We cannot promise you any leprechauns.  

....but we can promise green...fields, shamrock, environment! 

        The Journey begins when you enter the island by a myriad of routes. the most likely arrival point will be Dublin airport from where you will be whisked by coach in a 3 hour ride through the south central part of Ireland to the ancient Viking city of Waterford. It is here that you find school where the first part of the conference will take place. The only  Society of Friends (Quaker) school to be found in the south emphasises the spirit of co-operation and non-violence. 1998 is the Bicentenary of Newtown and this conference will be an integral part of the celebrations. 
 
Co-sponsoring with them will be Ballee Community High School who have co-operated for many years in  joint environmental projects. Ballee has  education for Mutual Understanding as an integral part of its curriculum. 
 
This encourages meaningful contact between pupils of different religious  persuasions in the expectation that these contacts will lessen the tension between the different communities. After three days sampling the delights of the sunny south east, sit back and enjoy the scenery again as a train journey takes you to Dublin (with time for shopping!) and then on northwards to Coleraine. It is here on the north coast that you will spend 4 days sampling the delights of northern hospitality. At the end of the conference, transportation will be available back to Dublin for your sad farewells.  

Why not come and join us at this unique conference and see the real island of Ireland? 
 

The Twelfth Annual  Conference will use the central theme of  

        MORE  

(Management of the Rural Environment) and will focus on the idea of  Co-operation or Conflict.  

This main theme will be subdivided into five study themes. What follows is 
the first draft outlining the basic concept behind the division into the 5 
groups. 

1. Rural Tourism....the island of Ireland is heavily dependent of tourism  
and agriculture. Rural tourism is often called Green tourism or  Agritourism. Whichever way you look at it, it offers great potential for  development and carries with it many threats to the present ecosystems.  Tourism Awareness has even become a subject studied widely at schools. What  is the role of students in developing the tourism product? Can we keep a  green, clean image? The interaction between the Tourist, the Host and the  Physical Environment towards a common goal of sustainability will be  studied. Site visits will be made to see the pressures on attractions such  as Marble Arch Caves, An Creggan interpretatitive centre (an example of a  local community project) , and the Nire Valley (an example of a Leader  project).  

2. Coastal Zone Management...the three host schools have been involved in a number of cross-curricular, cross-community and cross-border projects in this area using the Antrim coast and the Waterford coast as their  laboratory. Many recognised organisations will be linked to this theme group ...Coastwatch Europe; An Taisce (Blue Flag and Young Reporters for the Environment); Birdwatch and various other local organisations. Beach  
transects, beach surveys, and interviews will be carried out in the field. 

3. Exploitation of Natural Resources...the exploitation of forestry will  
be one of the key areas of study with key players in the Waterford area  
being the timber processing company, Louisiana Pacific; the Environmental  
Protection Agency; and the Waterford Wildlife Trust. Key issues will include nature conservation, sustainability and the role of the public in  decision making.  
In the North, the focus will be on the impact of agricultural systems with visits to a model farm and a close study of the river systems.  

4. The Arts in the Environment...this theme group will focus on a whole  
range of methods whereby pupils can gain a greater understanding  of and at the same take action to improve their own environment. Pride of place will  
be a key sub theme here. Drama, dance and music will be some of the methods  used. Sculpture will be a main focus in the North combining local materials  and local history  with a visit to Rathlin island.  

5. Energy and Waste Management...this group will subdivide into 2 to focus on:  

 a) the impact of various industries on the rural environment.  
A number of actors will be involved here: Merck, Sharpe and Dohme (a major  
pharmaceutical company); Local authorities; Environmental Protection  Agency; A major emphasis will be to look at pupils working with  
Environmental Impact Assessments and understanding the planning process.  

b) the case for Renewable Energy in rural areas. Some of the players here  
include the Renewable Energy Information Office and  the Irish Energy  
Centre. In the second half  of the conference there will be more focus on  
the role of local conventional power stations and a Biomass power station  
in County Derry.  
 

• Co-operation

• Action

• Methodology

• Partnership

Co-operation between  educationalists, businessmen, local authorities,  
non-government organisation, government departments, individuals, countries, schools.  

Action should be the key aim where young people are involved. There must  
be a chance to exchange experiences in the context of working together.  

Methodology and process must be emphasised not just content. Projects and  
Conference materials will hopefully reflect this  focus.  

Teachers wish to exchange their own experiences and learn some new ideas  that are applicable in their own teaching situation. Let us tap into that  
wealth of knowledge that you all possess.  

Partnership between industry, education and local authorities. 

The first 70 pound sterling per delegate must be paid with the full application and project submission by February 13th.

The remainder of 80 pound sterling per delegate must be paid in full by May 1st, 1998.

• Preliminary Online Registration Form
• Delegation Registration Form
• Delegate Personal Registration Form
• Project Registration Sheet

I look forward to receiving your registrations and to welcoming you to  Ireland at the end of  June 1998. 

School or Organisation __________________________  

Country  ___________________________  

Full Postal address _________________________________  

                                  _________________________________  

Telephone number  ______________________  

Fax number   ______________________  

Electronic mail  ______________________  

Contact person  ______________________  

Number of delegates 

  Teachers ______ Students __________ 

Date _____________  

DEADLINES 
 

• December 19 - Bulletin One  

• February 9 - Bulletin Two
  
  
• February 13 -  Project Submissions - Full Application  

• April 2 - Bulletin Three
  
  
• April 6  - Pre-selection of schools

• May 8  - Bulletin Four

Preliminary applications should be submitted as soon as possible. 

CONFERENCE DATES 

28th June to 5th July, 1998

 Chairman-Republic of Ireland  

 Andrew Cox  
 CARETAKERS OF THE ENVIRONMENT  IRELAND  
 c/o Newtown school,  
 Waterford,  
 Ireland.  

 Telephone (353) 51-841337 (direct line during school hours)  
(353) 51-74124 or 75670 (school numbers)  

 Fax   (353) 51-71928  

 E-mail:  newtownw@iol.ie  

Website: http://www.iol.ie/~newtownw/ 

 Chairman-Northern Ireland  

 David Clarke Houston  

 c/o Ballee Community High School,  

 Ballee road west,  

 Ballymena,  

 BT 42 2JU  
  

Telephone:  0801266 49327  

 Fax:  0801266 45136 (8. 30-15. 30)