ISSUE NO envir s INTvER - esaiweb.org · The ENVIRON colloquium is Ireland’s largest annual environmental ... [email protected] Vice Chairperson: ... interesting places,

Newsletter of the Environmental Sciences Association of Ireland • An association for people working in the environmental area

ENVIRON 2009 in WaterfordWIT, 18th-20th February 2009

The ENVIRON colloquium is Ireland’slargest annual environmentalconference. Its principal objective is toemphasise environmental research andassociated innovative technologies. Thecolloquium attracts researchers andacademics from both the industrial andthird level sectors and aims to linkprimary research with the importantapplied problems that Ireland’senvironment faces.This year’s coordinator, Dr Laura

Kirwan, is a WIT researcher based inJohnstown Castle. The conference willbe located on campus in WIT. In orderto ensure a high scientific standard atthe colloquium, the abstracts will bereviewed for the first time.

We will also be introducing three-minute oral presentations of posters.The National Biodiversity Records

Centre, which is based in WIT, will berunning an Invasive Species workshop.Registration and abstract submission

is now available at www.esaiweb.org.We are inviting abstracts from all areasof environmental science.

• For more information, contact DrLaura Kirwan (ESAI conference co-ordinator), phone (053) 917 1239 oremail [email protected].

We look forward to welcoming youto Waterford.

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ENVIRON 2009, Waterford IT 1

ENVIRON Colloquium news 2

ESAI/CIWM conference on wastemanagement, Cork, November 2008 3

ESAI Summer Field Trip 2008 4

ESAI Photo Competition 2008 6

National Advisory CouncilConference 2008 7

Women in Technology & Science 8

PARN: special interest group 9

Clare Biodiversity Group 10

Science@Sea marine science training 11

Report on National Water Summit,Dublin, October 2008 12

4th Contaminated SedimentSymposium, TCD, June 2009 13

Invasive Species Workshopat ENVIRON 2009 14

Wastewater: do you knowwhere it goes? 15

ESAI Water Workshop at IWWE 2009 16

‘Innovation Lounge’ at Resource andRecover exhibitions, March 2009 17

InsideInside

environewswww.esaiweb.org

ESAI – Promoting Professional Development through Education

Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) and Teagasc, Johnstown Castle, willbe hosting the 19th Irish Environmental Researchers’ Colloquium (ENVIRON2009) between the 18th and 20th of February 2009 at WIT in Waterford.

Venue for ENVIRON 2009: Waterford Institute of Technology, overlooking the River Suir in Waterford.

New eco websiteA new Irish website called LeafLiving was launched recently. Itsells a wide range of high qualityenergy efficient, organic,reclaimed, recycled and organicproducts for the home. It also hasa useful online green directory.You will find this website atwww.leafliving.com.

2 ENVIRONEWS WINTER 2008

environewsEnvironews is published by the EnvironmentalSciences Association of Ireland (ESAI) anddistributed free to members. Names andaddresses of members are not provided to

commercial concerns.

Acting EditorDr Catherine Dalton

Department of Geography,Mary Immaculate College, SCR, Limerick

Email: [email protected]

ESAI Council OfficersChairperson:

Dr Shirley Gallagher20 Coppervalley View, Glanmire, Co Cork

Tel: 086-838 3759Email: [email protected]

Vice Chairperson:Currently vacant

Honorary Secretary:Dr Brian Quinn

SHELLTEC Applied Research Centre,GMIT, Dublin Road, GalwayEmail: [email protected]

Honorary Treasurer:Dr Paul Bolger

Environmental Research Institute, UCC, LeeRoad, Cork

Email: [email protected] Coordinator:c/o Dr Adrian Corcoran

Email: [email protected] Liaison Officer:Mr Vincent Carragher

Centre for Environmental Research,Lonsdale Building, UL, LimerickEmail: [email protected]

ESAI Council MembersConference Coordinator:

Dr Laura KirwanTeagasc Environmental Research Centre,

Johnstown Castle, WexfordEmail: [email protected]

Public Relations Officer:Dr Brian Quinn (see above)

Dr Thomas CurranEnvironmental Engineering Group, UCD,

Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2Email: [email protected]

Dr Alice WemaereERTDI Section, EPA, McCumiskey House,Richview, Clonskeagh Road, Dublin 14

Email: [email protected] Michael Williams

Department of Botany, School of NaturalSciences, TCD, Dublin 2Email: [email protected]

Michael EwingSocial Partnership Coordinator, Irish

Environmental Network, Knockvicar, Boyle,Co Roscommon

Email: [email protected] Wann

Aulino Wann & Ass., 34 Windsor Avenue,Whitehead, BT389RX, Co AntrimEmail: [email protected]

Administrator:Sinéad Macken, Stonehaven,Moy Road, Kinvara, Co Galway

Tel: 086-807 1498Email: [email protected]

ESAI Membership Subscriptions:€50 waged; €25 unwaged

(Contact Administrator or checkout www.esaiweb.org)

Environmental Sciences Association of Ireland

Register for ENVIRON 2009 onlineRegistration for the ESAI ENVIRON 2009conference just got easier!

THE ESAI NOW has a new conferencebooking system on its website,www.esai.org, with online registration.Attik Designs (www.attikdesigns.ie),

who designed, maintain and managethe ESAI website, has developed thenew system, which allows partiesinterested in attending ESAI-hostedconferences to register online, withpayment via cheque or purchase ordernumber.Current ESAI members who pay their

membership fees by standing order willreceive discounts on the ENVIRONconference fees.The new online system also allows

delegates to join the ESAI at the time ofconference registration.As well as handling registering, the

online system enables delegates tosubmit and upload their abstract, withcustom codes and preview windowsprovided to ensure an accurate

translation of the abstract’s scientificnotation. Details on the abstract authorsmay also be submitted, and the abstractmay be registered for the student prize.The facility also allows delegates to

register as a speaker, chairperson orabstract judge, in addition to reserving aplace at the conference dinner orregistering interest in using bustransport if provided.For those registering, it is important

to remember that to complete theonline registration process, a purchaseorder number must be to hand for thefinal step. Please note that the deadlinefor payment by purchase order isJanuary 15th, 2009, to ensure paymentprior to the event.The use of the website as a conference

registration hub will promote theorganisation throughout the country,generate considerable publicity andvisitors to the site and increase theprofile of the organisation as a whole. –Adrian Corcoran

FOR MANY YEARS, the ESAI has run acompetition judging student posters andprizes at the ENVIRON colloquium. AtENVIRON 2009, students will be able toregister online for the student prize byrequesting to have their poster or oralpresentation judged. Feedback fromjudges will also be available for the firsttime, over the course of the colloquiumfrom the registration desk. The 2009prizes currently include: ESAI Best OralPresentation (€250), ESAI Best PosterPresentation (€250), COFORD BestForestry Oral Presentation (€250),COFORD Best Forestry PosterPresentation (€250) and SSAI Best SoilsPresentation (€250). So don’t forget toregister to have your presentation judged!– Sinéad Macken, ESAI Administrator

ENVIRON 2007papers nowavailable onlineSELECTED SHORT PAPERS from theENVIRON 2007 colloquium, whichwas held in Carlow Institute ofTechnology, have been published andare now available online.Check out the Colloquia/

Workshop section on the ESAI webpage, http://www.esaiweb.org/esai_coll.php, for the papers fromthirteen students who presented inCarlow.Many thanks to the referees from

around the country and to ourColloquium Proceedings editor,Professor Richard Moles, who assistedthe students through the publicationprocess.

ENVIRON 2009Student Competition

3ENVIRONEWSWINTER 2008

Issues facing the waste management sector

Over 100 delegates came to listen tospeakers from Britain and Ireland givean account of the experiences thatthey had garnered across the world.In addition, a number of solutionproviders exhibited at the conference.The conference focused on the

highly topical issue of waste pre-treatment, following the Environ-mental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s)recent consultation document inadvance of the EU Landfill Directivetargets, which come into effect in July2009. It addressed areas such as:

• options for pre-treatment

• verifying the pre-treatment process

• demonstrating compliance

• treatment technology options.

The meeting was attended by allindustry sectors – private sector wastemanagement companies, solutionproviders, operators of treatmentfacilities, local authority staff, EPAstaff, environmental consultants,equipment manufacturers, interestgroups and other interested parties.The question-and-answer sessions

posed pertinent questions – it waswidely recognised that somethingneeds to be done to increase theamount of treatment capacity inIreland in order to meet the various

targets of the Landfill Directive.Failure to meet these targets will leadto the imposition of fines nationallyby the European Courts of Justice.Potential fines in the region of €150million per annum have beenestimated.The delay in the Government’s

completion of their national wastemanagement review was alsorecognised as a current stumblingblock with respect to decision-makingand ensuring the economic feasibilityof projects.Greater collaboration with the EPA

and the Department of Agriculture,Food and Forestry is also required.Overall, delegate feedback was

positive and many attendees statedthat a number of confusing issues hadbeen clarified for them in the talksand discussion sessions. – EndaKiernan, CIWM

ESAI, in conjunction with the Chartered Institution of WastesManagement (CIWM) Ireland Centre, organised a highly successfulconference on November 13th last, held in the Millennium Hall, CityHall, Cork. The theme of the conference was “Municipal SolidWaste – Meeting the Landfill Diversion Targets and the NecessaryStandards for Pre-Treatment.”

A joint ESAI/CIWM conference highlights problems in waste management in Ireland

Delegates at the ESAI/CIWM conference in Cork in November.

News

ESAI Summer Field Trip 2008

Armagh ObservatoryFirst stop was Armagh Observatory,founded in 1790, and still in its 18th-century building. It is the oldestscientific institution in NorthernIreland, and the oldest operatingastronomical observatory in theseislands.We were given a fascinating tour of

its collection of historic telescopes,clocks and scientific instruments byJohn Butler MBE, a retired researchastronomer who had spent manyyears at the observatory and wasreplete with human stories behind itshistory and development.

Regular meteorological observationsat Armagh started in 1796 andcontinue to this day. Over the lastdecade, this huge collection of datahas been calibrated, standardised andmade available via the internet forlong-term climate studies.While we were at the observatory

John Butler also gave us a talk on theclimate research work being carriedout there, including work on trendsand cycles in the various climateseries, links between tree-growth ratesand climate, and solar/cosmic rayinfluences on clouds.The observatory has recently

planted a phenology garden tocomplement those already establishedin Dublin, Wexford and Kerry.Today, the observatory also houses a

complement of research personnel,about a third of whom are permanentstaff and the remainder PhD researchstudents and post-doctoral fellows. Ithas active research programmes inseveral areas of solar-system andgalactic astronomy.

Michael EwingI was really pleased that I decided to take a couple of days off toenjoy the ESAI summer field trip to Counties Armagh and Down inMay 2008. Not only did I get to visit three individually veryinteresting places, but I got to experience them with a group of reallyfriendly people and with brilliant guides in each location. For this Iwould like to thank Vincent Carragher who organised the event someticulously.

Two days • great people • fascinating field trips • brilliant!

Some of the field trip participants on their hillwalk in the Mountains of Mourne.

John Butler MBE was our guide atArmagh Observatory.


Feature

Further information on theobservatory can be found on thewebsite www.arm.ac.uk.

Peatlands ParkFollowing a very tasty lunch in

Armagh city, we headed for thePeatlands Park which covers an areaof some 250 hectares between Lurganand Dungannon in County Armagh.Here we were guided through a

mosaic of cutaway boglandinterspersed with smaller virgin bogs,low, wooded hills and several smalllakes. Almost half of the park isdesignated as a National NatureReserve.The park contains a bog garden, a

living archive of plants that havesurvived here since the last Ice Age,and an area of semi-natural deciduouswoodland that has never been farmed.A small narrow-gauge railway, onceused for peat exploitation, runsthrough the park. For moreinformation on the park, check outwww.ehsni.gov.uk/peatlands.shtml.

Mountains of MourneIt was then onto Newcastle, Co

Down, for an evening of good food, a

couple of drinks, plenty of banter andan early night…because Saturday wasto be a different kind of day.After the relaxed though intense

Friday, Saturday proved to be more ofa physical challenge, with hillwalkingin the stunning Mourne Mountainsand regular changes in the weatheradding to the interest.

To be precise, we were headed forTollymore Forest Park which lies justnorth of the Mourne Mountains.Tollymore contains 630 hectares offorest and mountain land criss-crossed by walking trails that followmountain streams through the parkon their way to the sea. Views of theadjacent Mountains of Mourne areexceptional. For more information,see: www.tollymore.com/Tollymore.We were led by Graham Smyth, a

maths teacher in a local school, whowas a superb guide and gave us a realinsight into the mountains, both theirgeology and history, as well as theessentials of safety and orienteeringon a mountainous terrain.After some five hours of fabulous

scenery, mountain and bogecosystems and steady walking, I wasknackered, to be honest, but veryhappy.

An enriching two daysIt had been a most enriching two

days, and again, thanks to VincentCarragher and Shirley Gallagher fororganising the trip. I just about madeit home to Co Roscommon to an earlynight.

Summer field trip co-organiser Vincent Carragher leads some of the participants acrossa boardwalk in the Peatlands Park, Co Armagh.


Feature

An eight-foot-high dry-stone wall in the Mournes. This wall was built by hand to keeplivestock out of the drinking-water catchment. It goes up and down the mountains forsome forty kilometres.


Photo Competition 2008

quality and titles. The results of thecompetition were as follows:

First prize“Human traces in the most remote

places” – Connie Kelleher

Second prize“Green Seal” – Johnny Woodlock

Third prize“Fencing the sea” – Zsuzsa Tolnay

Special mentionA special mention was made of

10-year-old Michael Dolan ofBallinasloe for his thoughtful entries.

News

The prizes will be officially awarded atthe ENVIRON 2009 colloquium inWaterford in February, where the bestof the rest will be exhibited alongsidethe winning entries. The winner willreceive a voucher for €250 forwww.pixel.ie, the photographyonline store, kindly sponsored by theEnvironmental Research Instituteat UCC, along with their winningentry being professionally framed.The three winning photos will be

published in the next edition of thejournal The Local Planet and thewinners will receive one year’s freemembership of the ESAI.The photographs were judged on

the combination of their subject,

This year’s ESAI Photographic Competition with the title “Human Impact on Nature in Ireland” attracted a fourfoldincrease in entries over last year’s competition.

1st prize: “Human traces in the most remote places” by Connie Kelleher.

ESAI Photographic Competition2008 was judged by Nutan (seewww.nutan.ie). Nutan has a long-established reputation in photo-graphic journalism. He is a member ofRapho, the Paris-based photo-graphers’ agency representing RobertDoisneau, Willy Ronis, Hans Sylvesterand a number of other creativephotographers.Based in the west of Ireland for the

last thirty-five years, Nutan is theauthor of many books and haspublished in National Geographic,Times, Newsweek, Airone, Stern, Geoand The Observer Magazine. He hashad many photographic exhibitionshosted here and abroad. – MichaelEwing, IEN


News

“Water is not a commercial productbut a heritage which must beprotected, defended and valued.”

The first session of the conferencefocused on Valuing Our Water, andthe second one on The Benefits ofGood Water Quality toCommunity.The aim of the conference was to

examine how local communitiesbenefit from good water quality andhow it enhances their quality of life.One of the messages from the

conference related to the serious issueof linking the work on the WaterFramework Directive and WaterAdvisory Councils to the reality andpotential benefits for communities allover the country.This year, the conference was

sponsored by Ray Spain (SouthEastern River Basin District), FionaO’Neill (Carlow County Council) andSinéad O’Brien (SWAN), togetherwith the staff of the SERBD.The conference was opened by the

Minister of State at the Department ofthe Environment, Heritage and LocalGovernment, Michael Finneran TD.The Minister’s speech was followed bya presentation from Dr John Feehan, asenior lecturer in the UCC School ofBiology and Environmental Science.Dr Feehan discussed the importanceof water to all of us and how weshould value this resource.Mark Horton, the RIPPLE Project

Coordinator, introduced a veryinteresting project which isencouraging a local community toreconnect with their river, theBallinderry River in Co Tyrone, andacting together to preserve andcelebrate the heritage of the river.It is very valuable how some people

can see the importance of a healthyriver system and how a communitybenefits from that.Mark Horton is working on several

different projects and he is alsoinvolved in the local fish hatcherybreeding programme.Mark Horton was supported by

Maura Johnston, a member of thelocal community. She is a publishedpoet from Moneymore, a village onthe Ballymully River, a tributary of theBallinderry River, and some of herpoems were recited.In the second session, Molly

Reynolds described the CreevyExperience project in Co Donegal.Molly is a manager and foundingmember of this award-winningcommunity project, which wasdeveloped in an ecologically sensitiveway. The coastal area of Donegalincludes angling, coastal walks alonga specially constructed cliff walk,birdwatching and other eco-tourismactivities.Last but one was Thomas Egan, the

Land Projects Manager with Bord NaMóna. He described the Lough Boora

Parklands Project, which is a pilotproject developed on cutawaybogland in Co Offaly with ecological,economic and social benefits to theregion.The event was closed by

environmentalist, writer andbroadcaster Dick Warner, whocommented that “sometimes beingthe last speaker has advantages anddisadvantages, because everythingimportant has already been said.” Ibelieve him!At the very end, all of the

participants briefly summarised thecontents of this event by answeringtwo questions:1. How or do we value our water?2. What are the challenges for

ensuring good water quality?I think the water problem is very

important nowadays. Without water,there would be no life on Earth – noplants, no animals, no humans. Aperson can survive a month withoutfood, but can only survive five or sixdays without water. I really appreciatethat I had an opportunity to bepresent at this conference. It was notonly nice to meet people who shareda common interest in water, but itreally was an experience for me. Weshould really think about what weshould do to protect and preserve ourwater and how we can help.Remember, we do not do it for others,we do it for ourselves.

Ivana MajerkovaThe third National Advisory Council Conference was held on 18thSeptember 2008 in Lyrath Estate Hotel in Kilkenny. The one-day conferencewas split into two sessions and was well attended, with 120 delegatesfrom different sectors nationwide. The ESAI hosted a stand at the event.

National Advisory Council Conference 2008

Lough Boora Parklands, Co Offaly.


Over the past 18 years, WITS hasworked tirelessly to promote science,engineering and technology (SET) as acareer choice for women and hasdeveloped a number of successfulprogrammes aimed at Recruiting andRetaining women in SET careers.The Re-Enter programme is the

next step on this exciting journey,aimed at enabling women to Returnto a technical career. WITS believesthis presents employers with anuntapped and experienced ‘talentpool’ of women with specialisedtechnical knowledge, training andexpertise who bring much more thanjust skills to the workplace. WITS isdelighted to acknowledge thegenerous co-funding received fromInterTrade Ireland for the Re-Enterprogramme.The Re-Enter programme is an all-

Ireland pilot programme to explorethe potential of this untapped talentpool. Integrating an educationalprogramme with mentoring andnetworking, Re-Enter aims to re-skilland re-train experienced womenscientists, engineers and technologistswho want to return to work after acareer break of a year or more. TheRe-Enter programme was launched bythe Minister for Enterprise, Trade andEmployment, Mícheál Martin TD, onWednesday, February 20th 2008 inthe Science Gallery, Dublin.According to the 2006 census, there

are 11,500 women in Ireland whohave a science, engineering ortechnology background and who areno longer working, with many takingcareer breaks for family reasons. Whatif we could attract those women toreturn to work? That’s just what the

Re-Enter programme aims to do –help to address the skills shortage byhelping these trained, skilled andexperienced women to rejoin theworkforce after a career break.The programme, which will cost

just over €300,000, is a joint initiativeby WITS and the Open University.The programme is co-funded bycross-border trade and businessdevelopment body InterTradeIreland(see www.intertradeireland.com).The new, one-year, all-Ireland pilot

project has twenty women fromacross the island and features a ten-week online course delivered by OpenUniversity, which was successfullycompleted by all the participants inmid-July.This unique all-island programme

addresses issues such as examiningstrengths, weaknesses, limitations andconstraints as well as buildingconfidence through interview skillsand CV development. Theprogramme also explores currenttrends and job opportunities in thevarious sectors and generates anindividual action plan for eachwoman. Participants will also benefitfrom mentoring, networking and aninternship in industry, whereappropriate.The programme highlights the

invisibility of professional, educatedwomen who have chosen to take timeout of the workplace, not realising thedifficulties inherent in returning someyears later.In early April, a series of recruit-

ment and information workshopswere held in Dublin, Cork, Belfast andGalway. The calibre and interest of thewomen attending the workshops wasexcellent and resulted in 27applications. The twenty Re-enter‘scholars’ selected all successfullycompleted the Open UniversityReturn to Science, Engineering and

Ann FitzpatrickWITS (Women in Technology and Science) is an independent, non-profitorganisation actively promoting women in technology and science acrossthe island of Ireland. It has a broad membership base of scientists,engineers and technologists. The WITS membership covers a huge diversityof women spanning academia, media, government agencies andlaboratories, entrepreneurs, multinationals and indigenous enterprises.

News

Women in Technology and Science

The WITS Re-Enter participants with the Re-Enter project manager, Ann Fitzpatrick.


News

Technology (T161) online coursewhich ran from 1st May 2008 to 10thJuly 2008. The output from this phaseof the programme was an updated CVand an action plan.The programme has now moved

into the next phase – mentoring andnetworking. Seventeen mentor pairsare now up and running, with thefocus on supporting women as theyimplement their action plan to returnto a career in SET. A number of workplacements are also currently inprogress.As part of the project, two reports

will be published outlining itsfindings and making recom-mendations on attracting womenback to a technical career. The first

report has been completed. Thisreport, through a series of workshopswith 31 attendees, explored thereasons why these women took acareer break from SET initially andwhat challenges they now face whenconsidering a return to their career.The reasons and challenges are manyand complex. The initial findingsindicate that:

• leaving the workforce oftencoincides with starting a familyand/or moving location;

• the top three barriers to returningare:– flexible work practices– updating technical skills– positioning skills and

experience with potentialemployers

• the areas where women needassistance are:– clarifying interests and skills– rebuilding confidence and

work identity– re-establishing their network

For more information...The programme has had excellent

coverage in both the print andbroadcast media since the launch, andthe response has been extremelypositive and encouraging. For moredetails on the Re-Enter programme,please see the websitewww.witsireland.com/re-enter oremail [email protected].

The overall aim of this joint initiativeis to encourage dialogue anddisseminate knowledge andunderstanding about sustainabledevelopment for professional bodies.The Special Interest Group (SIG)

will be entirely member-led and itsdevelopment will depend on memberparticipation. The sustainabledevelopment online forum can befound at www.parnglobal.com.In addition to the online discussion

forum, PARN and PP4SD plan toorganise workshops on various topicsof interest to the members of the SIG.The first event will be in April 2009; itwill be an opportunity for all thoseinterested to inform how the SIG canbe used to bring professionalstogether to exchange experiences,ideas and advice about sustainabledevelopment.PARN is a centre of knowledge and

expertise on issues relating toprofessionalism and the profession-

alisation of professional bodies. Itprovides a research enriched networkfor professional bodies and a range ofspecialist knowledge-based servicesand events.PARN’s main activities consist of

research, consultancy and networkingevents and its key areas of research arecontinuing professional development,governance, ethics and standards,membership issues and strategicmanagement issues relating toprofessional bodies.PP4SD is a partnership project

which currently involves theInstitution of Environmental Sciences,the Environment Agency, the RoyalSociety for the Protection of Birds,and the Society for the Environment.PP4SD has been working with

professionals across a wide range ofindustry sectors to embed sustainabledevelopment into continuingprofessional development (CPD)programmes since 1999.

For more information...For further information or to join theonline forum, contact:Sarah EllisResearch Project LeaderPARNE-mail: [email protected]

Sarah EllisThe Professional Associations Research Network (PARN) (seewww.parnglobal.com) and the Professional Practice for SustainableDevelopment (PP4SD) (see www.pp4sd.org.uk) will be launching anonline Special Interest Group on Sustainable Development forprofessional bodies in January 2009.

The Growing Pains of Smaller ProfessionalAssociations: Key Issues and Interesting Practice byChristina Williams with Susannah Woodhead(2007). This is PARN’s first book for smallerprofessional associations. It is based on researchinto the concerns of smaller professionalassociations conducted by PARN in 2006.

Sustainable development special interest group

News


The Clare Biodiversity Group

County Clare has a wide diversity ofhabitats, plants and animals. Forexample, the Burren in the north ofthe county has a variety of unusualplants otherwise found only in theArctic and the Mediterranean; a layerof hazel scrub which supports pinemartens and rare lichens; andturloughs that are unique to Ireland.West Clare is an important breeding

ground for many seabirds such asPuffins and Guillemots, for coastalrarities such as Choughs, and also forhosting Barnacle Geese in winter.The Shannon estuary in south Clare

has good populations of cetaceansand is a popular area for wading birds.The woodlands of east Clare are

carpeted with bluebells and woodanemones, while Lough Derg is hometo one of Ireland’s most threatenedfish, the Pollan.This species and habitat-rich county

attracts an array of researchers andscientists interested in taxonomicidentification, and in conservation.These individuals and organisationshave now come together to form theClare Biodiversity Group with theaim of producing a BiodiversityAction Plan for County Clare.Clare was the first Irish county to

produce a Local Biodiversity ActionPlan. The plan draws attention topriority habitats and species and theneed to preserve these.The Clare Biodiversity Group

consists of a core steering committee,two employees and twelve members.The members represent a variety ofgovernmental and non-governmentalorganisations and bring a wide rangeof expertise to the group. Theyinclude the IFA, Teagasc, Coillte,Shannon Dolphin and WildlifeFoundation, UCC, UL-MIC, Irish

Seed Savers’ Association, CELT,National Parks and Wildlife Services,Shannon Regional Fisheries Board,BirdWatch Ireland, Clare Bat Group,and other specialists.To date, the Clare Biodiversity

Group has identified key species andhabitats of local, national andinternational importance. Under thistheme, it has produced “Spot the 101Habitats and Species in Clare” and haspublished action plans for Leisler’sbat, cuckoo, lungwort, fens, limestonepavement, native woodland, sanddunes and saltmarsh.The group is very active in raising

awareness and appreciation ofbiodiversity through communityinvolvement, education, mediaexposure and the coordination andpromotion of biodiversity initiativesacross the county.Finally, the group is playing a key

role in setting priorities, carrying outsurveys and recording data to furtherour knowledge of habitats andspecies.The Clare Biodiversity Group has

established the Clare BiologicalRecords Centre for this purpose and

it will create a database to collate andhold valuable biological informationon the diversity of wildlife that can befound around the county.A website has been designed and

launched to act as an informationsource and environmental educationtool for the public, enabling people toaccess this wildlife information, viewthe Records Centre’s collection of datain tabular form or through aninteractive map. A special webpage, athttp:/ /www.clarebiodiversity. ie/CountyClare/Public/default.aspx,allows people to enter personal dataon species of flora and fauna that theyhave sighted in the county.As well as requesting data from

academics and organisations involvedin carrying out wildlife surveys in CoClare, the Clare Biological RecordsCentre also organises an annualpublic survey on a species of fauna orflora found in Clare. This aims toemphasise the importance ofcollecting biological data and toencourage public interest in wildlifeconservation.The Clare Biological Records

Centre, the only county-basedbiological records centre in Ireland, isworking with the NationalBiodiversity Data Centre inDungarvan, Co Waterford, to ensuremaximum data returns, therebycontributing to the conservation ofthe natural wealth of Co Clare.

http://www.clarebiodiversity.ie/

Brimstone butterfly in the Burren, Co Clare.

Brigid Barry and Caitriona LynchClare Biodiversity Group was set up with the principal aim of producing aBiodiversity Action Plan for County Clare. It has achieved much to date,including setting up an interactive website for members of the public tocontribute biological records to the Clare Biological Records Centre.

News


Marine science training for students

The two-day Science@Sea ship-basedtraining courses were designed toprovide undergraduate andpostgraduate students with thepractical skills necessary to plan andcarry out scientific surveys at sea,using an integrated ecosystemapproach.A dedicated field-team, skilled in

the areas of oceanography, geo-sciences, fisheries biology andbenthic ecology, were on hand totrain students in the operation anddeployment of equipment andinstrumentation, sample acquisitionand processing, data analysis andsafety at sea.The training culminated in

participants designing, planning andexecuting their own multi-disciplinary baseline assessmentsurvey within the safe haven of CorkHarbour.

Science@Sea courses arerecognised by the Institute of Marine,Engineering, Science & Technology(IMarEST) as contributing towardsthe continuous professional develop-ment of marine scientists.Students participating in the

programme can also apply forfunding for Personal Sea-survivalTechniques (PST) certification.Applications for 2009 Science@Sea

courses will be available early nextyear at www.imep.ie.By providing access to students to

train on board the research vessels, itis envisaged that this investment inskills will increase the employmentopportunities available to emergingscientists at both a national and

international level, with knock-onbenefits for industry.The IMEP is funded under the

Government’s Strategy for Science,Technology and Innovation (SSTI).

• Dr Pauhla McGrane is theProgramme Co-ordinator of IMEP(Integrated Marine ExplorationProgramme), a programme of theMarine Institute.

Pauhla McGraneIn early October 2008, the Marine Institute’s Integrated MarineExploration Programme (IMEP) launched the first in a series ofmultidisciplinary marine science training programmes on board the nationalresearch vessels, Celtic Explorer and Celtic Voyager.

Science@Sea marine science training programme launched

The Celtic Voyager

A water sampler

Conference News


Minimising drinking water wastage

The keynote speaker was Dr Ike van derPutte, who is the director of RPS GroupPlc, an international consultancy thatprovides advice on the responsibledevelopment of natural resources. Drvan der Putte addressed theinternational issues of climate changeand sustainability, and he highlightedexamples of flood-risk management,water resource management, wastewater treatment and urban infra-structure.Further talks in this session covered

carbon critical design as well aslegislation and plans for river basinmanagement.Darragh Page (EPA) gave an overview

of the Drinking Water Regulations interms of enforcement activities,remedial action and the new approachof the Drinking Water Safety Plan.Perspectives on future water needs werehighlighted for both Dublin and theUK, with a focus on measures tominimise usage and waste, and theemerging links between carbon andwater metering.Further discussion covered the

integration of environmental policiesthrough the spatial planning process.The benefits of accreditation/

certification in public services werehighlighted with emphasis on thefollowing international standards: ISO24510:2008, ISO 24511:2008 and ISO24512:2008. A talk was also presentedon the Energy Standard ISO 393 withan example of a case study on savingsthat can be made.The first day of the conference

concluded with a panel discussion onthe way forward for the WaterFramework Directive.Prof John Anthony Allan (King’s

College, London), winner of the 2008

Stockholm Water Prize, was keynotespeaker on day two. He addressed thekey issues of water, energy, internationaltrade and the atmosphere. The keystakeholders are citizens (waterconsumers), governments (riskmanaging), industry (risk-takers) andnon-government organisations (riskavoiding).Cryptosporidium risk assessment was

then discussed in terms of water sourcesand treatment processes. Assessmentsare at best semi-quantitative and needto focus particularly on agriculturalactivity, sewage treatment, septic tanksand dilution factors. The risk variesconstantly with time, with the highestlevel coming from human sewage.Often, an outbreak is caused by somechange in the treatment plant. The riskis also increased when calving is takingplace within a water catchment.It was suggested that current models

overestimate risk in Ireland and that it isimportant to identify critical controlpoints. Treatment plants may beoverdesigned when the actual risk is nothigh. Only countries that have hadoutbreaks are monitoring forCryptosporidium.Ronan Daly (Atkins) gave a

presentation on lead contamination ofdrinking water in light of recentdevelopments in Galway city.Influencing factors include alkalinity,temperature and contact time. About40% of UK water is supplied in leadpipes. However, most of it is dosed withorthophosphate or phosphoric acid.Other options include filtration andreplacement of pipes.Prof Paddy Hillyard (Queen’s

University, Belfast) provided anoverview of his work as chairman of theNorthern Ireland Independent Water

Review Panel. The recommendationwas that water metering was not theway forward, due to huge opposition.Instead, a water charge is included inthe rates bill for consumers. It wassuggested that metering is less cost-effective than other conservation

Tom CurranThe 2nd National Water Summit took place at Croke Park, Dublin, on22-23 October, with a wide range of presentations, including an overviewof water management and climate change to practical details on watermetering.

Wide range of solutions proposed at Water Summit in Dublin

Conference News


measures. However, there was anoverwhelming response from theaudience that water metering was thecorrect approach to take, along withfurther education of the public.Colm Brady (National Federation of

Group Water Schemes) highlighted thedevelopment of rural water schemesfrom the 1960s to the 1980s, which wasdriven mainly by agricultural needs.Two pilot metering schemes in Cavanachieved a 40% water reduction. Mostleaks in six areas of Mayo were on theconsumer side rather than on the mainpipe network.

Kathleen McTiernan (Rural WaterLiaison Officer, Sligo County Council)reported how domestic water chargeswere removed in 1995. Approximatelysix thousand meters have been installedin Sligo for non-domestic users.Significant reductions in water usagewere achieved by measuringconsumption trends and identifyingleaks in some cases. One particularschool was using about ten times morewater than the recommended guideline.Issues such as leaving automatic toiletflushers running during holiday periodswere particularly wasteful.

Sue Scott (ESRI) reported how 56%of people surveyed in 2000 wouldaccept water charges based on metering,so the figure may well be higher now.Further discussion was held on thechallenge of installing water meters,particularly in Dublin. It wasconsidered that such a project wouldtake many years.The conference concluded with

presentations on wastewater manage-ment strategies, with a particularemphasis on septic tanks and theimplementation of relevant regulationsand bye-laws.

Contaminated sediment conference, June ‘09

Highly toxic pollutants in aquaticsediments pose serious harm tohumans and aquatic ecology. Yet thereare major gaps in our knowledgeabout the risks and potentialsolutions. These often involveengineering techniques such asdredging and capping, without acomplete understanding regardinghabitat restoration.The symposium will provide

information on sustainable scientificadvances in sediment sampling,chemical testing, ecotoxicologicalassessment, habitat restoration andcase studies of sediment restorationprojects from around the world andhere in Ireland.The symposium will bring together

people from a wide range ofdisciplines in engineering, environ-mental science, ecology, stakeholderparticipation with representation frominternational bodies, port authorities,environment agencies, localauthorities, leading companies,

universities and research institutes.The symposium aims to include the

following planned themes andsessions:

• sustainability principles, goalsand actions

• ecotoxicology and sedimentquality assessment tools

• site characterisation

• risk assessment and decisionmaking

• engineered remediationtechnologies

• natural recovery and attenuationprocesses

• monitoring and performance

• habitat restoration

• stakeholder requirements

• case studies.

E-mail your enquiries to:[email protected] to Dr Conor Buggy at:[email protected].

Conor Buggy (ARUP)The 4th International Symposium on Contaminated Sediment: “SustainableManagement and Remediation,” will take place in Trinity College Dublinfrom 30th June to July 2nd 2009.

4th International Symposium on Contaminated Sediment, TCD, Dublin

Dredger offshore.


Conference News

Invasive Species Workshop at ENVIRON 2009

Experts such as Paul Murphy, EirEco,will report, and will discuss the NRA’s“Approach to Invasive Species and RoadSchemes.”Others will highlight priority species

and examine case studies for bothaquatic and terrestrial species.The National Biodiversity Data Centre

(NBDC), which is part of WaterfordInstitute of Technology, recentlyestablished the National InvasiveSpecies Database. This database willprovide centralised, up-to-date andpublically available information on thedistribution of invasive species inIreland.The National Biodiversity Data Centre

is always keen to receive constructive

input and so the workshop will finishwith a feedback session on its NationalInvasive Species Database, chaired byNBDC Director Dr Liam Lysaght.

After habitat change, invasive species are one of the main direct drivers ofbiodiversity loss. The Invasive Species Workshop will examine the newlypublished National Roads Authority (NRA) Guidelines on Invasive Speciesas a way forward to forming a National Strategy for Invasive Species.

Friday 20th February 2009, Waterford Institute of Technology, Main Campus, Cork Road, Waterford

Call for NationalStrategy on Invasive

Species followingNRA Guidelines

Water Fern (Azolla filiculoides) is afloating aquatic fern native to warmtemperate and tropical regions. It iscapable of spreading over lake surfacesto give complete coverage of the waterin only a few months. In temperateregions it largely dies back in winter. Itis one of the invasive species mosturgently requiring control anderadication in Ireland.

Zebra Mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) isperhaps one of the most well knowninvasive species in Ireland. Firstdocumented here in 1977, it has spreadto many of Ireland’s freshwaterecosystems and altered these habitats,threatening many native speciesincluded protected and/or species ofeconomic value.

• For more information on the National Invasive Species, visit these websites:

http://invasivespecies.biodiversityireland.ie/www.invasivespeciesireland.comwww.esaiweb.org/esai_environ2009.php

Muntjac doe and fawn.

Research News

Wastewater: do you know where it goes?

In order to fully understandthese questions a section ofthe research is dedicated toinvestigating public attitudesand perceptions towastewater and disposal ofliquid waste.To date, some observations

include: 65% of the peoplesurveyed say they areunaware of the wastewatertreatment systems in Ireland,while 62% would like toknow more (Figure 1).When asked about the

disposal of liquid waste, 31%of the survey participants saidthey disposed of chemicalsdown household sinks, whileand 16.7% did the same withused medicines (Figure 2).Improvements in

knowledge surroundingwastewater and safe disposalof liquid wastes will have abeneficial effect on the overallwastewater qualitymanagement system inIreland. This knowledge willalso help to alleviate some ofthe pressures facingwastewater treatment plantsin Ireland today and into thefuture.

*Niamh Devane,Department of Science,School of Science,Engineering& Information Technology,Limerick Institute ofTechnologyEmail: [email protected]: (061) 208 208

Niamh Devane,* Kevin McDonnell, Josephine TreacyDo people really know where wastewater goes? Are they aware of the effects household items, such as gardenpesticides, shampoos and cooking oil, can have on the wastewater treatment system? These are just some of theresearch questions being asked as part of ongoing research into the development of a quality management systemfor urban wastewater treatment plants in Ireland, funded by the EPA STRIVE programme.

Public perceptions of wastewater and disposal of liquid waste

Figure 2. Public disposal of liquid waste.


Figure 1. Public awareness with regard to wastewater treatment plants.

sink

100%6.7%

43.3%

5%10%

3.3%

18.3%

16.7%5%

31.7%

Disposal ofchemicals

Disposal ofused medicines

Disposal ofpaint/paint products

Disposal of humanhygiene products,e.g. cotton wool

78.3% 80% 93.3%

5% 3.3%90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

drain other no response

ESAI Water Workshop at IWWE 2009

Both municipal and industrial effluentscontain many known toxic substances,including pesticides, organic chemicalsand heavy metals. However, they alsocontain many novel compounds,including endocrine disruptingcompounds and pharmaceuticals thathave recently been the focus of muchconcern internationally, many of whichare listed under the dangeroussubstances list in the Water FrameworkDirective (WFD).The series of seminars to be presented

during the Resource: Irish Water,Waste & Environment Show (IWWE)at the RDS, Simmonscourt, in Dublin

on 24-25 March 2009 will deal with allaspects of these novel contaminants in amanner suitable for the appropriatestakeholders (regulatory bodies,industry and those responsible forwastewater treatment). Topics to becovered include:

• sources of contamination(municipal and industrial effluent)

• biological effects

• methods of analysis

• treatment methods

• regulatory concerns (actionsnecessary under WFD).

It is intended that, by the end of theseminar series, delegates willunderstand the risks caused by thesenovel contaminants and what isexpected of them by regulatory bodiesunder the WFD to reduce these risks.

• For more information, visit the site:www.env i ronment - i re l and .com/IRISH/home.asp.

Brian QuinnAs a result of a growing population and increased urbanisation, municipaleffluent has overtaken agriculture as the main pollution source for bothserious and moderate aquatic pollution in Ireland.

“Novel contaminants of emerging concern in the Irish aquatic environment:Identification, effects, treatment and regulation”

A stand at IWWE 2008.

Delegates at a seminar on waste at the Irish Water, Waste & Environment Show 2008.

Exhibition News


Drumlin symposium inWestport in March

VIIth International Drumlin Symposium23-26 March 2009Westport, Co Mayo

This meeting will comprise 40% papers and60% field excursion. The symposium will bebased in the classic drumlin landscape ofWestport, Co Mayo, and will explore all thingssubglacial, not just drumlins.Information about the meeting, including

abstract submission, registration, accom-modation and travel, is available at http://tre-research.ex.ac.uk/Drumlin2009/.Registration for the meeting will be 120

GBP.The registration and abstract submission

deadline is Friday 16 January 2009. Financialsupport available, thanks to funding fromINQUA.For details, please see the websitehttp://tre-research.ex.ac.uk/Drumlin2009/.

Forestry and climate changeconference held in Cork inNovember

Mitigating climate change:The challenges and opportunitiesfor forestry in Ireland

The Irish Natural Forestry Foundation (INFF)hosted a one-day conference in Cork onNovember 5th to stimulate debate andcooperation between all sectors involved inforestry, farming and water management. Italso aimed to help develop the informedpolicies and practices necessary to addressthe challenges that climate change presents.Climate change is widely recognised as the

greatest environmental challenge facing theworld today, and it is well established thatsustainable forestry systems can have asignificant role in mitigating these changes.More information at http://www.inff.ie/.

News in briefNews in briefShow your project in the‘Innovation Lounge’

The newly branded Resource: IrishWater, Waste & Environment Showwill continue this poster exhibition,once again providing universities,institutes of technology and non-commercial research centres theopportunity to display their latestresearch projects for free.All posters* that are submitted should

contain contact information and will bedisplayed in the Innovation Lounge atthe Resource 2009 and Recover 2009exhibitions, where they will be easilyaccessible to all visitors and exhibitors.The exhibitions will be held on 24-25

March 2009 at RDS Simmonscourt inDublin and are expected to attract morethan 2,250 environmental professionalsfrom a variety of sectors and industries.The poster exhibition gives academics

the opportunity to make industry awareof their work, and it gives them thechance to find commercial investors inprojects and new technologies.Relevant research projects could cover

the following fields:

• water treatment

• sewage treatment

• quality monitoring

• recycling technologies

• MBT or anaerobic digestion

• air or noise pollution

• environmental management

• carbon reduction and climatechange

Please note that this list is notextensive and we are happy to discussthe suitability of your individual projectwith you.We would appreciate if you could

pass on this information to any relevantcolleagues or institutes.

• For more information or to bookyour poster slot, please contact:Emma NoctorMarketing & Event Co-ordinatorResource & Recover 2009Phone: 1800 927 160 or+44(0) 20 8651 7113 if phoning fromoutside the Republic of IrelandEmail: [email protected]

Sandra BilzThe launch of the Innovation Lounge at the Irish Water, Waste &Environment Show in March 2008 provided a first step for industry andacademia to work closer together on environmental research projects.

Industry meets academia at Resource & Recover ‘09

Exhibition News

WINTER 2008

* Please note, the poster size should not exceed B0 size (1000mm × 1414mm).

17ENVIRONEWS

Documents

ISSUE NO envir s INTvER - esaiweb.org · The ENVIRON colloquium is Ireland’s largest annual environmental ... [email protected] Vice Chairperson: ... interesting places,