Tuesday 17:
Open day at the Forest Friends Biodiversity/Healing garden at the rear of number 400 North Circular Road, Dublin: 1pm - 4 pm.
Entrance at the side - signposted.

Wednesday 18:
Biodiversity walk in the Dublin city Council Griffith Park Drumcondra, Dublin.
The walk will be conducted by a representative of Dublin City Council Parks. Meeting point: 11am at the main entrance.

Thursday 19:
Biodiversity walk at Blessington Street Basin, Blessington Street, Dublin.
The walk will be conducted by a representative of Dublin City Council Parks. Meeting point: 11 am at the main entrance.

Friday 20:
Vegetable plant workshop at the Forest Friends organic garden situated in the car park at the rear of the Arts and Business Campus 40 Lower Drumcondra Road, Dublin. 1pm-4pm.

These events are free and wheelchair friendly but places are limited. To book a place please contact: forestfriends.ie@gmail.com  or phone 0876198265.

Forest Friends is about to commence what will be an ongoing study of the biodiversity of Dublin’s North Inner City. For more information please contact forestfriends.ie@gmail.com  or phone 0876198265.

The Peace Forest Ireland Project involves the creation of a peace forest stretching all along the border counties north and south Ireland. It involves bringing communities together to better understand the cultural diversity and biodiversity of the various communities.

The project also envisages the creation of a  Centre of Forest Biodiversity, based on best practice in Horticulture  Silva culture and Permaculture; a centre for environmental education, incorporating visitor centre, existing natural woodlands, new tree planting, using 100% native species, commemorative trees, woodcrafts, maximising community involvement; Ogham groves based on the Celtic tree alphabet; tree nursery. The centre envisaged will be held in trust in perpetuity for community benefit.

This Woodland Cross-border Peace Project with Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland will promote forest skills, a culture of trees and forests, capacity building and community development.  The project is not designed to interfere with the structures and practice of farming as existing but to be complementary to them. It is intended to enhance rather than damage local landscapes.

To assist the design of the project and its planning the elements incorporated in the Auroville Peace Centre in Tamil Nadu India will be examined. The 2016  module of the Peace Forest Project involves the planting of 4,000 commemorative peace trees  in memory of all those who lost their lives in the Northern Ireland conflict- This will be done by a process of  liaising with all groups in the border counties in order to involve them in the project.

To assist the process of planning and development of this module of the peace forest, advertising will be placed in the local newspapers in each Border County explaining what are envisaged and inviting ideas, and promoting involvement and support. Partnerships will be encouraged to assist all aspects and stages of the peace forest project, and to assist in the sourcing of suitable sites.

The overall project is ongoing in short, medium and long terms. The potential of the project is very significant in terms of climate change. The Tree Council or Ireland has donated five hundred trees, and the Woodland Trust Northern Ireland is making 2,000 trees available.