On Sunday June 11, in partnership with the Clonakilty Bicycle Festival and Duchás Clonakilty Heritage, members of the public are invited to a Historical River Cycle to learn the history and health of the Feagle. Meet at Emmet Square, with your bicycle, at 3pm; from there the group will head out towards Ahamilla, stopping along the way to learn about some historical events and infrastructure along the river. As a group, kick sampling and insect identification activities will also be carried out at two points along the river, which is fun for all ages. This is sure to be a lovely event that will leave you with a much deeper understanding of this humble and ancient waterway. All welcome.
Looking back to last month, on May 14, Clochan Uisce hosted a walk along the Argideen river, meeting at Inchy bridge where the group engaged in some citizen science.
Water measurements were taken as part of the data collection for drinkable rivers www.drinkablerivers.org and kick sampling and plant identification was done. A lot of interesting invertebrates were found in nets such as stonefly nymphs, caddis fly nymphs, and surprisingly baby eels, also known as elvers. Mayflys were to be seen in large numbers and the trout were taking full advantage of this yearly bonanza.
Kick sampling and water measurements are a great way to connect with the life source of the river and empowers groups and communities to help understand and protect this fragile ecosystem.
There will be many more citizen science days along the Feagle and Argideen to look forward to.
Clochán Uisce meets each month and all are welcome. You can find the group on Instagram or join the mailing list by emailing clochanuisce@gmail.com.
