Sustainable Living Festival

Sustainable Living Festival – A week-long conversation exploring the impact sustainable living can have on climate change and the environment.

Wednesday May 8^th: Composting Workshop
Join the ‘Master Composter' team from the National Botanic Gardens for their informative tips on how to reduce food waste and succeed in producing top-quality organic compost at home.

3.00pm. Admission free. Booking essential. Call (01) 804 0319/ 857 0909 or email.

Thursday May 9^th: Conversation – The Great Food Debate
We are what we eat. Not only do our bodies reflect what we eat but increasingly we are realising that what we put on our plates impacts on the world around us. There is a continuing discussion of the impact of what the meat industry has on the environment. If we eat more organic meat and vegetables, will this have any impact? Should we eat a vegetarian only diet or should we be all be vegan? Join the conversation with vegan and vegetarian food producers including Deirdre McCafferty of Cornucopia Restaurant and Christy Stapleton of The Green Door Market, well known organic vegetable grower.

7.30pm. Education & Visitor Centre. Admission Free. Booking essential. 

Saturday May 11^th & Sunday May 12^th: Sustainable Living Fair
Living sustainably can be a challenge, with a complex range of choices available to lighten our impact on the earth. What changes can we make ourselves at home, at work and in our community? Take part in this festival and discover practical, affordable tips on how to reduce your environmental footprint with achievable effort. This two-day family-friendly event will showcase a fabulous range of demonstrations, market and food stalls, soapbox talks, kids' activities and exhibits from a wide variety of community groups and businesses.

10.00am – 5.00pm, Education & Visitor Centre. Admission free.

Saturday May 11^th: Gardening Workshop – Urban Vegetable Growing in Small Spaces
Thinking of growing your own grub yet stuck for space? Why not start a miniature kitchen garden on your windowsill? Join Gardener Niamh Donohoe at this workshop demo and find out how to grow and tend to choice vegetables, salads and herbs that thrive in boxes.

2.30pm. Meet at the Education & Visitor Centre. €25 per person. Booking essential.

Monday May 13^th: Themed Guided Tour – Biophilia
Get outside and active on a summer's day with this journey round the globe and through the senses! Find out how and why humans bond with the natural world the way we do, explore nature's myriad gifts of physical health and mental wellbeing, and learn how we can share these benefits in our homes, gardens and communities to help us reconnect with natural rhythms and landscapes.

2.30pm. Meet at the Education & Visitor Centre. €5 per person. Tickets available on the day only.

Tuesday May 14^th: Afternoon Lecture – Plants before Plastic
Plastic pollution is a problem born in the mid-20th century. So what did we use before plastic? Bottles, toys, labels, and other everyday objects were made from plant material or even bone and antlers. Also, the majority of produce was raised locally and seasonally so there was less packaging needed. From bananas and palms to nettles and a great diversity of woods, find out about the natural alternatives to plastic with Charlotte Salter-Townshend, guide at the National Botanic Gardens.

3.00pm, Education & Visitor Centre. Admission free.

Wednesday May 15^th: Afternoon Lecture – Wiggly Worms: The Importance of Worms in your Garden
Horticulture expert Dr. Paul Fitters gives an in-depth account of these unassuming yet essential soil animals, from microscopic nematodes to burrowing earthworms to their nemesis the dreaded New Zealand flatworm. Fascinating aspects of worm biology, behaviour and soil activity will be unearthed, as well as live worms on display to help ID them in your garden.

3.00pm, Education & Visitor Centre. Admission free.