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JuneFest 2017: River Liffey Nature Walk

The River Liffey offers an inspiring way to bring learning to life. On Saturday 17th June 2017, The Waters and Communities Office collaborated with the JuneFest Committee to celebrate the wonders of the River Liffey in Newbridge, Co. Kildare.

A nature walk along the Linear Park during JuneFest enabled children and adults alike to discover inventions, uncover stories and spot amazing wildlife on their doorstep! The nature walk was a fun-filled activity and helped us to learn about and appreciate the wide variety of precious wildlife that the River Liffey is home to.

The Waters and Communities Office engaged the expertise of a local nature enthusiast, Michael Jacob to lead the walk. Michael led 50 people along the river on a glorious summers day and treated them to a lively and fun-filled talk which brought the River to life.

Kick Sampling

The day’s activities also included the opportunity for participants to take part in kick-sampling of the River which helped to assess the quality of the water and to discover the types of invertebrates which inhabit the Liffey.

The Waters and Communities Office would like to thank all who attended the JuneFest River Walk and would also like to express gratitude to the JuneFest Committee for their help and support in coordinating the event. We look forward to next year’s event already!

Aoife McGrath, Community Water Officer, Waters and Communities Office

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Ecology Unit

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The Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Unit is involved in assessing the ecological health of Ireland’s rivers, lakes, estuaries and coastal waters. We work with our partners to ensure that the information we collect can be used to improve our knowledge and understanding of Ireland’s aquatic environment.

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Quite simply, everyone in Ireland has a role to play. This can be from something as simple as making sure you don’t pollute your local stream, or a local community working together to establish a Rivers Trust to enhance the rivers and lakes in their area, to a Government Department or Agency helping a Minister implement a new policy to help protect and enhance all our water bodies.

This website has been developed and is maintained by the Environmental Protection Agency, and is a collaboration between the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Local Authority Waters Programme.

Local Authority Waters Programme

The Local Authority Waters Programme coordinates the efforts of local authorities and other public bodies in the implementation of the River Basin Management Plan, and supports local community and stakeholder involvement in managing our natural waters, for everyone’s benefit.

Environmental Protection Agency

The EPA is responsible for coordinating the monitoring, assessment and reporting on the status of our 4,842 water bodies, looking at trends and changes, determining which waterbodies are at risk and what could be causing this, and drafting environmental objectives for each.

Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

The Department is responsible for making sure that the right policies, regulations and resources are in place to implement the Water Framework Directive, and developing a River Basin Management Plan and Programme of Measures to protect and restore our waters.