On Sunday 15th May 2022 join the Mayo Communities Caring for Water event and find out more about the Manulla River which connects Belcarra village to the sea and about Walshpool lake which once provided the community with all of its drinking water.
There will be an outdoor and interactive session in the morning (10 to 12), tea/coffee and scones at the community centre followed by an indoor interactive session 12.30 to 2.00 pm.
In the morning we will meet at Belcarra Community Centre at 9.30-10.00 and will head out to the Manulla River. This will be an interactive session with training in the Citizen Science Stream Index (CSSI). You will learn how to sample the invertebrates and identify the “good guys” and the “bad guys”. This method can be used to assess and monitor water quality in the river by communities. We will choose three sampling locations. We can look and chat about fish and their habitats as well as the birds, mammals and plants that rely on the river. We can talk about how as a community you can find out what is there (survey methods) and monitor changes year after year. This will be an Interactive session for adults. Bring your wellies!!
We will head to Walshpool lake and look at life in the lake and the amazing habitats next to the lake. Again this will be interactive and you can sample the lake with a net, put your sample in a tray and find out what is living under the water. Plants, butterflies and birds will be around if you want to have a closer look and learn something about how to survey them too.
Tea/coffee and scones in Belcarra Community Centre at 12.00 – 12.30.
After a tea break we will be in the Community Centre (12.30 to 2.00 pm) and we can show you the many ways to find out more about the Manulla River and other wetlands in the area. This will be through the many on-line websites which have data accessible to you …..on the land, on land history, on watercourses, geology, soil, birds, mammals, plants and much more. We can chat about changes to the land, to the river and about options for looking after the river, Walshpool and other lakes. We can discuss possible projects that the community might like to get up and running.
Hope you can come along – all welcome from Belcarra Village, any connected communities – along the Manulla River and any other communities in Mayo!!
