Mayo schools will join thousands of students across Ireland this week who are putting plans in motion to take part in An Taisce Green-Schools’ National Walk to School Week 2012, which takes place from May 21st to 25th. Lots of schools in Mayo have decided to celebrate the week in their own unique way by creating special walking buses, participating in walking tours, walking fitness workshops, Park’N’Stride events and nature walks - with the ultimate aim of increasing the number of students who make the school journey on foot during the week.

Pupils from Holy Trinity, Westport, have won the National Green-Schools Travel Competition. Pupils Niamh Bellamy, Amber Farrell, Rosa Kinsella, Hazel Hopkinson and Ciara Carolan wrote and performed their song “Great for the Planet” at the award ceremony.  An Taisce, in partnership with the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and the National Transport Authority hosted this year’s Green-Schools Travel Competition Awards ceremony in Tailors Hall, Dublin, on Tuesday 24th April.

The next meeting of Mayo Organic Group will be held on the at 8pm, 16th February, in Bishop O’Healy Centre Mayo Abbey.  The presentation will be – teaming with life – rules, tools, and strategies for a healthy soil and healthy plants. 

ClAR ICH, a voluntary housing association in Claremorris, is establishing a Sustainable Housing Network for housing associations in Co. Mayo. CLAR ICH  received funding under the Wheel’s Training Links programme to deliver training and mentoring in all aspects of energy conservation.

Westport has officially become one of Ireland’s Smarter Travel Demonstration Areas 2012-2016, and will receive €5million Government investment to develop its sustainable travel plan, according to Minister Michael Ring TD. Limerick City and Dungarvan are the other two locations.

For much of the 20th century some of the biggest industries in Ballina were powered by renewable energy that came from hydroelectric power generated by the River Moy. And now a member of Ballina Town Council says that at a time when Ireland is desperately seeking out new sources of renewable and green energy, it is time once again to look to the magestic river to supply some of Ballina's energy needs.

Renewable energy produced in North Mayo could help secure the Ireland's energy needs and also provide up to 10 per cent of Britain’s electricity requirement, say the developers of a wind and wave energy project at Glinsk mountain near Belderrig in North Mayo. The company behind the project, Organic Power Ltd of Skibbereen, Co Cork, says construction work on the scheme would create hundreds of jobs.

Now that Christmas is over the question of where do you get rid of unwanted Christmas trees and cards arises. Thankfully, Mayo County Council is again this year providing a convenient recycling service which continues until January 14th for tress - and until the end of January for cards. Christmas cards and Christmas trees can be recycled at a number of locations throughout the county.

Anyone interested in developing their own organic garden will be delighted to hear that a hands-on course will be starting in January that will teach you how to to design, work on, and maintain your very own food paradise and fertility hub. The hands-on and theoretical course will be run in 6-modules, and, according to the organisers, who are committed organic growers in Mayo, it will be affordable. 

Simon Coveney TD, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, has announced the launch of the 2012 Bioenergy Scheme to grant aid the planting of willow and miscanthus crops as part of the re-opening of a range of Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Measures.