'Love your Beach' will take place on 18 and 19 May and will kick off National Biodiversity Week this year with plenty of fun facts for all the community.
The events start on Friday, 17 May at 4.30pm on Ballyloughane Beach with an official opening with the Mayor of Galway city. This will be followed by a beach clean-up with the Clean Coasts group. To celebrate the beginning of National Biodiversity Week Galway’s Atlantaquaria will be ‘Beach combing for Biofacts’ and discovering the treasures that can be found along Galway's coastlines.
To cap the evening off Galway City Council’s Biodiversity Officer, Paula Kearney, will also be sharing her wealth of knowledge on coastal and marine wildlife and the role of coastal habitats in climate adaptation.
On Saturday morning, 18 May, Grattan beach will be the venue for a beach clean-up with Galway’s Atlantaquaria followed by the ‘Protect our Dunes’ workshop with games. Dr Heidi Acampora from ATU will then discuss ‘Seabirds and Plastic Litter’ as they continue to bring awareness to the ongoing challenge of single-use plastic waste.
'Love your Beach 2024' will finish off on the Blue Flag Ladies’ Beach in Salthill. A litter pick at 12pm will be followed by a ‘Beach Drum Circle Jam and Beach Mandala Art’ by Lukasz Krzywon.
'Love your Beach' encompasses art, music, and environmental education to provide two days of public appreciation for the wonderful coastline of Galway city.
Speaking about the event, Fergal Cushen, Environmental Awareness Officer with Galway City Council said:’’ All of these events are free and open to the public so I hope as many Galwegians and Tourists alike can come and help with the Beach cleans. There will be fun and insightful talks and it’s a great way to show your love for our wonderful beach amenities.’’
For a full program of events and litter clean ups on your local beach, please visit www.galwaycity.ie/love-your-beach or email [email protected].
