The Grassroots Guild

03/03/2026

It's beginning to look like spring all around. But you don't have to be in the countryside to see it.

This blackthorn in blossom is in the front garden of a housing estate in the suburbs of Dublin. And not a leafy suburb either, just a big standard one.

If you'd like to be closer to nature, and you've any amount of land in your care, you can welcome nature back in whenever you like.

If you'd like to give nature a hand, whenever you are, follow along to get started.

18/10/2025

As autumn winds on, ivy comes into its own as a larder and safehaven for all kinds of beautiful insect life. It's well worth stopping to look more closely at any ivy growing wild in your area this weekend. This small roadside growth, near the south harbour on Cape Clear Island was alive with bees and butterflies, and the sane can be seen on verges and gardens across the country. If you turn the volume up, you'll here the sound of the Atlantic, lapping against the cliffs below.

By October, its subtle but beautiful firework blossoms become seasonal lifelines, providing vital energy for insects stocking up for a winter, whether it's spent here in Ireland or further afield.

If you have ivy in your garden, yard or workplace, one of the best actions you can take this winter is to sit on your hands, do nothing, and let it bloom.

16/10/2025

I first was in touch with Ceara Cearney of the a few years ago, when she posted about the enormous amount of black plastic flower buckets being disposed of in the supermarket where she worked at the time.

Little did she know then, that her off the cuff comment about making use of them as ponds would inspire what has become the Minipond Network, and in turn, The Grassroots Guild.

It was really special then, not only to have her at one of our workshops earlier this year, but to have been invited on to her podcast.

True to form, this was created using free to access community resources in the form of the digital recording booth in the Central Library in the ILAC centre. Huge thanks to Dublin City Libraries for the use of these facilities.

We had a gorgeous chat about everything from aligning your skills to your values, the importance of messaging, visual communications, and knowing your audience to allowing yourself the grace to make mistakes and learn as you go.

To hear the full episode at https://pod.fo/e/33c858 or search Book of Leaves wherever you find your podcasts.

Thanks Ceara for having me!

06/09/2025

Community Climate Morning Thanks to Dublin South City Partnership and Beta Bajgart for having us at their Community Climate Morning.

This event took in a presentation and public engagement session from the wonderful John Stack on DEC'S work within the Water Framework Directive.

It also served as the launch of a new brochure listing some of the fantastic groups behind community environmental action across South Dublin.

And as always, a great pleasure to spend time in the gardens at showcasing Polly Rowley Sams' eco planting schemes.

Thanks to everyone who came to our second to last Minipond Workshop of the season too.

04/09/2025

What do this plant, a spirit level and a great big stick have in common?

Find out at our last extended Minipond Workshop of the season, Saturday September 13th at

Tickets on Eventbrite (search Rediscovery Centre + Minipond)
and at the link in bio.

# biodiversity

02/09/2025

Looking forward to this Saturday's Dublin South City Partnership event, Widening the Lens at Richmond Barracks. As well as an in person strategy event, we'll be giving one of our last Workshops of the season. Hope to see you there!

01/09/2025