1. Environmental Education Unit Programmes of An Taisce &Tidy Towns Dr. Michael John O’ Mahony Environmental Education Unit An Taisce

2. Overview EEU – 1993 FEE Member Clean Coasts Green-Schools National Spring Clean Green-Home Blue Flag Green-Communities AN TAISCE The National Trust for Ireland

3. - Overall Development Approach - The Built environment - Landscaping - Wildlife & Natural Amenities - Litter Control - Waste Minimisation - Tidiness - Residential Areas -Roads, Streets and Back Areas - Overall Impression Tidy Towns Areas for Judgement

4. www.cleancoastproject.orgwww.beachawards.ie Two elements to programme – Green Coast Award; Coastcare Green Coast Award – Water Quality & Management Coastcare – Facilitating community groups to be custodians for their coast areas – marine litter; dune protection; biodiversity; Social events – sand sculpturing; sports Blue Flag – Environmental Education & Information - Landscaping - Wildlife & Natural Amenities - Waste Minimisation - Tidiness

5. www.greenschoolsireland.org - International environmental education programme & award scheme - Operating in Ireland since 1997 - Over 3,200 pre-, primary, secondary, special schools participating (2010) - 2,000 Green-Flags (2010) - Operated in partnership with Local Authorities & Department of Transport - Sponsored by Repak, ESBIE, Wrigley’s -Litter Management -Inform & Involve Wider Community (Step 6) - National Spring Clean, Coastcare - Hub for Green-Home – waste minimisation

6. www.nationalspringclean.org - Ireland’s premier & best established anti-litter initiative - Operating since 1998 - Over 500,000 volunteers (2009) - Operates during month of April - Operated in partnership with DEHLG & Local Authorities National Spring Clean -Litter Management -Tidiness - Residential Areas - Roads, Streets & Back Areas

7. www.greenhome.ie - Facilitates householders to reduce their impact in the area of waste, energy, water & travel - Operated in partnership with the EPA & Local Authorities - Hubbed and promoted through schools, community groups and website -Step process – review – applicable actions – measured improvement – - sustain- repeat - Waste minimisation

8. - Currently Interreg Programme between SE Ireland & Wales - Operating since 2009 - Facilitates Communities Group to reduce the carbon footprint of their group activity and investigate and enhance the biodiversity of their area - Wildlife & Natural Amenities - Litter Control - Waste Minimisation