Food waste is something we’re all guilty of, whether it’s in our homes, at cafe’s, restaurants or at events. The consequence of food waste is that it ends up in landfills. But it is avoidable. It’s better for your pocket and the environment. According to Stop Food Waste Ireland, the average Irish household can save around €700 a year by avoiding food waste.

One chef’s has reached the goal of zero food waste in the catering industry. Orla McAndrew is the owner of Bespoke Wedding and Event Catering. She started her business on a whim, but after her first event, she was shocked by the amount of leftover food & the impact this has. It was from day one realised zero waste was the way to go.

Ireland is surrounded by exciting sea life, from rare species of shark, whales, dolphins that explore our waters. However the biodiversity of our sea life is in dire need of protection from threats of diminishing populations and pollution.The government is currently drafting a bill to introduce marine protected zones areas and one group Fair Seas are calling for it to be enforced effectively. I spoke to Marine Policy Officer Dr Donal Griffin on what exactly that means.The island of Ireland is engulfed by the sea, yet our relationship with the sea is in dire need of repair and restoration. Just 9% of our sea is protected currently with the governments aim to increase this to 30%. It’s vital that these areas protect the biodiversity & rare wildlife that travel through our seas. Fairs seas have located one of 16 locations off the South West that is of huge interest.One important factor to consider is that the protected zones are designated to areas where wildlife flourish It’s a matter of quality and quantity of space.Fair seas will be continuing their mission to ensure the legislation introduced is effective and covers all areas before it’s passed.We’ll catch up with Dr.Donal Griffin next week on Ours To Protect to take a deep dive into the role sea life plays in helping our environment. Tune in next week.

Would you believe over 70,000 bees are buzzing around one Cork City neighbourhood. The bees are thriving thanks to a hive on the roof of St.John's College which has been growing since 2013. The idea is to provide a home for the bees, take care of the hive & to take some but not all of the honey for local use & provide education on biodiversity and the important role bees play. I took a trip to the hive beekeeper Mark Riordan of Hive Mind who has been with the colony since day one….

The city is continuously developing and despite the loss of green spaces, the hive is thriving with what they have. Bees can travel up to 10 kilometres from the hive if very hungry so there are plenty of options in the city for food to bring back to the hive all the while pollinating our flowers which helps in the chain of the ecosystem.

The good thing about the hive is that everyone is essentially working together for the better of the environment. Mark provides a space for the bees to flourish in the city & to pollinate. The council maintain green spaces for the bees to pollinate & gather food from. The bees provide honey for local businesses and St.John’s College with Mark holds workshops to educate people on their important role & how vital they are for biodiversity.

One rule of thumb is to spread the hives across the city to avoid any competition for food and not to have too many bees dominating other species in the green spaces.
For more information on the hive visit HiveMind.ie, Green Spaces for Health and St Johns College for upcoming workshops. We’ll hear more from Mark throughout the series.

Every individual effort for creating pockets of green spaces in the garden or at home count. And now it’s easier than ever. At Holly Hill library, you can check out fruit, veg & flower seeds, sow & grow them in the garden or at home & return your seeds down the line. Tune into Ours To Protect this Monday on how you can do it all by yourself.

Bees, butterflies, and bugs are our best friends when it comes to the garden. They need us to grow good green spaces and we need them to pollinate. How do we work together? Well Erva gives the ins and outs to creating a bug friendly and greener garden.

Otters in the city, king fishers and trout in our rivers, coming up in this week's Ours To Protect we hear from one man whose on a mission to save the river Bride in Blackpool from the rubbish tampering with our wildlife and water and proposed plans for it to be covered.

Have unloved or unwanted paint at home that’s fit for the bin? Well one local group re-love, repurpose and recycle that paint saving it from the bin and landfills.

On thsi week's Ours To Protect we meet the paintmakers and shakers behind Re-Love Paint, a community organisation upcycling paint, mixing, matching and making colours as they go so it can be put back on the walls of your community or business.

Got pesky invasive plants at home or in your community? Well ditch your weed killer and hedge cutters and instead get yourself a goat!

This week on Ours To Protect we hear how a tribe of goats can be your gardening friend in getting rid of invasive plant species to help others grow.

Got pesky invasive plants at home or in your community? Well ditch your weed killer and hedge cutters and instead get yourself a goat!

This week on Ours To Protect we hear how a tribe of goats can be your gardening friend in getting rid of invasive plant species to help others grow.

Billy’s Rent a Goat is at Beaumont Quarry doing exactly that. They’ve teamed up with Cork Nature Network and the Cork City Council to tackle ‘The Old Man’s Beard’ to help more native species to grow. It’s part of the re-generation programme to create a more greener, bio diverse space for the community and wildlife to enjoy.

This week we catch up with the supergroup behind Togher Community Garden who’ve done Trojan work transforming a once unused site known as the bog into a blossoming garden.

They’ve created a flourishing habitat by planting hundreds of trees, flowers for the bees, grown fruit and veg the community, and built a pond for ducks and frogs alike. Want to hear how you can grow your own fruit and veg, partake in the group or learn something new – then tune in now.