Members of Offaly’s Older Persons Council, Active Retirement Groups, Tidy Towns Committee’s, and interested locals attended the Climate Action Workshop on Tuesday 18th April in Lough Boora Discovery Park. (Age Friendly Ireland and CARO).
Gavin Harte, Sustainability Consultant, Climate Action Coach and Environmental Activist, delivered the training. Items such as climate science, carbon footprints, energy saving, home energy upgrade were discussed. The Climate Action Team from Offaly County Council were also in attendance.
The second part of the day included a site visit to An Portach Ciúin at Lough Boora (The Quiet Bog), with a talk hosted by Julie McLoughlin, Visitor Experience Lead, Lough Boora Discovery Park, Bord na Móna. An Portach Ciúin is set in a woodland clearing close to a wetland. The area is rich in nature with trees, meadow grasses, reeds, bog cotton and the wetland supporting a wealth of natural habitats.
Collectively, An Portach Ciúin provides a feast of senses including the forms and colours of vegetation; the sound of gentle breeze rustling through the trees and reeds; the glistening light reflecting on the lapping water; the skyscape directly above and also reflecting in the water; and the magical symphony of birdsong from dawn to dusk.