WHAT DOES GLUAISEACHT DO AND HOW DO I GET INVOLVED?
In recent years, Gluaiseacht has been involved in a wide range of activities, from hands-on biodiversity and conservation projects, environmental educational talks and workshops, co-organising and supporting national and regional environmental gatherings and events, researching and writing submissions on government policy and papers, to working with local communities on safeguarding their local areas.
Educational projects and Skillshares
Gluaiseacht has engaged in many types of environmental education initiatives since it was formed. From practical and topical workshops in weekend Skillshares, to school projects on energy reduction (The Bet), we have carried out a wide variety of educational activities over the years.
Gluaiseacht has also been supporting climate camps in Ireland for many years since the first camp in 2009 in Shannonbridge to the 2024 Climate Camp in Tyrone. We have supported and worked with organisers in different capacities over the years, from co-organising the camp and running workshops on practical sustainability sessions on basic carpentry skills, solar energy systems, and building compost toilets, to topical workshops on community activism skills and data centres . We have also had advisory roles on how to organise large camps through consensus and have provided key infrastructure such as marquees, compost toilets, and kitchen equipment,as well as financial support for things such as event insurance, site rental, transport subsidies, workshop expenses etc.
At present we are looking to organise a skillshare weekend in the autumn of 2026, so watch this space for more details soon. We are also involved in co-organising the Talamh Og Field School happening in June 2026 in Cloughjordan. More details will be in our news section shortly.
Biodiversity and Conservation
Gluaiseacht has been involved in different grassroots conservation projects for many years. Gluaiseacht co-organises and supports hands-on, community-led environmental projects in partnership with local communities, helping to restore biodiversity, build practical skills, and deepen people’s connection with nature. These initiatives include school-based projects where students and staff collaborate on planting wild hedgerows, edible gardens, and living willow structures while enhancing habitats like riverbanks; community woodland efforts in places like in Kinsale, Cork, where local participants gather to plant native trees while engaging in education, networking, and skill-sharing; and ongoing conservation work with the Gaelic Woodland League through regular Meitheals, where volunteers remove invasive species and repurpose them sustainably, supported with the tools, training, and resources needed to sustain and grow these efforts.
Gluaiseacht members have also participated in and financially supported the Tree Walk since 2015. It takes place in the Spring each year. The group visits schools and community groups. Through information, story telling and song, we celebrate the connection between people and trees. We plant trees with the children, and also in recent years each child plants an acorn in a small pot. The Tree walk group walks from school to school, and camps each night. Over the years the Tree walk has covered most of the counties in Ireland.
Supporting Communities
Gluaiseacht collaborates with a range of community and environmental campaigns focused on safeguarding local areas. We work with educational and awareness raising projects for environmental justice, as well as networking between various local and national groups.
Some of the initiatives we’ve worked with include the anti-LNG campaign, Save Our Sperrins, and Keep Tulla Untouched, as well as broader movements defending their lands and communities against gas expansion, mining, and data-centre developments. These efforts collectively challenge the growth of fossil fuel and extractive infrastructure across Ireland. We also prepare and submit planning and broader policy submissions to support and reflect this work.
If you would like to participate in or co-organise similar activities, get involved! Contact us at gluaiseacht@gmail.com
We have previously hosted skillshares and it’s something we would love to do again so please contact us if you’d like to get involved or would like to host one!
At our previous skillshares, folks would participate by giving and/or partaking in workshops needed for proactive activism, from making bicycle generators, learning about open-source freeware computer programmes to gardening/permaculture and direct action workshops.
We need to be prepared, not only to defend the things we believe in, but also to proactively create the world we want to live in. Email us to get involved in organising the next skillshare!