Horizons

Specs and the city: A conference in Dublin on Friday will explore better ways in which to plan cities, writes Sylvia Thompson .

Everyone's for the birds

Everyone Counts - the power of citizen science is the title and theme of this year's All Ireland Bird Conservation conference from Friday 4th to Sunday 6th in the Parkview Hotel, Newtownmountkennedy, Co Wicklow. Aimed at both expert ornithologists and armchair birdwatchers alike, the conference will encourage everyone to get involved in countrywide bird surveys. There will be talks on Climate Change and Birds in Europe, field trips to various birdwatching reserves and family workshops. Booking on tel: 01-2819878 or see www.birdwatchireland.ie

Potty about orchids

Orchids in all their fragile beauty will be on display next weekend at the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin at the annual Orchid Fair. Visitors can join free guided tours of the orchid collections at the gardens at 2.30pm on Saturday and Sunday, April 5th and 6th. There will also be orchid potting demonstrations throughout the weekend.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, April 9th at 3pm, botanist Dr Darach Lupton will speak about the biology and conservation of the Irish Lady's Tresses orchid. The National Botanic Gardens are open from 9am to 6pm daily. Pre-booked guided tours are available to groups. Tel: 01-8570909 or e-mail botanicgardens@opw.ie

No more bottom trawling

The National Sea Life Centre in Bray, Co Wicklow, has called for a ban on bottom trawling in Irish and international waters.

Bottom trawling has been in practice for over a century, and involves dragging a net across the ocean bed, trawling everything - including endangered fish life - in its wake. It has been blamed for the population collapse of numerous marine species. The exhibitions at Sea Life feature many endangered species, including Banggai Cardinalfish - which is on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) Red List of Endangered Species - as well as a variety of fragile coral reef species in this, the Year of the Coral Reef.

ECOWEB

www.earthhour.org

The official site for Earth Hour, a symbolic gesture to highlight climate change, energy waste and light pollution, which will see lights turned off for one hour in cities and towns around the world tonight.

© 2008 The Irish Times

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times