The Purpose of the Event – Moy Trust
The children of 5th and 6th class of Ballyvary NS had a day they’ll never forget on Tuesday 20th March in the company of their teachers and local public agencies and volunteers. This was the final event in a series of expo’s to highlight what the new River Moy Trust involves, the agencies it will work with and the role it aims to serve particularly regarding education.
Activities the children took part in
The children arrived by bus to the starting point and joined the greenway at N5 tyres. Bikes and helmets were at the ready and the children ventured along Mayo’s newest section of greenway towards the museum.
On the journey they spotted moorhens, mallards and a heron immersed in its fishing. Towards the end of the cycle along the Castlebar river a group of kayakers from GMIT and Moy Canoe Club carried out a demonstration. In addition to this, they had a brief chat illustrating the way our rivers can be used for pleasure and activity.
Upon arriving at the Museum bikes were parked and the children were met by several local agencies.
The staff from the EPA Castlebar office assisted with Mayo County Council for the ecology workshop along with Sharon Cameron, Environmental Officer. Kick sampling onsite in the local stream was carried out to educate the children on the flora and fauna that exist underwater. They also learned how to identify them and how their contributions towards determining the quality of a watercourse. Inland fisheries gave a brief presentation about the fish that live in our waters. A group of rangers from National Parks and Wildlife were also onsite. They chatted with kids about the native animal species that live in our woodlands. They then went onward to a group of local anglers demonstrating the various methods used on rivers in the locality. A brief Q&A session was also held.
After that the children met up with Martin, the falconer from Mount Falcon Estate in Ballina. He had a Barn owl and a Harris Hawk as well as Uisce, his gun dog and gave the children lots of insightful information. They also came face-to-face with these native birds .
The children made their way towards the café where refreshments and healthy treats were provided by the Museum. After a brief pit stop they then enjoyed a brief tour of the museums fishing and boating artefacts.
Acknowledgements
The River Moy Trust would like to thank everyone that participated on the day, especially local water and communities officer Mike Kane who also visited the school beforehand and did a classroom-based talk with the children. The National Museum of Ireland – Country Life hosted the event and for this the organisers are truly grateful. Special thanks also to Ballyvary National School for engaging with the project from the start.
Get involved!
If you would like to get involved, the River Moy Trust is seeking people who are passionate about solving issues regarding water and the environment in the Moy catchment area. Please contact Ciaran Boland on 086-3800034 [email protected] or Gary Smyth 086-8384684 [email protected] for further information.
More information can also be found here: https://www.northmayo.ie/river-moy-trust/
