1. Home
  2. Support
  3. Green Campus
  4. Resources
  5. Directory of Environmental Groups

Directory of Environmental Groups

Directory of Environmental Groups

Do you want to get proactive and join an environmental group? Here’s a list of groups based in UCC and Cork as well as national groups that are open for volunteers to join and contribute to.

 

UCC

UCC BEES Society: This society is open to all who love and study the Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences at UCC. They organise regular events and trips during the academic year. Email bees@uccsocieties.ie to get involved.

UCC Community Gardens: The UCC Community Gardens are jointly owned by the Environmental Society and the International Development Society and are run by UCC staff and students. The project began in 2007, with the installation of three polytunnels behind the Carrigside buildings on College Road. More information on the garden can be found by contacting: communitygarden@uccsocieties.ie

UCC Co-operative Society: UCC Co-Operative Society is a student-led group that works to bring awareness and support on-campus of social injustices in both Ireland and abroad. Email cooperative@uccsocieties.ie to get involved.

UCC Environmental Society: UCC Enviro Soc is the university’s student environmental society. Enviro Soc aims to promote a greener, more sustainable way of life through events such as workshops, film screenings, trips away, conferences, and debates. Email environmental@uccsocieties.ie to find out more.

UCC Green Campus: The Green Campus Committee is student-led, chaired by the Student’s Union Communications & Engagement Officer and the Chairperson of UCC Environmental Society. The committee meets regularly throughout the academic year to discuss ideas and campaigns to improve our campus. Contact us at greencampus@ucc.ie to get involved.

UCC Green Forum: The Green Campus Forum draws its members from across the college community, and includes staff, student representatives, and key personnel with responsibilities in relation to the sustainability strategy. Chaired by President John O’Halloran and Mark Poland (Director of Buildings and Estates), the Forum meets regularly to drive forward the Green Campus project and sustainability within UCC. If you wish to be a representative for a particular group/area, please contact us at greencampus@ucc.ie

UCC International Development Society: This a student-run society that aims to raise awareness of global development issues and the Sustainable Development Goals in the student body. Email intdev@uccsocieties.ie to get involved.

Cork

CHASE: Cork Harbour Alliance for a Safe Environment is an alliance of groups campaigning since 2001 to stop the construction of a large 240,000 tonne commercial incinerator in Cork Harbour. Contact CHASE: info@chasecorkharbour.com

Cobh Zero Waste: The Cobh Zero Waste team is a community-based group of volunteers who aim to help make Cobh sustainable by 2030 and a zero-emission island by 2040. They aim to achieve this by leading community initiatives and events and applying on behalf of the community for national support. Join the team: https://cobhzerowaste.com/volunteer-with-us/

Cork City Clean-up: A group of enthusiastic volunteers who regularly go litter-picking in Cork City. Message their Instagram account to get involved.

Cork City Public Participation Network (PPN): This is a publicly funded independent body set up by Cork City Council in 2015 which acts as a network of 200+ community, voluntary, social inclusion and environmental groups. They promote information sharing, capacity-building, and engagement with local government. Register to join PPN.

Cork Clothes Swap: A social initiative that offers Cork people an opportunity to reduce their fashion waste while increasing awareness about consumer tendencies. They run a monthly clothes swap in Cork City. Contact cork.clothes.swap@gmail.com to volunteer.

Cork County Public Participation Network: The PPN group for Cork County. Join here.

Cork Cycling Campaign: This group works with local councils, community groups, and other institutions to improve cycling infrastructure and to encourage people to cycle. They make submissions on infrastructure planning proposals to highlight issues relevant to cyclists, organise fun cycling events, develop cycling information and maps, and act as a voice for cycling in the community. Email info@corkcyclingcampaign.com to get involved.

Cork Environmental Forum: CEF’s aim is to foster, promote and implement sustainable development in the Cork region. Their structure embodies the four pillars of society (Business & Commercial, Public Sector, Community & Voluntary and Individuals) which lends to collaboration and a way of working in partnership with all stakeholders. CEF is both an insider (influencing by sitting on local and national boards and committees) and an outsider (tapping into local people’s power and knowledge and influencing people’s behaviour). Email info@cef.ie for information on how to get involved.

Cork Healthy Cities: A WHO designated Healthy City group that works to improve the health and well-being of all its people and reduce health inequalities. Contact the group here.

Cork Nature Network: Cork Nature Network is a non-profit wildlife conservation organisation that aims to protect and promote Ireland’s Wildlife through education, research and conservation. Get in touch via their website.

Cork Urban Soil Project: Cork Urban Soil Project is about community-scale composting. They compost urban food scraps and use the resulting soil enhancer to grow more food, right in the middle of the city. See how you can get involved.

Elders for Earth: The purpose of Elders for Earth is to allow people who are concerned about climate and environmental issues to join together to make their voices heard, especially by politicians and other people in power. To join their mailing list and to become a member, contact shepearthaware@gmail.com

Extinction Rebellion Cork: Extinction Rebellion (XR) is an international movement that uses non-violent civil disobedience to achieve radical change in order to minimise the risk of human extinction and ecological collapse. You can get in touch with the Cork branch through their email general@xrcork.com

Fridays for Future Cork: Fridays for Future is a youth-led group and it part of the global climate strike movement. The Cork branch organises climate marches and campaigns for climate justice. Message them on their Twitter or Instagram to see how you can contribute.

ORCA Ireland: Ocean Research & Conservation Association (ORCA Ireland) dedicated to monitoring marine megafauna, with innovative research and with the help of citizen scientists. Volunteer with ORCA: volunteer.orca@gmail.com

St Lukes Community Garden: This Community Garden has been designed as a demonstration site for organic, sustainable, and urban living. It provides a unique place for community gatherings and a quiet sanctuary for those wishing to grow vegetables or simply enjoy the space. It is open to anyone who wishes to join. Get in touch via their website.

Tidy Town Groups:

Trees Please: Trees Please aims to plant as many trees as possible and works out of the Marina Commercial Park, in community gardens, and allotments. Email treespleasecork@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/planttreescork/ to get involved.

West Cork

Click here for a list of environmental groups operating in West Cork.

National groups

An Taisce: Made up of 3 branches (advocacy, education, and properties), An Taisce works to ensure that our environment (natural and built) is actively prioritised and a lasting legacy of sustainability and resilience is ensured. Become a member here.

Bat Conservation Ireland: BCI is an independent, non-profit, charity that is Ireland’s leading authority on bats. They conduct monitoring and research activities to increase knowledge of all Irish bat species, and work to secure and expand existing bat populations. Learn about how you can become a member or volunteer here.

BirdWatch Ireland: They are the largest independent conservation organisation in Ireland. The primary objective of BirdWatch Ireland is the protection of wild birds and their habitats. From our boardroom to our staff and our branches, they are passionate about what we do. Become a member here.

Climate Ambassadors: This is Ireland’s first ever initiative to train and support individuals taking action on climate change. The programme is co-ordinated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce with support from the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications. Learn more about how to get involved here.

Climate Love Ireland: Climate Love Ireland is a community-led non-profit organisation dedicated to connecting Climate Lovers to nature and local climate action. Become a Climate Lover.

ECO-UNESCO: ECO-UNESCO is Ireland’s Environmental Education and Youth Organisation that works to conserve the environment and empower young people. They work all across the island of Ireland and work with partners in Europe and internationally; they are affiliated to UNESCO as a Key partner of its Global Action Programme in ESD. Check out their available programmes here.

Environmental Justice Network Ireland: EJNI is a community of practice connecting interdisciplinary academic researchers, NGOs, regulatory staff, environmental lawyers, representatives from industry and government with community activists and the ‘barefoot lawyers and planners’ who have emerged over the last decade on the island of Ireland in response to serious environmental governance failures. Check out their website for resources and contact information.

Farming for Nature: Farming for Nature is a not-for-profit initiative which aims to support high nature value farming in Ireland. It is an independent project of the landscape charity Burrenbeo Trust and was established in 2018. Contact info@farmingfornature.ie for more information.

Friends of the Earth Ireland: Friends of the Earth Ireland is a community at the heart of the environmental movement working to build a just world with zero pollution. They are part of the world’s largest grassroots environmental network, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2021. Check out their website to get involved.

Global Action Plan Ireland: GAP Ireland is an environmental education organisation leading a sustainability action plan with the aim of creating sustainable communities across Ireland. Take action with GAP here.

Hometree: Hometree is a tree planting project which connects people with nature, and facilitates a variety of projects that are fundamental to addressing both Ireland's declining biodiversity and the unfolding climate challenge: Become a member here.

Irish Doctors for the Environment: IDE is a collective group of medical professionals in Ireland who are focused on promoting, improving, and sustaining the health of humans by striving to improve the health of the environment. Join IDE here.

Irish Wildlife Trust: IWT is a non-governmental organisation and charity founded in 1979. The Irish Wildlife Trust aims to conserve wildlife and the habitats it depends on throughout Ireland while encouraging a greater understanding and appreciation of the natural world and the need to protect it. Get involved here.

Leave No Trace Ireland: Leave No Trace is an Outdoor Ethics Education Programme designed to promote and inspire responsible outdoor recreation through education, research, and partnerships. Become a member here.

Not Here Not Anywhere: NHNA are a nationwide, grassroots, volunteer group campaigning to end fossil fuel exploration and the development of new fossil fuel infrastructure in Ireland. They advocate for a just transition to renewable energy systems both here and around the world. Email info@notherenotanywhere.com to get involved.

One Future: One Future is a network of local campaign groups across Ireland supported by Stop Climate Chaos and Friends of the Earth. One Future groups advocate for faster and fairer climate action within their constituencies and communities by building local campaigns and lobbying local TDs. Join here.

Slí Eile: They are an anti-authoritarian climate action group, with three aims: To create spaces for education, for ourselves, and our wider communities, to build a radical climate movement on the island of Ireland, and to act to end capitalist control of people and the earth. Email slieile@riseup.net for more information.

Stop Climate Chaos: Stop Climate Chaos is a coalition of civil society organizations campaigning to ensure Ireland does its fair share to tackle the causes and consequences of climate change. Current members include development, environmental, youth and faith-based organisations. Take action with SCC here.

VOICE Ireland: VOICE is a member-based Irish environmental charity that empowers individuals and local communities to take positive action to conserve our natural resources. VOICE advocates for the government and the corporate sector to adopt environmentally responsible behaviours, and for the development of strong national policies on waste and water issues. Contact VOICE to get involved here.

Young Friends of the Earth Ireland: YFOE is a volunteer activist group working to advance global climate justice by mobilising and inspiring people to join the movement in Ireland. Sign up to receive group updates here.

 

Choose areas of the website to search
Top