Latest Laois News: Upcoming launch of Abbeyleix Climate Action Walk
Abbeyleix Climate Action Walk to be launched
A ground-breaking new Climate Action Walk for Abbeyleix will be launched online on Saturday 15th May. The walk is an end of residency project by science communicator in residence for the Abbeyleix Climate Action Project, Dr Niamh Shaw, working with members of Abbeyleix Tidy Towns.
In response to her 6-month residency working with Abbeyleix Tidy Towns to engage the community on climate action, Niamh created an interactive walking tour through the town of Abbeyleix to engage the general public about climate change, focusing on the cyclical nature of our planet, how climate change has impacted our lives, how it affects us emotionally and what we can do on a local level to positively contribute to this global issue.
An interactive walking tour through the town of Abbeyleix was created
The walk is designed for the public to discover ceramic tiles dotted along Main Street Abbeyleix, and subtly guide them towards completing a walk which starts at Heritage House and ends at Abbeyleix Bog. A unique QR code is printed on each ceramic tile, which will trigger a mobile device to open an animation or video hosted on youtube.
Niamh worked with local graphic designer and animator Paulina Nickstrom, and local videographer, Alistair Roe of Vimar Productions to curate 7 unique animations and videos specially designed for the project. By the end of the walk, it is hoped that the walker will gain a better appreciation of the nature around them, our place in balancing the cycles of our planet. An online Story Map will also be available for virtual walkers to follow, details will be on the on Laois Heritage website, laois.ie/heritage.
The new Abbeyleix Climate Action Walk is a project under the Healthy Ireland Keep Well Campaign, aimed at showing people of all ages how we can mind our own physical and mental health and wellbeing by adding healthy and helpful habits to our daily and weekly routines. Projects under the campaign provide guidelines, information, and tips on how we can make a plan to do things that will help us keep well.
To engage the general public about climate change and how it has impacted our lives
The Tile Design
Tiles are 15cm x 15cm square in size, made from ceramic. A special design has been created for this project by artist Paulina Nickstrom depicting the Abbeyleix Market Square Fountain with planet Earth in the background. The centre of the fountain is a holding space for the QR code (different at each site). Each tile is numbered from 1 to 7 (the number depicts the site location). Walkers scan the QR code with a mobile phone to open the relevant video for each site.
Looking at how Climate Change affects us emotionally and what we can do at local level to positively contribute to this global issue.
The Launch
The Abbeyleix Climate Action Walk will be launched online at the Laois Heritage Office Facebook page at 11am on Saturday 15th May. No need to book, just go to https://www.facebook.com/laoisheritageoffice
The Climate Action Project is supported by Creative Ireland Laois as part of the Creative Ireland Programme (2017-2022) in partnership with Laois County Council, Abbeyleix Tidy Towns and Midlands Science.
The Abbeyleix Climate Action Walk Project was created in 2021 with thanks to Healthy Ireland, an initiative of the Government of Ireland with funding from the Healthy Ireland Fund and the Sláintecare Fund delivered by Pobal, administrated by Laois County Council.