Green Communities is a partnership project between Keep Wales Tidy and An Taisce, Ireland. It is funded by a grant from the European Regional Development Fund Interreg 4A Ireland Wales Programme.

Volunteer groups in Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, Gwynedd, Anglesey and Conwy share experience and advice with Irish groups in Dublin, Meath, Kildare, Wicklow, Carlow, Wexford, Waterford, Kilkenny and South Tipperary.

The main focus of the project is biodiversity improvement and climate change.

Groups are encouraged to adopt local areas in order to enhance and improve the natural environment. In addition to litter clearance, groups get involved in creative projects such as habitat restoration, community gardens, access improvement, biodiversity enhancement and invasive species management. Groups also look at their activities and try to reduce their carbon footprint through simple measures such as cycling to a clean up instead of taking the car.

Why join the Project?

As part of a group you can develop your ideas for improving the quality of your local environment.

• Small group grants are available to assist groups with tools, materials and equipment.
• Local Project officers are on hand to assist groups offering advice and practical assistance.
• Irish and Welsh groups have the opportunity to exchange ideas and support each others’ projects through cross border events.
  

Cross Border Exchange

To celebrate the International Year of Biodiversity, environmental partners Keep Wales Tidy and An Taisce held a seminar set in the beautiful Welsh National Botanic Gardens.

The day was launched by Ellie Harrison, co presenter of the BBC series "Wild about your Garden". During her opening presentation she praised volunteers for their hard work.

"Volunteers working on biodiversity projects generate a sense of neighbourliness – after putting in the graft, one wants to keep it that way. This is one of the more important elements of the Green Communities Project."

Environmental conservationists from the Bumblebee Conservation Society and the South and West Wales Amphibian and Reptile Group kindly gave up their time to give enthusiastic and informative presentations to Green Communities volunteer groups from Wales and Ireland. The aim of the day was to enthuse people and get the message across that every little helps, from planting window boxes to creating a wildlife pond.

The afternoon rain put a halt to bumblebee hunting but enthusiastic hammering could be heard from the bird box workshop. Talks on gardening for wildlife and woodland management for biodiversity were given by staff at the gardens.

A member of the Irish Julianstown Group said, "It was lovely to meet so many like minded people who are so interested in our environment and want to maintain it."

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