US based professor to deliver free public lecture in Offaly

The Irish Heritage Society has announced details of a free public lecture to be held in the county by respected American-based Professor Mary Gomes.

The Sonoma State University professor will be delivering a lecture entitled 'The Nature We Love is the Nature We Protect: From Campus Sustainability Initiatives to Rights of Nature' at Birr Library on Wednesday, May 6 (6pm), and all are welcome to attend.

The Heritage Society, which is based in Birr, said the aim of the lecture is 'to widely regenerate deep and respectful relationships with nature after centuries of colonisation, trauma, and broken connection'.

It said that the topic will focus on a need to identify ways to make kinship with the living world a lived experience for a broad array of people, especially those who have little or no access to wild places.

In the presentation, Prof. Gomes will share insights from her work as an ecopsychologist and faculty sustainability chair about how to facilitate nature connection, and why it is one of the most important steps toward sustainability.