Cliff walk report part 2

Our final destination: Portally Cove...any chance of continuing this fine walk on to Ballymacaw and even Rathmoylan?

once again the steps are a little demandiing for the less agile!

Fine coastal features at the mouth of Portally

and a Geo which has a small protective fence around it to prevent the less wary slipping in

Dunmore Cliff Walk Report part 1

Looking back over the Flatrocks to the Lighthouse and on up the Suir Estuary.

Well done to Ray McGrath and the Dunmore East Tourism and Commerce Group for their fine booklet entitled: Guide to 7 walks in Dunmore East and surrounding area. For more information on the annual Walking Festival check here.

The new steps may be a bit steep for some but maybe improved

The addition of a seat with views over to the Hook and a small bridge over a marshy area

Should development be allowed on such a superb coastline?

Walk on 14th November

Ballyscanlon Lake will be the venue on November 14th. The wildlife will not be as active as when Don Conroy visited in July. Listen to his podcast on WLR..click here.

Looped Walks and Trails

This Sunday is National Trails Day...click here for full details.

Rathgormack Hiking Centre	Lough Mohra Loop	Rathgormack
Rathgormack Hiking Centre	Exploring The Gap nature and landscape	Nire Valley to Rathgormack
Kilmacthomas Walking Club	Crohaun Walk	Mar Mar Rd near Lemybrien
The Comeragh Mountaineering Club	The Comeragh Mountaineering Club Open Day	Coumshingaun Corrie Lake in the Comeragh Mts

Worth checking out the Discover Ireland website for the section on Looped Walks. Click here.
You can download trail maps.

September/October walks

Hi everyone,

What a great summer this was for us humans as well as the plants, butterflies and bats (less so for the 5-in-a-row hurlers perhaps, but we can't all be happy!).

Here are a few outings in the wild - or close to it - for the autumn season that might interest you.

Saturday, Sept 18th; IWT National AGM in Cork (members only) . 11am - 1 pm / Forest Walk after lunch)

Sunday Sept. 26th: 2pm Tramore : Seaweed workshop. Free event, no need to book.2pm.... a free Seaweed Workshop hosted by Marie Power, Regional Chairperson of the Irish Wildlife Trust, Field Ecologist Grace O’Sullivan and Hilary Killops on the front deck at Oceanics Surf School & Marine Education Centre. The Seaweed workshop will focus on the health benefits of seaweed and its uses, from tasting to cooking with it, and the identification of seaweed will be included. (anyone got a more recent picture...this one from 2004)
Check the archive on this blog for uses of seaweed.

Saturday October 2nd: 2-4.30pm: Mushroom Hunt in Lismore. More details and booking arrangements on the IWT website

Sunday October 24th: Seaweed Wokshop, Clonea Strand, Dungarvan. Booking neccessary. Details on the local website, part of the Return to the Deise weekend.

Everyone is welcome to IWT outings and feel free to pass this on to anyone you think would like to join an informal walk / talk in nature and some sharing of knowledge about plants, animals, birds, habitats etc. We would love to hear your suggestions / proposals for walks, events, practical conservation work in Waterford and the South East.

Heritage week walk

Celebrate Heritage Week with the Waterford Branch of the Irish Wildlife Trust on Sunday August 29th at Tramore Backstrand and Sand-dunes.

There will be a walk to the dunes observing and identifying bird and plant life as you go with walk leader, Denis Cullen.The walk starts at 2 pm from carpark beyond public toilets and lasts approx 1.5 hours., As this is part of IWT's nationwide Wildwatch Walks, you will receive an identification sheet, which you can complete on the walk and which will be entered into a draw for a prize (for most species identified). This adds to interest, especially for children. There is no need to book, just wear appropriate clothing and if you can, car pool, or travel by bicycle on foot, or by public transport. Binoculars would be helpful, and a pen for completing the Wildwatch form.

Contact Marie for more information: 0868124275

Other events coming up.......If you are interested in the heritage of the Comeragh Mountains; Waterford County Council are running an 8 week course in Rathgormack, starting on Sept 15th, covering flora, fauna, geology, archaeology, genealogy and discussion on developing tourism potential of the Comeraghs.

Contact Bernadette Guest for more more details. 058 22000.

Seaweed Workshop

The Waterford Branch will host a Seaweed workshop in Ardmore on Sunday 25th July at 11.30 a.m. The meeting place is Halla Deaglan on the main street in Ardmore.

The workshop will consider the uses and benefits of seaweeds, types of edible seaweeds on our shores and how to use them in cookery. This will be followed by a trip to the beach to identify the seaweeds and harvest them is a sustainable way.

The event is free and should conclude about 1.30.

There are a range of other activities such as whale and dolphin watching, and bird watching taking place as part of the Ardmore Pattern Festival (download programme in pdf format)