Northern Ireland/Ireland

Rosie Barnett works for Business in the Community Northern Ireland and delivers innovative positive environmental programmes for both businesses and community groups. She’s fond of sunshine, travelling and her newly acquired allotment.

Sinéad Burke lives and works in Dublin, though as often as her conscience (and job!) lets her she tries to travel, and has just returned from Peru.  While here she works as an architect from her desk overlooking the bay.  She loves to drive her vespa when it’s sunny. Having missed out on years of tearful piano lessons as a child she took it up in college and now complements her love for the Super Furry Animals with one for Bach!

Eoin Campbell is enthusiastic, really enthusiastic! He’s big into researching and producing environmental multimedia and works with all things technical in the School of Communications, Dublin City University. He’s currently filming the 10 part "PowerDown TV Show" with the Cultivate Centre in Dublin.

Alicia Falvey combines her talents as an artist and change agent to consciously and compassionately co-create what wishes to emerge in art and life.  Her path has brought her in contact with many inspiring, wise and pioneering people, places and projects which has instilled trust, motivation and hope for new ways of living. She is happy to be involved in the challenge to foster social innovation through a joyful, creative and engaging process.

Alan Fitzsimmons is currently studying Energy Management in the Dublin Institute of Technology. He works as an Electrical Engineer with a Building Services Consultancy in Dublin which provides high end low energy solutions to clients throughout the country. Interested in sustainability both in industry and through living sustainably, he is hoping to be illuminated by this program, and not just by using Low Energy Lighting!!

Stephen Flood lives in Dublin and works part-time as a policy analyst for Comhar - The Sustainable Development Council. He hopes to go back to college to start a PhD in environmental economics next year, if they’ll have him. Stephen loves a good hike in the mountains and taking the time to grow his beard!

Darragh Flynn loves life.  He is enthusiastic, full of energy and really sharing it.  He likes to have a good time, is not afraid to get stuck into things and enjoys people.

Claire Hanna is 27 and mostly from Belfast. She works for the development agency Concern Worldwide and studies part time with the Open University. She likes politics, reading, cooking and messing about outdoors.

Niamh Kirwan lives in Dublin and works for Comhar SDC, is doing an internship with Combat Poverty Agency and volunteers with the Dublin Simon Community. She enjoys camogie (an Irish sport with wooden sticks), watching Bohemians (the best football team), climbing and sewing. She has also recently learned how to use chop sticks.

Gail McAleese is an intrepid traveller turned home bird; the time has come to return to her roots! She is a keen scuba diver and is at her happiest in about 30 metres of water. Growing up by the coast, she loves anything to do with the Marine Environment, hence the decision to return to fulltime study this coming September to pursue a career in Marine Sciences. The urge is strong to do something useful and worthwhile.

David McElrea lives on his family farm in Co. Tyrone. Alongside growing potatoes, wheat and barley, he also runs two environmental businesses. His passion is for the land and his key interest is sustainable enterprise, in particular alternative land uses and renewable energies. If David could have a super power it would be flight!

Declan McGivern is a Plan & Design Engineer for BT Ireland. He leads a Carbon Club in the North and South of Ireland and is passionate about Climate Change and changing peoples "hearts and minds" when it comes to the same. In fact he's got three passions in life which keeps him very busy, Family, Manchester United and Climate Change, so you can count yourself lucky if you can pin him down for more than 5 minutes.

Jonna Monaghan is Finnish but has lived in Belfast all this century. She is a health policy worker and an expert in highlighting links across policies. Jonna likes to describe herself as a realistic idealist and is driven by a passion for equity, social justice and sustainable living. She enjoys learning and listening.

Damian Nolan is an environmental scientist and human rights advocate living and working in Dublin.  He works with a local community development group reducing social exclusion experienced by people with a disability.  He also works as a volunteer with a number of different issue based organisations.

Bronagh O’Hagan has just completed an undergraduate degree in Archaeology and Palaeoecology and is currently searching for employment that will allow her to tackle environmental issues.  She is very excited about the challenges that lie ahead both in this project and in her career; and looking forward to meeting lots of new people.

Annelies Pletsers is a biologist, and working on a research PhD at Trinity College Dublin about climate change impacts on the flowering and leafing times of trees. For the rest of the time this Belgian girl is usually rowing, thinking about rowing or talking about rowing. Oh, and the same counts for cake!

Dylan Townsend is an environmental consultant inspired by the Natural Step Framework and has also started up a biodegradable packaging company in Dublin. With a journalism background, Dylan is quick to ask pertinent questions. He is as passionate about the environment as he is about surfing the Irish sea.

Laura Turkington is Corporate Responsibility Manager at Vodafone and wants to make Ireland proud of its national colour for the right reasons. Her career path so far has brought her on many an adventure. She enjoys a challenge and spends lots of time underwater.