Wandering in the West

Out in the west of ireland now for a few days (thank you Grundtvig funding!) to attend the Burrenbeo Land-based Learning conference and meet a couple of other organisations.

Too much travelling today! But travelling into such an exciting landscape

In Caherconnel ringfort, I got very distracted by their stone walls....

Beautiful ferns tucked into the cracks in the limestone pavements (are they still called grikes in ireland?)

 Hanging over a wall, failing to photograph tadpoles in a cattle-trough!

And this lovely piece of writing:
This barony affordeth not a piece of timber sufficient to hang a man, water in any one place to drown a man or earth enough in any place to bury him. This consists of one entire rock with here and there a little surface of earth, which raiseth earlier Beef and Mutton, though they allow no hay, than any land in this Kingdome, & much sweeter by reason of the sweet herbs intermixed and distributed everywhere...

The Journal of Thomas Dineley, 1681

Poulnabrone Dolmen

Building networks: Burrenbeo conference 2013

The official details of this year's Burrenbeo conference are pasted in below. I was at last year's event and it was rich and delightful. Good company, a wonderful setting and lots of thought-provoking sessions. so if you fancy a trip out to the west of ireland and the spectacular limestone landscapes of the Burren in July...sign up!

Place-based Learning – building a network?

Kinvara July 18^th-20^th 2013.

Building on the success of the inaugural Learning Landscape Symposium Apathy to Empathy – reconnecting people with place in 2012, the Burrenbeo Trust are hosting an intimate networking event this year for place-based educators, teachers, parents and anyone with an interest in place-based learning and/or learning in the Burren. 

This event aims to:

•                provide a unique opportunity to network with other place-based educators from Ireland and beyond, exchange ideas and experiences

•                hear from some leading practitioners both nationally and internationally

•                continue the momentum from our biannual symposium in 2012 and build towards our planned 2014 event

•                explore Ireland ’s ultimate learning landscape, the Burren.   

This event will feature interactive workshops in community venues in Kinvara village as well as field trips to the Burren, cultural events and much more.   It will start on the evening on the 18^th, the workshops will be throughout the 19^th, and there is an optional fieldtrip on the 20^th.  

Workshop leaders include:

Anita Goodwin tbc (http://www.outdoornation.org.uk/)

Gordon MacLellan (http://creepingtoad.blogspot.ie/)

Sam Moore (http://www.totemdevelopment.co.uk/)

Chris Chapman (http://www.changeexploratory.com/)

Michael Ryan (http://www.lit.ie/)

Gordon D’Arcy

Katy Egan

Sophie Nicol

Zena Hoctor

Shane Casey

….more workshop leaders to be confirmed shortly.

Cost: €70 (€60 for OAP/Students, €55 for Burrenbeo Trust members). 

Bookings are now open by contacting trust@burrenbeo.com and 091 638096 or downloading the attach form and sending it back.  Places are strictly limited and bookings will be on a first come first served basis. 

The full programme will be released shortly; keep an eye on www.burrenbeo.com for more information.

The Burren, Ireland ’s Learning Landscape - An Bhoireann, Tírdhreach Saíochta na hÉireann

Supported by the Heritage Council