Cathy Lee of the Ahare River Group said the weekend was fantastic and thanked the weather for such an amazing turnout. “The sun was the icing on the cake, the happiness on the kids’ faces were amazing.”
The Castletown River and Nature Festival encouraged kids to stay connected with nature.
On Sunday, August 24 to celebrate Water Heritage Day, locals gathered at Clone Strand to take in the sun and encourage children to learn about waste management, and the importance of recycling. “I think it really gave food for thought – it takes about two years for a banana skin to break down.
“It really brought home the need for why we should leave no trace, go out and have a good day out but bring our rubbish home – not leave it on the beach,” Cathy said.
She spoke about the need to keep children connected with nature, and the impact social media has had on the outdoors. “I think a lot of our young people are suffering from anxiety and mental health issues because of the impact of technology,” she said.
Cathy further emphasised the festival was a great space for children to disconnect from technology and embrace nature. As a former teacher, she said that children need to get out and gain first hand experience of the world, that will benefit them when they grow up.
“I think that the biggest gift that you can bestow to your children is the gift of childhood, giving them the time to be children – the time to explore and play and be bored, because when you are bored, you get creative.”
“We have to reclaim childhood, and we have to give kids the chance to grow up. There’s time for technology, but not when children are very young,” Cathy added.
Don Conroy at the drawing workshop on Saturday, August 23 in Castletown.
In addition to this, the Castletown River and Nature Festival held a workshop with Don Conroy on Saturday, August 23. Don is an artist and environmentalist, who helped the children learn about nature through a drawing workshop held.
Cathy thanked Don for returning to Castletown to inspire the next generation of environmentalists. “It was great to see that we were celebrating kind of nature. He has inspired so many kids over the years. And here’s another generation now that will hopefully take a great interest in nature,” Cathy said.
The Castletown River and Nature Festival encouraged kids to stay connected with nature.
Castletown River and Nature Festival is organised and supported by Wexford County Council and LAWPRO and The Heritage Council. Cathy thanked the Wexford County Council, LAWPRO and The Heritage Council for their support. She also praised the local community of Castletown.