Environmental Policies, Actions and Objectives
Aillwee Cave and Birds of Prey Centre, a family business, recognise that we have an important role to play in protecting and enhancing the physical & cultural environment both generally and locally in the Burren Region. We have sustained, since 1976 a sound tradition of welcoming to, educating about and interpreting the Burren Region personally for our diverse groups of visitors. We along with our full time employed staff achieve this year-round – underground through fully guided cave tours and overground through narrated Flying Displays and Cheesemaking Demonstrations and also one to one hawk walks. For us, being members of the Burren Ecotourism Network acknowledges the great work laid down by the generation that came before us and, as the number of stakeholders within the Burren Region grows, strengthens the common goals between all of passing on the values shared to us by our parents on to our children.
Ecotourism is defined as”responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well being of local people.” (TIES,1990)
Over the last three generations and into the future we constently strive to help secure the long-term sustainability of Ecotourism in the Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark.
To this end Aillwee Cave and Birds of Prey Centre through staff training, visitor education and valid intrepretation are committed to taking the following actions:
To achieve sound environmental practices across our entire operation. To produce an Annual Environmental Plan setting out our Objectives, Targets and planned Actions.
To comply fully with all relevant legislation.
To minimise our waste and reduce our water consumption where possible. Indentifying, fixing and preventing leaks is just one of the ways we do this.
To Reduce, Reuse and Recycle the resources consumed by our business wherever practical. Our Onsite Waste Management and Composting Systems exemplify this.
To invite our customers, visitors, suppliers and contractors to participate in our efforts to protect the environment. Staff awareness of and drawing from The Leave No Trace Seven Principles helps us to achieve this.
To provide all employees with the training and resources required to meet our objectives. All our emplyees engage in a comprehensive induction course prior to starting work with us.
To constently and consistently engage with and support our charitable partners within the The Burren and nationally. We are patrons of The Burren Gaels Ladies football club, providing sets of jerseys for players when needed. We provided financial support in the set up of The Kilfenora Timeline, a community based fund raising project and continue to provide volunteering assistance when required. We have provided space for and audio wall on behalf of the Memories of Clare Charity. We facilitate awareness of regional and national Raptor Reintroduction Programmes as part of our flying displays at the Bird of Prey Centre. We also actively fund raise for these programmes.
To openly communicate our policies, respecting the Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark Sustainable Code of Practice, to interested parties likes our staff, visitors, suppliers and charitable partners within the Burren and nationally. These are available when visitors arrive on site and are also on our website www.aillweeburrenexperience.ie
To monitor and record our environmental impacts on a regular basis and compare our performance with our policies, objectives and targets which are listed in our detailed action plan.
To investigate the possibility of reusing our water for cleaning purposes in the Birds of Prey Centre and toilet flushing purposes throughout the entire site. To submeter our water usage during our cheese production months of March to October 2020 and subsequent years.
To reduce the waste we send to landfills by 150kg during 2020/2021. Front of House Wate Separation system was introduced in 2019 to assist in this target.To engage with our suppliers to reduce packaging by 10% during 2020/2021.
To increase usage of recycled paper products to 20% of all paper/cardboard purchased.
We continue to Support our charitable partners, ie The Golden Eagle Trust, Clare Memories, Vulture Conservation Research in Nepal, Cuineamh an Chlair, The Burren Gaels Ladies Football Club and several community and school fundraising efforts through out the county.
To engage in a local “Clean Up” twice a year in conjunction with the Burren Eco Tourism Network “Adopt a Hedgerow” scheme. To communicate quaterly ie. every 3 months our performace and achievements through our website and social media.
We have sustained since 1976 a sound tradition of welcoming to, educating about and interpreting the Burren Region personally for our diverse groups of visitors. We achieve this year-round; underground through fully guided cave tours and overground through narrated Flying Displays, one to one hawk walks, bushcraft camps and masterclasses. All our employees engage in a comprehensive induction training course prior to starting work with us. For example, to invite our customers, visitors, suppliers and contractors to participate in our efforts to protect the environment, staff training and awareness of The Leave No Trace Seven Principles helps us to achieve this.
Our website provides links to information on bus and rail services in the area.
While with us our visitors receive and are personally guided through a site map. They are encouraged to park their car and download our onsite app and use the footpaths thought our Biodiversity Woodland Walk that connects all the facilities. These efforts minimise short and unnecessary car trips.
We also provide a secure bike and locker park for people visiting by foot or bicycle. From March 2015 we are adopting a ‘Have a free Cuppa Tea if you Cycle to me’ incentive and continue to do so.
We intend to communicate at least quarterly i.e., every three months, our performance & achievements through our website and on our social media sites.
