SPREAG is a new series of community gatherings at Common Knowledge celebrating the brilliant climate action already happening across Clare - from biodiversity restoration to community food projects, peatland and woodland care, and heritage skills that connect us with land and place.
Over the past year, we’ve worked with 12 local communities and welcomed over 3,000 people to our biodiversity, climate, and heritage-focused events. We’ve seen the power of connection in action – and now, we’re excited to bring those communities together again, while welcoming new ones into the fold.
Join us for the very first SPREAG on Wednesday 19 June, beginning with a walk of the land at Common Knowledge, followed by a conversation with special guests Anja Murray and Brendan Dunford, hosted by Aoife Hammond of Common Knowledge. Together we’ll explore what meaningful, grounded climate action looks like - in fields, hedgerows, farmyards, gardens, and across communities – with insights from decades of experience in conservation, ecology, and cultural heritage.
Through open discussion, Anja and Brendan will share their reflections on biodiversity in practice, ecological restoration, cultural landscapes, and the potential of community-led conservation to respond to the challenges of our time. From rewilding to farming for nature, policy to practice, this is a chance to connect deeply with what it means to care for land and place.
To round off the evening, we’ll gather for Tuan - a traditional singing session sharing songs of land, farming, and nature. All are welcome to join in or simply listen as we explore the deep cultural connections between people and place through music.
About the SPREAG series
SPREAG will continue as a series of evening gatherings through October 2025, each focused on a particular theme or area of practice. The series will celebrate and document the leadership and creativity already alive in Clare, encouraging collaboration across the region.
Guest Speakers
Anja Murray is an ecologist, broadcaster, academic and author, familiar to many as a presenter on Eco Eye on RTÉ1; as a radio documentary maker (Nature File, Root & Branch, Feather & Flock on RTÉ lyric fm); and as author of the bestselling book Wild Embrace. For more than 20 years, Anja has been actively involved in the nature conservation sector in Ireland and the EU, pioneering many innovative and collaborative approaches to conservation through research, education, policy, and advocacy. She has worked with Irish and international NGOs, state agencies, local communities, youth groups, and has served as an advisor for the Houses of the Oireachtas and on several environmental boards and committees.
Brendan Dunford is a founder and volunteer with the Burrenbeo Trust, a charity dedicated to promoting and enabling community stewardship across Ireland. Brendan works directly on projects including The Hare’s Corner, Farming for Nature, Project ReFarm, and the Burren Winterage Weekend. From 2005–2022, he led the award-winning BurrenLIFE Project and the Burren Programme. He is a Fellow of Ashoka’s Global network of Social Entrepreneurs and was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Galway in 2018 for his work in championing farmland biodiversity. He is the author of Farming and the Burren and co-author of the Farming for Nature Handbook. Originally from Co. Waterford, Brendan has spent the last 25 years living and working in the Burren.
Free event: All welcome
This event is supported by the National Parks and Wildlife Service as part of our Peatlands Community Engagement Programme, The Heritage Council from the Heritage Organisation Support Fund and and Community Foundation Ireland as part of the Climate Actions Work programme.
Get in touch: aoife@ourcommonknowledge.org
LOCATION
The Common Knowledge Centre, V95DK38
Staying with us at The Common Knowledge Centre
At The Common Knowledge Centre we now have a range of accommodation options on site to suit all budgets and needs. When you stay with us, you’ll be supporting our newly established guesthouse and be close to the action. We recommend arriving the evening before your course. You can view available accommodation on our booking page.
