Tramore Eco Group have initiated the installation of public wired plastic bottle & aluminium can recycling bins around Tramore Town in collaboration with Waterford council within the past number of years.

These bins are collected by Waterford Council where the collected waste is then transported to a local recycling facility where it is sorted and recycled as opposed to ending up on landfill sites.

Members of the group regularly go to the Saleens where they remove the invasive Sargussum seaweed which has been rapidly growing in the area in recent years. The Sargussum seaweed is a brown coloured invasive seaweed originally from Japan.
This seaweed is spreading through waterways around Ireland and is known to multiply its original length which makes it such a successful invasive species.

Our group carry out weekly beach cleans, and some members even carry out daily litter picking sessions as part of Clean Coasts #2minutebeachclean campaign. Waterford Council and Clean Coasts provide the group with all the tools and rubbish bags to make the clean ups a fun day for everyone attending and helping out! We recently took part in a Big Beach Clean removing half a tonne of rubbish from beaches in six different locations.

A bird hide being developed on Tramore Nature Park was one of the goals of Tramore Eco Group and this was achieved in 2021. The group worked with Waterford Council and provided a grant and donations to construct this structure on the former landfill site.
There is a 180° view from inside the bird hide which gives a spectacular view of Tramore's backstrand, which is a Special Area of Conservation.

Tramore Eco Group have worked with 102 businesses around Tramore to reduce the amount of plastic being used and disgarded in the seaside town. These 102 local businesses now offer free water refills to anyone passing by for their bottles, cups or even flasks . 

The group also worked with the local council on installing drinking water taps in the town, two of which were added at either end of the promenade.

One of our members set up a free plant table outside her home, giving away pollinator-friendly plants to the local community. 

This she manned every weekend day from April until September 2020, drawing in people from far and wide, including Dungarvan, Waterford city and even Wexford,  thus creating the beginnings of bee-friendly corridors on estates throughout the town and further afield. 

The artists were tasked with creating an original ecologically themed piece on thirty walls around Tramore town over the period of six hours. A panel of judges selected the winners, with the overall winner receiving €3,000, second place receiving €2,000 and third place receiving €1,000. A further €1,000 prize was given to the winner of the popular vote, which the general public voted on.

Tramore Eco Group have been working with Waterford Council over the past 3 years to develop biodiversity and bee corridors around Tramore Nature Park. The group have successfully ran fundraising campaigns with the help of local primary and secondary school's, Glór Na Mara and Ardscoil na Mara.

The area is renowned for it's flora and fauna and needs to be protected. We hope to continue to develop and preserve Tramore Nature Park for future generations so that they can enjoy the wildlife and biodiversity in this Special Area of Conservation, with it's beautiful panoramic view of Tramore's backstrand and bay.

In collaboration with Waterford Council, the Waterford Men's Shed and talented individuals living within our community, the group funded the construction of Swift, Barn Owl, Bird and Bat Boxes, all of which were donated to back into the local community for wildlife to make use of. Out of all the wildlife homes that were constructed, each and every one of them have been inhabited by wildlife since being erected!

Since it's foundation, members of the group have been recording rare sightings of birds and wildlife in Tramore and it's surrounding areas. Some of these sightings include a Hawfinch, Pelicans and a Brook Lamprey.

 The group also collate their sightings with other groups including Birdwatch Ireland, The Irish Whale & Dolphin Group, the National Biodiversity Data Centre and Seal Rescue Ireland.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the group hosted multiple successful public events which included guided walks discussing the biodiversity and wildlife present in the back strand, as well working with local historian Mr. Paul Brent  who generously provided historical talks for the group about the history of Tramore and it's environs.
The group regularly hosted informative bat and swift nights in the area making the use of modern equipment and detection devices.

Tramore Eco Group developed the idea of a "Borrow Box" where plastic toys either left on Tramore Beach or plastic spades, buckets and other children's toys that were washed in with the tide could be left in this small create and reused by other children coming to the beach instead of the items being carried back out to sea. This initiative has proven to be so popular that Waterford Council installed a second Borrow Box on the lady's slip.

Our group has been working with Ardscoil na Mara over the past number of years on different projects, such as beach cleaning, S.O.S Save Our Seas - St. Patrick's Day parade theme, tree Planting, Seed propagating, the painting of the boating lake hut with a wildlife theme, reusable plastic initiatives and water refill schemes.

Host Ireland donated five native Irish fruit tree's to our group in 2021. Waterford Council helped us plant them in a community area in Tramore town. We are looking forward to seeing them blossom this spring! One of our main aims in 2022 is to plant as many native Irish trees in our locality and to continue this trend going forward.