Photo from Hedgerow Event

Celebrate the Christmas Hedgerow

Join hedgerow experts for a FREE fun family day Saturday 30th November 2013 (11am to 1pm) at Eden Allotment Gardens for guided walks, foraging, exploring biodiversity and planting; make seasonal Christmas wreaths and walnut boats; take part in art workshops; plus food demonstrations and tasting of hedgerow drinks, pancakes, jellies. Please bring suitable outdoor clothing and footwear! Web Link: http://www.carrickfergus.org/events/item/455/celebrate-the-christmas-hedgerow/

Tree Week Launched in Carrickfergus Borough

National Tree Week (23rd November - 1st December) is an annual festival to mark the start of the tree planting season, and a nationwide celebration of trees and woods. Alderman May Beattie, Chairperson of the Parks, Countryside & Amenities Sub-Committee has launched Tree Week in Carrickfergus Borough. The launch at Whitehead Diamond Jubilee Wood highlighted our Borough's achievements since the year 2000, in which Carrickfergus Borough Council has planted 165,000 trees and by the end of this tree planting season in March 2014 we will have planted a further 5,000 trees around the Borough.

Alderman Beattie said “Although in recent years, pests and diseases have threatened some of our most loved trees, such as ash and larch, Carrickfergus Borough Council continues to be committed to planting more trees. National Tree Week is a great chance for communities to do something positive for their local treescape. Planting a tree is a very positive thing to do and is great fun, even in the depths of winter. There are plenty of reasons to get planting – it is great exercise, children love it, and you will be making a valuable contribution to our community woodland.” To take part in a tree planting event or for further information contact: Stephen Daye, Parks & Countryside Development Officer at Carrickfergus Borough Council. t: 93358039 or e: parks@carrickfergus.org”. ended Alderman Beattie

Our next tree event: ‘Celebrate the Christmas Hedgerow’on Saturday 30th November 2013 (11am to 1pm) at Eden Allotment Gardens (Beltoy Road, Eden). FREE fun family day with guided walks, foraging, exploring biodiversity and planting; make seasonal Christmas wreaths and walnut boats; take part in art workshops; plus food demonstrations and tasting of hedgerow drinks, pancakes and jellies. For further information please visit www.carrickfergus.org/events

For further information on this or future tree planting events please contact the Council’s Parks Service on 9335 8000. More tree planting events will take place in January, February and March to keep in touch visit www.carrickfergus.org/treeweek.

Photograph: L to R (Top) - Damian Armstong (Princes Trust), Alderman May Beattie (Carrickfergus BC), Beverley Todd (CAN Peace 3), Gerry Drake (Princes Trust), Courtney Laughlin (Princes Trust), L to R (below) - Olivia Smith & Peter Topping (Pupils from Whitehead Primary School).

Lantern Making at Oakfield Glen

Join the Woodland Trust for a free family lantern making workshop then take your lantern down into Oakfield Glen to hear our storyteller! It takes place on Saturday 26 October. Workshop sessions start at 6pm and 6.45pm in Oakfield Community Centre and booking is essential as places are strictly limited. To book a place(s) please contact michellemccaughtry@woodlandtrust.org.uk or phone 02891 275787. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Please wear suitable outdoor clothing. No Chinese lanterns/naked flames permitted. Event Link: http://www.carrickfergus.org/events/item/435/lantern-making-event/

Ashes to Ashes

Recommend listening to the Radio 4 documentary 'Ashes to Ashes'. A year on from the discovery of the fungus Adam Hart investigates how quickly Ash dieback has spread across the country. Scientists are now sequencing the genomes of Ash and Chalara fraxinea - the fungus that is causing Ash dieback - in an effort to find why some trees are not dying from the disease. He also learns of another threat to our Ash trees - the emerald ash borer - which is currently found west of Moscow and is heading towards us. He discovers this pest has already infested Ash in North America and has left a trail of destruction behind it. Link to BBC Listen Again iPlayer: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03bg4vh

Carrickfergus Children’s Charter Launched

Young people from throughout Carrickfergus Borough celebrated the launch of the new Children’s Charter and the completion of a year long initiative - Green Kids in Outer Space. Green Kids offered young people from across the Borough an opportunity to tell Carrickfergus Borough Council and other organisations what stops them from being able to play and what would make play easier and better for those young people. Their views have been recorded and used to write the Children’s Charter for the Borough.

The celebration event is part of the Green Kids in Outer Space initiative which has been supported by the European Union's PEACE III Programme which is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body and delivered locally through the CAN PEACE III Partnership.

The young people also took part in a number of art workshops facilitated by artist Janet Crymble between January and April 2013 and submitted paintings and photographs that were used to create three collages of Carrickfergus, Greenisland and Whitehead. The collages will be placed at Marine Gardens Play Park next month.

A Blooming Marvellous Borough

The results of the 2013 Translink Ulster in Bloom Competition were announced on Tuesday (10th September) celebrating Northern Ireland’s finest horticultural talent. The Borough won five awards in total, the most in any year since the inception of the competition. Carrickfergus came first in the Large Town category with Whitehead coming second in the Small Town category. The efforts of the Brighter Whitehead Community paid off as it received the Community Rail Halt award for its work. Carrickfergus Rail & Bus Station was runner-up in the Best Station award. Finally, Carrickfergus Borough Council won an award for its innovative Biodiversity projects.

Mayor of Carrickfergus Borough, Alderman Billy Ashe, speaking following the announcements, is clearly delighted with the accolades:
"Translink Ulster in Bloom is a magnificent opportunity for our Borough to enhance its surroundings and create beautiful displays that are enjoyed by everybody. Our Borough is renowned for its floral displays which are enjoyed by residents and tourists alike.  The Carrickfergus in Bloom initiative also plays a critical role in bringing people and investment to the town. However, it is important to say that issues such as cleanliness, sustainability and community involvement are equally as important. In the Borough, the 'In Bloom' initiative is much more than bedding plants and making the Borough look good for one day; instead it is a 365 day a year initiative. Carrickfergus Borough Council along with our partners have done a wonderful job in broadening the appeal of the Carrickfergus in Bloom initiative and by getting people to work together, we have made our Borough much better.”

Alderman May Beattie said: “As Chairperson of the Parks and Countryside Sub Committee of Carrickfergus Borough Council, I am absolutely thrilled with the five awards achieved today.  The wins are all very well-deserved and I am delighted that this tops the number of awards achieved to date in any given year of the competition.  Our successes within Ulster in Bloom could not have happened without the generous support of local businesses and local people throughout the Borough, as well as statutory bodies such as the Housing Executive and Department of Regional Development. I would like to personally thank all the staff at Carrickfergus Parks and Cleansing Sections whose hard work and imagination has been the backbone of our entry over the years and I congratulate everyone who took part this year."

Speaking at the results ceremony in The Mill, Downpatrick, John Trethowan, Chairman, Translink, said: “2013 continues to place Northern Ireland under the international spotlight with many high-profile events attracting thousands of visitors to cities, towns and villages. Beautiful plant and floral presentations play an important role in creating a lasting, positive and welcoming image of Northern Ireland, encouraging people to make return visits with friends and family.