. Want to get involved or find out more? Find details...

FUNDING - HINTS AND TIPSThe training workshops on Funding - Hints and Tips for Community organisations, are taking place on Monday 3rd and Thursday 6th February,(details of time and venue below). This is a FREE training event open to all community and voluntary groups within the Newry Mourne and Down Council area. Places are limited so please phone contact the office as soon as possible to secure your place.

Calling all Ards and North Down Borough Council residents! Join us on the 26th February in Londonderry Park, Newtownards at 6.30pm to learn more about our Small Grants Scheme! We'll be going through the application process step by step and we'll also hear from some previous local grant recipients. RSVP to Ciara at ciara.laverty@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org #smallgrants

Do you live in and around Newry, Mourne and Down District Council ? Do you have an exciting idea for an environmental project to benefit your local community? Or do you want to make a difference but not sure where to start? Why not come down to our information session in the Newcastle Centre on 25th February at 6pm to find out more about our Small Grants Scheme! To RSVP contact Ciara at ciara.laverty@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org #smallgrants

We are pleased to report that we have a vacancy for a part time role as 'Dragons in the Hills' Project Officer who will be based in Northern Ireland, with