Louth Barn Owl Project appeal for suitable nest boxes locations.

Louth Barn Owl Project are a group of volunteers who set up the Louth Barn Owl Project in October 2021.   

Drogheda Tidy Towns want to help spread the word ‘Owl Nest Box Sites Needed” We are hoping that landowners out there in Louth / East Meath might be able to help them.

Louth Barn Owl Project would also love to hear from people who see barn owls in their area.

Please read a message from Nicola from Louth Barn Owl Project!

“One of the ways we are trying to help the small population of Barn Owls in Co Louth is by making nest boxes and hanging them in suitable areas, at no expense to landowners.

We have over 70 boxes up to date in the county of Louth. One of the many reasons for the decline of the Barn Owl population is the limitation of suitable nesting sites. 

Barn Owls don’t build a nest so to speak and the loss of nesting sites through dilapidation or renovation of older buildings may be a contributory factor.  Modern style agricultural sheds don’t have any areas for nests. But by hanging a nest box in suitable barns, this may entice any visiting Barn Owl to stay.

We are hoping to meet more landowners in the county who’d be interested in helping us help the Barn Owl.   

We would need to assess any quietish Barn or derelict buildings on their land and if suitable, hang a nest box.

If you could ask any of your followers or people they know who may be able to help, to contact us via email at louthbarnowls@gmail.com or text 0866076420 and we will get in touch with  them to explain further and arrange a site visit.

Very much appreciated, Kind regards, Nicola Carroll  from Louth Barn Owl Project”

Check Out Louth Barn Owl on social media

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As part of National Spring Clean, Drogheda Tidy Towns are organising a spring clean-up event. 

Spring Roads Clean-Up 

Where: Meeting at Costa Coffee, M1 Retail Park (Retail Park at Mell)

Date: Wednesday, 12th April at 

Time: 6:30PM.

We would love to see all our amazing Drogheda Tidy Towns volunteers and community groups out in full force!

Are you in?

Please text from Kevin from Drogheda Tidy Towns if you have any questions on 0871155366

If you are reading this see it as a sign you should invest in the move from Peat Compost To Homemade Compost! In this blog, I will explore why giving up buying peat compost is important, and provide some alternative methods for composting that are kinder to the environment.

Peat compost has long been a popular choice for gardeners looking to add nutrients and improve soil structure. However, the environmental impact of peat extraction has become increasingly apparent in recent years, leading many gardeners to seek out alternative methods for composting. It wasn’t until July 2021 that I shifted to homemade composting and later that year been gifted a wormery!

But first let me explain why we should give up buying peat compost!

Why give up buying peat compost?

Peat is a non-renewable resource that is harvested from fragile ecosystems, such as bogs and wetlands. Peat extraction involves draining these areas, which releases large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and destroys the natural habitat of many species of plants and animals. In addition, peatlands are important carbon sinks, meaning they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in the soil. When peat is extracted, this carbon is released into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.

Fortunately, there are alternative methods for composting that are more sustainable and eco-friendly. Here are a few options to consider:

Homemade compost

One of the simplest and most effective alternatives to peat compost is to make your own compost at home. This involves collecting organic waste from your kitchen and garden and allowing it to break down over time. Composting can be done in a small bin or a larger outdoor pile, depending on the amount of waste you generate. The resulting compost is rich in nutrients and can be used to improve soil structure and fertility in your garden.

Purchased my compost bin in Blacks Garden Centre

Leaf mold

Another natural alternative to peat compost is leaf mold. This is simply decomposed leaves that have been left to break down over time. You can create leaf mold by gathering fallen leaves in the autunm and piling them up in a shaded area. Over time, the leaves will decompose and create a rich, crumbly material that can be used as a soil amendment in your garden.

Worm Bin or ‘wormery’

Worm Bin or ‘wormery’ usually consists of at least two compartments. Using a wormery for compost is an easy and environmentally-friendly way of turning much of your kitchen waste into nutrient-rich compost to feed your garden and houseplants.

I absolutely love my wormery that creates a small amount of nutrient-rich compost which I use for both indoor and outdoor plants! It’s still early days with the wormery.

In conclusion, giving up buying peat compost for the garden is an important step towards protecting our environment. By opting for alternative composting methods, such as homemade compost, leaf mold, we can improve soil fertility and structure while reducing our impact on the planet. So, let’s get composting!

A little peak of my garden last summer… which I made one small bin bag of compost!

You can check out your local garden stores or Google homemade composting ideas!

Thanks to a partnership led by Drogheda Tidy Town, Louth Leader Partnership, and in conjunction with local residents we collaborated to raise funds and work towards the creation of The Glen Biodiversity Park. 

The efforts over the last 2 years has been to create a biodiversity park in The Glen, and to enhance the natural beauty of the area. The various initiatives such as tree planting, wildflower meadows, and the construction of Bee hotels will help to support local wildlife and increase the overall biodiversity of the area. The building and setting of flagpoles, which will soon see flag flying proudly. The installation of signage with biodiversity information and the history of Glen, which will provide an opportunity for local residents and visitors to engage with and learn about the local ecosystem.

This has all been achieve by partnering with local organizations and residents and by coming together to work towards a common goal. The total project cost of €65k to date and the long-term benefits of this project are immeasurable. We hope the Glen will create a more sustainable and healthy environment for all.

Additionally, Another fantastic development for the Glen is the installation of an outdoor gym, which will be made possible by a funding request from Louth County Council for €30,000. The installation of an outdoor gym is a great way to promote physical activity and improve the health and well-being of the community.

We have a lot more planned and we can’t wait to share in due time. Watch this space!!

The Liscorrie Resident Association over the course of the last two weekends have worked tirelessly to tackle littering and improve the appearance of their estate, as well as Bog Lane and Cross Lanes.

The LRA is a group of residents who are committed to making a positive impact on their community. Their most recent project was a spring clean of the streets and public areas.

The volunteers started their work early over the weekend, armed with gloves, litter pickers, and bags. They split into groups and began cleaning up the litter that had accumulated on the streets and in public areas. Over the course of the two weekends, they collected an astonishing amount of rubbish, including plastic bottles, food wrappers, and cigarette butts.

The LRA’s work is a great example of how a group of dedicated volunteers can make a real difference in their community. By coming together and working towards a common goal, they were able to improve the appearance of their street and surrounding areas.

Their efforts are an inspiration to others, and hopefully, more communities will follow in their footsteps. The LRA has shown that with a little bit of hard work and dedication, it is possible to make a positive impact on their community, town and  world around us.

A big well done to all involved at Liscorrie Resident Association! It is great to see you all working towards making your street, area and town cleaner and more attractive places to live. Together, we can all make a difference!

“There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about”

Thanks to The Boyne River Trust, and The Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) for coordinating such an amazing Boyne River Clean Up Event!

Thanks to the amazing support of our volunteers, we were able to remove a significant amount of litter from the river.

We had an incredible turnout for the clean-up, and it was heartwarming to see so many people come together for a common cause. Volunteers of all ages and backgrounds joined forces, each armed with a determination to make a difference.

The Boyne River is an important river that plays a critical role in the ecosystem of our region. However, it has been plagued by litter and pollution in recent years, which has had a negative impact on its health and vitality. 

During the clean-up, we made sure to separate the litter we collected into different categories. We separated plastic, glass, and other recyclable materials. This was important to ensure that we didn’t simply move the pollution from one area to another, but rather that we were making a meaningful impact on the health of the river.

Thanks to the efforts of our volunteers, we were able to collect a large amount of litter from the river. We removed everything from plastic bottles, glass bottles, TV, bags, buckets and containers to old tires and appliances. It was an impressive sight to see how much litter we were able to collect in a short period of time. 

We are incredibly grateful to everyone who participated in the Boyne River Clean-Up. Your hard work and dedication helped to make a significant difference in the health of our river, and we couldn’t have done it without you.

Tonight March 26 at 8.30 p.m., we hope the residents of Drogheda will join us in observing Earth Hour. between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. by turning off all of their lights, or as many lights as you can for 1 hour!

The World Wildlife Fund has created the global initiative known as Earth Hour. (WWF). The yearly event promotes people, towns, and organizations to switch off non-essential electric lights for an hour on the last Saturday in March from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. as a show of support for the environment.

Please see the following website for more information:
https://www.earthhour.org/

FACTS ABOUT EARTH HOUR

1. It is one of the world’s biggest environmental movements – for nature and climate, organised by WWF and partners across the world – but led by the Earth Hour community.

2. A humble beginning with more than a decade of history – It has been 16 amazing years since Earth Hour began in 2007 as a small grassroots movement in Sydney, Australia.

3. It is more about rebuilding connection than just switching off – Earth Hour is the moment when local and global communities unite and switch off their lights to show they care about the future of our planet – our one shared home.

4. It is truly a spectacular, global event – Every year, hundreds of millions of people, famous landmarks, local businesses and community groups across the world take part in Earth hour events and activities.

5. Desperate times led to creative solutions – In 2020, Earth hour went fully digital for the first time in the UK. As well as switching off lights, many people connected online by joining digital events and live streams during the hour.

Take part in earth hour:

https://www.wwf.org.uk/earth-hour

Over a month ago a member of the Drogheda Tidy Towns committee attended the Drogheda Cycling official launch of their proposals for the Dual Carriageway in Drogheda at Barbican Centre.

The Drogheda Cycling team truly gave a terrific presentation on how we can improve and make cycling safer in our wonderful town whiles creating a sustainable, healthy town for all.

Let’s make Ireland’s largest town a shining example of #ActiveTravel

Please can you sign this petition and share it via your social media platforms if you haven’t done so already (if you have, thank you very much).

The Dublin Road in Drogheda experiences extreme traffic congestion, which has a negative impact on the town’s people and makes cycling, walking, and other active modes of transportation more challenging.

Drogheda is set for another housing boom as Ireland’s population continues to grow – without efforts to reduce traffic the town will soon become completely gridlocked and it will be so much harder to work or shop in our town.

The Irish Government has made promoting active travel a priority and funding is available for it – now is the time for Louth County Council to act and take advantage of the funding available. Let’s make Drogheda an example to the rest of Ireland. 

Please can you sign this petition and share it via your social media platforms if you haven’t done so already (if you have, thank you very much).

Drogheda Tidy Towns and Community Partners, Boyne Rivers Trust and The Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) are organizing our Annual River Boyne Estuary Clean Up, Baltray River Boyne Estuary, April 1st.

We will meet at Queensborough car park which overlooks the mouth of the River Boyne near Baltray, a couple of KMs from Drogheda town centre.

Date: Saturday, April 1st
Time: 2PM AM to 4 PM

Meeting Location: Queensborough – Baltray Road

Call out to all sports clubs, and community groups in Drogheda and District – we’d love it if you could come to join us and take part in the Baltray – River Boyne Estuary clean-up!

– Volunteers are asked to wear wellies or old shoes, and old clothes as it can get muddy in the estuary.

‘From Baltray you can view shallow lagoons, which are a haven for rare birds including little terns and little egrets. Louth Nature Trust runs a conservation project on Baltray beach each year from May to August to protect the nests of the little terns’ Check out Louth Nature Trust on Facebook!

We would love to see all our amazing Drogheda Tidy Towns volunteers and community groups out in full force!

Are you in?

DM if you have any questions or Text Kevin on 0871155366

Check out how our Annual River Boyne Estuary Clean Up went in 2022!

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Today 21 March is World Down Syndrome Day. On this one day we have a chance to make a change. A better chance that any other day!

Help spread awareness and support. Happy World Down Syndrome Day.

Did you know World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD), 21 March, is a global awareness day which has been officially observed by the United Nations since 2012.

Find out why this day is so important…
https://www.worlddownsyndromeday.org/about-wdsd

#WorldDownSyndromeDay
#WorldDownSyndromeDay2022