Sixth Form Environmental Conference

A very important environmental event took place in September, the third annual conference on Environmental Change, for senior students of three Mourne schools : St Malachy’s High School, Castlewellan, Shimna Integrated College Newcastle and Kilkeel High School. Each year global issues are studied through local examples, and discussion groups look at our responsibilities as individuals.

The conference is organized by Newcastle 2000 Community Association, Northern Ireland Environment Link and Mourne Heritage Trust. The event was held in Newcastle Centre by kind permission of Down District Council.

The topics convered this year were Climate Change and Coastal Erosion; Energy from the sea – the turbine in the Strangford Narrows; Green building technology- the example of the proposed Gateway Centre in Newcastle; energy from the biomass- an opportunity for our farmers; the world food crisis and how we could respond.

Environmental studies are an important part of the curriculum in all three schools. Led by the Geography Teachers, students of these schools are beginning an annual monitoring of change in our coastal areas, to link with the on-going research of Professor Orford .