County Carlow Environmental Network - CEN

17/07/2026

Help wildlife in the hot weather
As hot weather and heatwaves become more frequent due to climate change, there are ways that you can help the wildlife in your garden to cope.
Even a small change can make a big difference, so get involved and let your garden grow for nature.

Provide water for wildlife
Leave out a shallow dish of water for thirsty birds, mammals and insects.
Placing stones in a dish will help any insects that may fall in, and provide useful landing spots for them to have a drink too.
Change the water daily to help keep birds healthy and disease-free.

Top up the bird bath
Birds need water to bathe to keep their feathers in good condition, so providing a bird bath can really help. Make sure to change the water daily - you can use rain water collected in a water butt.
Remember to clean your bird baths every week to help birds stay free of disease.

See other recommendations here:

Lend a helping hand to wildlife in hot weather. Keep your watering stations topped up with water, and let some of your garden grow wild to provide shade for animals.

17/07/2026

Have pollinator friendly plants flowering in your garden from March-October
There are plenty of beautiful plants you can choose for your garden that are rich in nectar and pollen. Bidens and Bacopa are great bedding plants for small containers and hanging baskets; and herbs such as Thyme and Rosemary provide food for you as well as for pollinators. Make sure you keep these plants to your garden and don’t plant them in the wider landscape.

The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan is a framework bringing together different sectors across the island of Ireland to create a landscape where pollinators can survive and thrive. Implementation is coordinated by the National Biodiversity Data Centre. One third of our wild … Continued

04/07/2026

Our mission is to raise awareness of everyday, accessible ways to make our community and our world a healthier, more connected place.
Last month we were at the Bagnelstown in Bloom festival offering samples of local food, our environmental film festival at VISUAL Carlow, pollinator plants and the benefits of not mowing!
We're a purely volunteer-led group and are all having a little break this month, but we've already got lots of upcoming events planned for the rest of 2026 and into 2027.
Join our mailing list to get the news, and visit ccen.ie for more about us. We also welcome volunteers with all sorts of skills, from marketing to fund raising, so if this resonates with you, get in touch!
[email protected]

30/06/2026

Tanya chats about The Carlow Sandwich at the festival earlier this month. The idea: absolutely everything comes from Carlow.

🍞The wheat for the bread is grown and milled in Carlow and baked by Plúr Bakery.
🧀Carlow Farmhouse Cheese is produced near Fenagh by Elizabeth Bradley. Catch her at the Carlow Farmer's Market every Saturday.
🥬The leaves are grown by Peter and Ali Lee on their chemical free market garden near Borris. Find his tasty produce at the Borris market, Bagnelstown's O'Duinn butcher and Plúr Bakery.
🧉The delectable hot sauces, pickles and fermented sides are by Derek Oman.

✅️Sign up to the CCEN newsletter to stay informed about his upcoming workshops and lots more community-focused environmental gatherings - just email [email protected].

Derek Oman PLÚR Ciara McDonald

26/06/2026

The Environmental Pillar is urging members of the public to make a submission to the public consultation on Ireland’s first nature restoration plan. The closing date for submissions is 1st July 2026.

Irish people have a once in a lifetime opportunity to make a difference for nature. The public are being asked for their views on Ireland’s Nature Restoration Plan, which is a generational opportunity to restore nature at scale.

Ireland is facing a nature and biodiversity crisis – 90% of Ireland’s protected habitats are in ‘unfavourable’ conservation status, with around half showing deteriorating trends.
We urgently need to change direction and we now have an opportunity. The Government is currently developing Ireland’s first National Nature Restoration Plan, which will implement the obligations of the Nature Restoration Law, shaping how we restore our landscapes, waters, and wildlife for decades to come. We need a strong, ambitious plan that fully delivers on Ireland’s legal obligations under the EU Nature Restoration Regulation.
This is your opportunity to have a say! Your feedback will help shape the next version of the plan. You can make a difference for nature.
The Environmental Pillar’s nine key priorities for Ireland’s Nature Restoration Plan can be found here:
https://www.environmentalpillar.ie/have-your-say-on-the-nature-restoration-plan/

And the public can influence the plan by sharing their views at:
[email protected]

The Environmental Pillar is urging members of the public to make a submission to the public consultation on Ireland’s first nature restoration plan. Irish people have a once in a lifetime opportunity to make a difference for nature. The public are being asked for their views on Ireland’s Nature ...

17/06/2026

This service offers excellent opportunities for day trips for families, friends, walkers and visitors, while also creating potential benefits for local businesses along the route.

17/06/2026

Chef Derek Oman was busy on the BBQ  feeding the masses at this year's Bagnelstown in Bloom festival.
Derek will be hosting more Zero Waste workshops this year, after selling out a series of fermenting workshops in Carlow town last year. Pickling and fermenting are brilliant and delicious ways to use up what you might have thought were food scraps or an over-supply.
Don't miss out,  we send occasional newsletters about upcoming events like Derek's, as well as

* The annual eco-film festival
* Outdoor educational workshops
* Food focused events
* Community gatherings
Contact [email protected] to join our mailing list.

Derek Oman

08/06/2026

Email from Carlow BirdWatch Ireland: The Barn Owl is a red-listed bird of conservation concern in Ireland. This is the highest level of conservation priority due to declines in breeding numbers.

The Carlow Branch of BirdWatch Ireland has a small number of Barn Owl boxes suitable for use indoors in farm outbuildings such as hay sheds and barns. If you or anyone you know are aware of a suitable location where the landowner is willing to provide permission for the installation of such a nest box please contact the branch at this email address [email protected]

Darker sheds with reduced farm activity and ideally at least 2km from the nearest motorway or national road are best suited to accommodate breeding barn owls. Please get in touch providing your phone number if you wish to avail of a box.

Secretary
Carlow Branch of BirdWatch Ireland
Email: [email protected]

05/06/2026

https://www.weeeireland.ie/

05/06/2026

Anyone planning to attend this event, please remember to complete the form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-QleA8QB9AdFu6m5cOb_TlzP99jIpf5EyztX6kjWA2s/viewform?edit_requested=true