This summer, the Smithsonian Institution presented the cultural wealth and diversity of Northern Ireland at the annual Smithsonian Festival in Washington.

Mark McGuigan from Omagh College was among the representatives under the heading ‘Sustainable Agriculture and Renewable Resources’. Along with local farmer John Gilliland and scientist/mycologist Alasdair McCracken they explored raising willow as an environmentally friendly “biomass crop” for an alternative to imported fossil fuel. Omagh College was one of the first organisations to install a willow boiler and to secure willow chips, as fuel, from Rural Generation on an ongoing basis. The College is also reflecting the efficiencies of short rotation coppiced willow in the courses it provides.

Lairdesign last year created colourful signage and posters for the buildings around the college where the willow burning process takes place. For the Smithsonian Festival we designed large format exhibition panels to highlight and display the processes in the cycle.