Northern Ireland and Holywood are special places
Free Dog Poo Bags
As part of a recent initiative led by the Holywood Chamber of Commerce, aimed at making it that bit easier for dog walkers to do the right thing.
Ruth, a member of the committee, can be seen here placing free poo bags along the North Down Coastal Path. It is a simple idea, but one rooted in care for the place we all share, whether you are out for a quiet walk by the sea or taking the dog along a familiar route.
There has been a real sense locally that everyone wants to see cleaner paths and green spaces, and small actions like this can quietly make a difference.
By removing the excuse of being caught short, the hope is that more people will take that extra step, helping to keep the coastline as it should be, fresh, welcoming, and enjoyable for everyone who passes through.
Planting a native Hawthorn Hedge
As part of our personal green garden journey, we've recently finished planting 50 native Hawthorn saplings along one of our boundaries. We’ve also made a conscious decision to remove our old metal netting, allowing for easier, open movement for local wildlife to roam into our sanctuary. It’s been fascinating so far 🦔
We're excited for our baby hawthorns to grow opposite our well-established “big brother” Blackthorns (our fairy tree houses) which thrive on the other side of our garden. If you are visiting and happen to look closer (on a good day) our 'Wild Flower Area' has also allowed Mother Nature take the reins to do what she wants.
This native planting, barrier removal, and creation of 'Wild Area' are directly inspired by the 'We Are The Ark' movement. Have you heard of them? If not, why not have look and see what you could do :). Here’s the link.
https://wearetheark.org
Steve's Latest Graduation
Steve joined nine other local businesses to complete Tourism Northern Ireland’s Level 4 Certificate in Sustainable Tourism Practice in Destinations.
Shown is the photograph is the amazing Brian Conolly from Tourism NI presenting Steve with his Certificate.
This training programme was delivered by The Tourism Space and was a great mix of group sessions, workshops, field trips and mentoring, all focused on doing tourism in a more thoughtful and sustainable way.
Along the way, thanks to Tina O'Dwyer and her team, we learned how to measure our impact and turn that into clear, practical Sustainability Action Plans covering climate action, biodiversity, accessibility and marketing. The course wrapped up with final presentations to fellow participants, Tourism NI, Ards and North Down Borough Council, Maria from The Tourism Space and Ulster University.
Strictly between us, Steve quietly came away with a Distinction :)
Day Trip by train to Derry / Londonderry for Tourism NI Portfolio meeting
Loughs and Legends - Local Collaborations
With the help of the Ards and North Down Borough Council a growing number of local businesses within the Ards Peninsula have come together to form the 'Loughs and Legends' Tourism cluster. Keep an eye out for these lovely people and their great 'things to do'. We some more information about this community of local businesses on our Partners page, here is a link :)
'Buy Now'
Ruth and Steve went to the Greenpeace hosted film screening of 'Buy Now: The Shopping Conspiracy' at WWT Castle Espie Wetland Centre.
We were also treated to a very informative presentation by Mr Phil Allen.
We had not seen this film before and would suggest that you have a look. We have found the film on Netflix here but it may be viewable elsewhere.
NI Silver's Sustainability journey
