Saturday 28th April: 10.30 – 4.30

Learn how to make your own cosmetics such as lip balm, bath bombs, moisturisers using natural ingredients.

Cost – €70 (includes materials)

Contact Cathy on 085 7782289 or email earthedkerry@gmail.com to book a place

Wildlife Gardening day coming up at Gortbrack on 25th March from 3.00 to 5.00pm with the Irish Wildlife Trust (Kerry Branch).

See this leaflet for more details:

Biodiversity_Events_Kerry2012

The following courses will be run over the season in conjunction with GIY Ireland.  Please contact us or see their website for more details and booking:

Two more farm open days will be run at Gortbrack Organic Farm over the summer to highlight the importance of biodiversity (the variety of biological organisms in an area)  in local organic food production:

Saturday  August 20th 2011 – Irish Native Animal biodiversity; part of National Heritage Week, special rates apply, check www.heritageweek.ie for more details

Saturday October 1st 2011 – Wild Mushroom identification (Gortbrack and Ballyseedy Woods)  Only a few places left on this course so book now!

Each day will run from 11.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m.

No dogs allowed and all children must be accompanied.

Cost – €10 per adult, €5 per child, family rates available

The Biodiversity Days are being run with funding from Local Agenda 21 and Kerry County Council

Teacher Training Summer courses

‘The Living Classroom’

July 4th – 8th 2011

August 22nd – 26th 2011

The courses have now been confirmed, please contact Tralee Education Centre to book a place.

Learn how to plan, design and implement your own school garden.

Elemental Education Offers a series of 5 workshops for 3rd to 6th class on the cycles of life. They focus on the essential cycles that ensure our survival on the earth covering the water cycle, photosynthesis, soil formation, mini beast investigation and the carbon cycle.
Each workshop includes explanations, games, quizzes and a practical art & craft session.

The workshops compliment the NCCA Primary School Curriculum and the Green Schools Scheme.

Please contact Cathy Eastman for more details: Tel. 085 7782289
Email kerryearthed@gmail.com

We offer guided Organic Food and Habitat trails, including seasonal nature orienteering, practical outdoor activities, treasure hunt and a farm tour.

Gortbrack Organic Farm has a diverse range of ecological & native Irish habitats, ranging from wildlife ponds, bog land, stonewalls, hedges and woodlands to organic vegetables, herbs, polytunnels (all weather), composting, living willow sculptures and a Kerry cow.

One theme from below can be chosen as a focus for the trip:

• Local organic food
• Water
• Soil & compost photosynthesis
• The carbon cycle
• Bugs in the garden
• Botany  & seed saving
• Renewable energy
• Woodlands & hedgerow habitats
• Biodiversity

Time: Approximately 10.00am – 1.30pm
Includes worksheets for pupils and support material for teachers.
Cost: €10 per child (plus €50 farm fee per group)
KEEP are Heritage Specialists under the INTO/Heritage in Schools Scheme, which also offers a series of 5 visits –

contact KEEP or the INTO for more information.

Set up an organic garden in your school

Develop your own vegetable garden, herb beds, woodland, heritage orchard; native hedgerow; pond and wildlife areas with KEEP, organic advisors to Bord Bia’s current educational DVD project ‘Organic Gardens in Schools’. The whole school can be involved in the project; teachers, pupils and parents.

KEEP works on long-term sustainable school garden projects, designing the whole school grounds into a Living Classroom, linking in with the school curriculum and bringing children out of the classroom and into the garden, seeding, growing and eating food grown in the school.

KEEP also assist with ongoing maintenance of the garden with pupils, using the garden as a living classroom to develop a thorough knowledge of sustainable, organic and natural gardening, local food growing, wildlife and biodiversity.

** DVD Available now from Bord Bia – free to all schools! **

Both practical and theoretical environmental education is used and the programme links with the NCCA Primary Schools curriculum (SESE), Social, Personal & Health Education (SPHE), The Food Dudes Programme and the Green Schools Scheme.

(KEEP are Heritage Specialists under the INTO/Heritage in Schools Scheme, which also offers a series of 5 visits – contact KEEP for more information)

KEEP have worked with the following schools over the last 2 terms:

• Fybough National School has planted a native hedge and started an orchard.
• Cromane National School has made a school grounds plan and planted a mixed native woodland of 180 trees!
• Douglas National School has made a school grounds plan and is hoping to start work on their garden soon.

Derryquay National School have been bringing the oaks back to Derrymore by planting a native oak woodland in their grounds. They have also planted a section of native hedgerow and lots of vegetables in their raised beds.

Donaghmede National School in Dublin (featured on the Bord Bia DVD) has finished planting their native woodland and planted a hedgerow. The Tree Nurseries in Schools project will be starting again in September with thanks to the Heritage Council.
KEEP will help the school with existing tree nurseries to plant out any trees which have grown and will also be working with another county to start a similar project.

Contact Ian or Cathy:
066 7137042
087 9246968

Farm Tours, please contact Cathy 085 7782289