Two Mayo winners at RDS Foundation Awards
MAYO had two winners at the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) Foundation Awards, announced at a ceremony held as part of the Finding Common Ground Festival.
Paul Maguire picked up an agriculture and forestry award, with social enterprise Accelerating Change Together a circular economy award winner.
The Native Woodland Conservation Award recognises excellence in the conservation and management of native forests and semi-natural woodlands which are regarded as ancient and managed in a sustainable way that is beneficial to biodiversity and the local economy. The winner of this award, Paul Maguire, is the owner of native woodland land in Furnace.
Maintenance of native trees planted as part of the Native Woodland Conservation Scheme is ongoing, along with Paul’s new venture, forest immersion for people with cancer diagnosis, 'branches of the mind', which will be launching mid-summer this year.
The Social Enterprise Category award went to Accelerating Change Together CLG, a social enterprise of architects, urbanists and policy specialists dedicated to accelerating the green transition.
Providing regenerative design solutions, including sustainable architecture, urban planning and strategic visioning, their services extend to facilitating community co-design workshops and creating sustainable development software.
Founded by architects disillusioned in a construction industry responsible for massive waste, they aim to make 'Design for Disassembly' mainstream, transforming buildings from waste generators into future material banks envisioning an Ireland that is carbon-negative and socially inclusive.
For almost 300 years, the RDS has been about turning ideas into action. Today, our greatest challenge as a society is a divided landscape where environmental needs and economic realities often seem at odds. The RDS Foundation Awards celebrate the leaders who are already ‘finding common ground’ proving that a thriving economy and the environment can go hand in hand.
The RDS Agriculture & Forestry Awards and the RDS Circular Economy Awards recognise individuals, organisations, and businesses driving economic, environmental, and social progress in Ireland - from strengthening rural communities to advancing sustainable production and consumption.