Outdoor Play Mayo

13/06/2021

This might be useful for teachers looking for CPD summer courses. A 5 module online course "STEAMing through Dark Skies and Biodiversity" from Discover Primary Science and Maths /ESERO. Registration info below:

After the huge success of our first online course (Discover Climate & Space) last year, we have once again collaborated with Discover Primary Science & Maths to introduce you to the exciting world of the night sky and biodiversity. This course is suitable for all primary teachers and over the course...

05/04/2021

Dark Skies featured in our Outdoor Play Conference last weekend and there is no reason why we cannot continue "play time" after the sun sets. This week is "International Dark Sky Week" and Mayo Dark Skies has a week of free virtual events organised to celebrate and preserve our starry skies.

Mayo.ie GMIT (Official) Healthy Ireland Mayo CYPSC Terra Firma Ballycroy National Park - Páirc Náisiúnta Bhaile Chruaich

Register on eventbrite. Full programme and speaker profiles here:

Welcome to Mayo Dark Sky Park. Mayo is now home to Ireland’s first International Dark Sky Park, showcasing some of the darkest, most pristine skies in the world.

02/04/2021

Thanks again to everyone who attended our "Leave No Stone Unskipped" Conference last weekend.

For anyone who missed it, we have all events now on our YouTube Channel (Please Subscribe to help us increase followers).

The Tristan Gooley interview will be only available until tomorrow.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJXHlMQm6Qkb0LnNKjjd7Mw

26/03/2021

Thank you to everyone who joined us this evening from far and wide. It was truly an international gathering. Our sincere thanks to Angela Hanscom for a fantastic talk!

All events for this conference are in Irish time - we realise some registrants were unclear this evening but not to worry as the event was recorded and streamed on Youtube. Herewith the link for you to enjoy!

TimberNook Elgin Mayo.ie GMIT Mayo Healthy Ireland Mayo CYPSC
https://youtu.be/HowM1HH8Pjk

Please subscribe to our YT account as there will be more events and videos on Outdoor Education that we hope to share widely.

Over and out from Mayo for tonight - see you tomorrow, 9.45am Irish Time!

25/03/2021

Wow time flies indeed - since “Turning Play Inside Out” - our last Outdoor Play conference took place “In Person”! How different life is today and more important than ever to foster a connection and love for the outdoor environment.

GMIT Outdoor Education Courses
Healthy Ireland Mayo CYPSC

24/03/2021

"Leave No Stone Unskipped" - Outdoor Play Conference - Our online registration closes tomorrow midnight - it's not too late to attend this virtual Conference with world class speakers giving Key Note Addresses, Expert Workshops on Outdoor Play an Interview on Natural Navigation and lots of ideas for getting children into the Great Outdoors on our doorstep!

Registration is via Eventbrite (you will receive a Zoom link for each of the sessions you plan to attend).


www.outdoorplaymayo2021.eventbrite.com

Healthy Ireland Mayo CYPSC GMIT Mayo GMIT (Official) Leave No Trace Ireland Love Castlebar GMIT Outdoor Education Courses Nature Inspires Rethinking Childhood Angela Hanscom TimberNook The Natural Navigator Terra Firma Outdoor Explorers Preschool Ballycroy National Park - Páirc Náisiúnta Bhaile Chruaich Mayo.ie Mayo Sports Partnership The Connaught Telegraph Burrenbeo Trust VTOS Achill What's on in Achill

17/03/2021

Okay, it's happened to us all at some stage and most of time, we don't like to admit it. Lost and not a notion where we are heading.
We've become more and more reliant on technology and as a result we are losing our navigational tradition and set of skills that helps to define us as humans. Before there was the compass and GPS, there was the art and craft of navigating by the sun, stars, water, and wind.
As part of the Outdoor Play Conference, G.M.I.T Lecturer, Dr. Davy Walsh will be interviewing the "Sherlock Holmes of the Natural World", Tristan Gooley.

Tristan, “The Natural Navigator” is helping to inspire new generations to retain this timeless set of navigational skills and natural understanding.

We would invite you to think of questions for Davy, to ask Tristan in the interview. Whatever springs to mind, to help you explore your natural environment with more confidence.

Mountaineering Ireland Hillwalking Ireland Leave No Trace Ireland Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics Wild Camping Ireland Scouting Ireland Mayo CYPSC Mayo Sports Partnership VTOS Achill GMIT Outdoor Education Courses GMIT Mayo Terra Firma Venture Trust Institute for Outdoor Learning

17/03/2021

Workshop 5 - Coastal Explorers with Orla Prendergast.
Join Orla Prendergast - Lecturer on the Outdoor Education degree programme at GMIT Mayo, for over 20 years. Orla is a prominent Irish climber, mountaineer and a naturalist.
In her workshop for “Leave No Stone Unskipped”, Orla introduces us to the magic of rockpools and shorelines, encouraging children and adults alike to ‘get their feet wet’. Her workshop provides tools and ideas as well as reference materials for all the family to safety explore the intertidal zones of our coastlines.

Orla will present her workshop at 4p on Saturday 27th March.

Booking essential https://outdoorplaymayo2021.eventbrite.ie

GMIT Mayo GMIT Outdoor Education Courses Mayo CYPSC Healthy Ireland Mayo.ie

17/03/2021

Workshop 4 - Creativity on the Go with Tina Kilian

Martina is currently finishing off her degree in Outdoor Education at GMIT Mayo. A qualified florist, she is also a passionate small holding farmer growing vegetables and some of her own flower supply. Since 2015 she operates her business Nature Inspires offering nature camps for children and teenagers but also workshops in foraging and natural floristry. She also works as a freelancer offering schools, but also nursing homes, people with disabilities and other institutions tailormade nature experiences. As an advanced Leave No Trace Ireland Trainer she holds Awareness and Trainer courses and is a member of the LNT Education and Research Group. Originally from Bavaria the family has two adult sons and lives surrounded by bog and forestry in rural South Sligo for almost 30 years.

Martina will present her workshop at 3.30pm on Saturday 27th March.

Mayo CYPSC GMIT Mayo GMIT Outdoor Education Courses Healthy Ireland Mayo Sports Partnership

Events free to attend but booking essential.
https://outdoorplaymayo2021.eventbrite.ie

17/03/2021

Workshop 3 - Alchemy Arts in early years learning with Dr Davy Walsh
Davy teaches across a range of programmes in GMIT Mayo, including GMIT Outdoor Education Courses, Applied Social Care and Early Year Education and Care. Davy received his PhD based on a phenomenological analysis of Outdoor Play in 2015.

In recent years Davy has developed a passion for indigenous crafts and survival skills, driven by the belief that previous paradigms of knowledge and understanding hold the key to sustaining future generations. Davy currently teaches across a brought range of subjects from Outdoor Play to Environmental Philosophy. Outdoor learning and play fit perfectly into Davy’s underlying belief that the two most sacred things in this world are the earth and the children that stand upon it.

Davy will present his workshop at 3pm on Saturday 27th March.
Mayo CYPSC Healthy Ireland GMIT Mayo Mayo Sports Partnership

Book your (Free) tickets here https://outdoorplaymayo2021.eventbrite.ie

17/03/2021

Workshop 2 - Pond Dipping in the National Park - what lies beneath!
Join Dr Margaret Flaherty - Supervisor Guide with Ballycroy National Park - Páirc Náisiúnta Bhaile Chruaich & Connemara National Park - Páirc Náisiúnta Chonamara

Margaret is passionate about nature conservation and education. Growing up in Connemara, the outdoors was her only playground, whether it was splashing about in local streams, rock pooling on seashores, cliff walks to the beach and traipsing through wildflower meadows. Her strong connection to nature has continued through her studies, which recently included a PhD in squirrel ecology in Ireland. She has worked at a number of locations in Ireland since first starting work with NPWS in 2001. Locations included Glenveagh National Park, Knocksink Wood Nature Reserve and Wicklow Mountains National Park. Her studies have brought her as far afield as The Netherlands and Finland, which have given a great insight into different attitudes and approaches to nature conservation. In the past 10 years she has noticed a growing interest in wildlife here in Ireland, even more pronounced in the past year. A reassuring development, and Margaret is eager to share the wonders of the natural world, where a deeper understanding will lead to further appreciation and thus protection of our wildlife.

Margaret will be presenting her workshop at 2.30pm on Saturday 27th March.
Mayo.ie Mayo CYPSC Healthy IrelandGMIT Mayo Mayo Sports Partnership
Free event but booking essential (choose the Workshops ticket option)
https://outdoorplaymayo2021.eventbrite.ie