This article is from page 6 of the 2008-01-22 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 6 JPG
THE fight for the continuation of sustainable farming in the Burren is being taken to the streets of Dub- lin today as the BurrenLIFE Project Stages its first awareness day in the Cree
OW atom hirse-Nusdslotmer hymnal omelets pemRy alae] the official launch of the first ever conference on sustainable farm- ing ever hosted in Ireland, which will take place in Ennistymon next peareyeleee
Attending the official launch will be the chairperson of Teagasc and the Heritage Office, Dr Tom O’Dwyer; Senior Conservation Scientist of the National Parks and Wildlife Service, Michael Berkery; Chief Executive Officer of the IFA and Clare TD, Tony Killeen.
“It is critical to get a focus on this in Dublin. We have learned from other projects like this all across Eu- rope that it is critical to get the infor- mation out there. It 1s important both to get the information out there but also to get political support for the project,’ said Ruairi O Conchuir of the BurrenLIFE organisation.
“It is critical that the politician, the media and the general public all buy in to this project. At the end of the day, it is EU taxpayers’ money that is being used to support this project.
It’s Irish taxpayers’ money that is be- ing used to support this project.
“It’s very important for us to let people know what this conference is about and more importantly to let them know what the project as a whole is about.”
Following the formal launch of the BurrenLIFE’s ‘Farming for Conser- vation’ conference, the organisation will then visit four Dublin schools and host presentations and work- shops designed to explain the work of the Burren farmers to the Dublin school teachers.
This will be followed by a formal evening lecture and illustrated talk and wine reception hosted by Dr Brendan Dunford, Dr Sharon Parr, Ruairi O Conchuir and Dr James Moran of the BurrenLIFE Project.
The three-day international *Farm- ing for Conservation’ conference will take place in the Falls Hotel in Ennistymon from February 24 to 27.
The conference will include speak- ers from Ireland, the UK and a number of other European countries. It will also mark the first official en- gagement of a Green Party minister in the county as the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government and Green Party leader, John Gormley will attend along with the newly appointed director of Tea- gasc, Professor Gerry Boyle.