Moon Landing

The media are understandably full of the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing this week. In a normal lifespan, there are always likely to be one or two pivotal, unforgettable moments that seem to transcend our sense of time and place, uniting people across the globe in a single common purpose and making differences of nationality, religion, politics and culture seem utterly trivial and insignificant. To a young mind especially, such events can be enthralling, compelling to live through. They create dreams and spark the imagination. They challenge our assumptions and change the way we think. They move us forward with altered priorities, generating change and progress in human society, moving mankind forward. For this aging writer, the impact of space exploration in the 1960’s on a teenage mind was huge. The sheer drama of the space missions and the human courage of the astronauts, Russian as well as American, was completely absorbing. That was an extraordinary night to live through, when so many of us sat up watching our grainy black-and-white televisions to see the lunar module land on the moon’s surface, and a few hours later held our breaths as Armstrong and Aldrin came down the steps and became the first humans to walk on a surface that was not of the Earth. Unforgettable. Yet it was never the technology that intrigued me. It was always the human drama, and the opening of the imagination. It was being made to think of things that had never crossed my mind before, being forced to see things from entirely new perspectives. As extraordinary as the feats of Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins in Apollo 11 were, perhaps with hindsight it was the journey of Apollo 8 a year or so earlier that has had the greater impact on human history. The astronauts were Borman, Lovell and Anders (if my memory is intact), and their mission was to be the first to fly into a lunar orbit, swinging round the dark side before firing themselves away from the moon and back to Earth – a vital test flight before they could proceed with actually landing on the moon. In the process they became the first human beings ever to be literally out of contact with Earth. As they emerged from behind the moon, they saw a vastly reassuring but totally unique sight – Earthrise. From here we see the sun and moon rise, from the moon you see the Earth rise. One of them took that iconic photograph which you have all seen, of a beautiful blue planet partially draped in cloud, hanging in space. It is a picture that has forced us to rethink our place in the universe, to recognize that man is not at the centre of everything, to see that we are totally dependent on this extraordinary planet. It is a picture that did much to inspire James Lovelock in the development of his deeply influential Gaia hypothesis, emphasising the linkage between all life forms on the planet, their mutual interdependence, and the capacity of the Earth to continue without man should we be so stupid as to so despoil the natural resources of the planet that our own survival is threatened. So enjoy the memories of the moon landing, but learn from it too. The media over the decades have always focused on the material benefits from space exploration, from non-stick surfaces to computing (apparently there is more computer power in your mobile phone than there was in the lunar landing module!), once again seeing progress in terms of things, not values and ideas. They had an unlikely opponent. On his return Neil Armstrong was asked what space technology and exploration had done for the standard of life on Earth. His reply was unequivocal: “Nothing. The only thing that can improve the standard of life is wisdom.”

Heritage Day 2009

Our annual open day at the wetlands is on Sunday 30th August from 1p.m. to 6p.m.

A wide variety of activities for all the family, young and old is promised

We hope to have two marquees, one with local Arts and Crafts and the other will display renewable energy technologies from local people.

Eanna ni Lamhna, of RTE and An Taisce, will give a talk here and lead a walk in the wetland.

There will also be a children's art competition. Children are encouraged to bring an art piece based on nature in any medium. Eanna will be judging on the day.

We have raffle tickets on sale @€2 each or €10 for a book of six with some great prizes

1st Prize Digital Camera

2nd Prize Two nights B/B in Lake Hotel, Killarney

3rd Prize €100 Shopping voucher

Summer morning

It’s so good to hear from people in the area who watch and appreciate nature. One correspondent was recently enjoying a beautiful sunny June morning, two days after the summer solstice, sitting by the open front door and enjoying the heat over a leisurely breakfast – the perfect start to a summer’s day! Nearby the swallows were working at a hectic rate to rear their young. Their chatter at all hour has a distinctive air of high summer about it. A tiny wren was busily encouraging her young to leave the nest. Hatched into thick ivy by the wall, the five chicks now had the task of leaving the relative safety of their nest and emerging into this brave new world. Courageously each in turn launched itself out and took its first fluttering voyage. There youngsters were faced with journeys that created many new perils for them. They looked so vulnerable as they took that first leap of faith, trusting their mother who was clearly torn between excitement and frantic worry. She disappeared for a few minutes, before returning with some food for the brave youngsters, all calling out for attention. From the security of the nest to the turbulence, chaos and danger of the wider world – and yet the urge is there and cannot be ignored …..move out and move on. It is a dangerous world for the young ones, even at 8am on a lovely sunny day. They have so much to learn if they are to survive, and they need to learn fast. For certain some of the five will not survive, but some surely will. It was not long before a few magpies appeared, with their distinctive menacing shrieks. Those little wrens just have to work it out for themselves. Good luck to them. Life goes on. The web that links all living creatures and plants, and the endlessly turning cycle of life, are truly remarkable. We are very privileged to be part of such a fortunate planet and to have been invited to join the dance of life.

A Handful of Habitats

To co-incide with Heritage Week a fascinating course for teachers entitled "A Handful of Habitats" will take place in the Thurles Area. The first day will be spent in Cabragh Wetlands.

Mon Aug 24th Wet meadow, Reedbed, Pond, Hedgerow at Cabragh Wetlands
Tues Aug 25th Peat Bogs and Derrynaflan
Wed Aug 26th Ash and Hazel Woodland at Killough Hill
Thurs Aug 27th Geology and Mountains - Devils Bit Habitats
Frid Aug 28th Summary of the Irish Habitats and their interpretation through photography

The Sun

Cabragh Wetlands Trust is holding its annual Flag Day in Thurles this Saturday (18th), and there will be number of collection points around the town. Of course fund raising is the day’s main objective, and we hope that the good citizens of Tipperary will respond with the generosity they always show when charities and other worthy causes hold out their voracious collecting buckets, but it is also a good chance to talk to people, spread the word about what we are trying to do, spark interest and perhaps even gain some new members. So stop by at one of our collection tables; take the opportunity to find out a bit more about what we are up to.

Despite the frequent deluges of rain, there have been some lovely sunny mornings recently. It’s so easy to take the sun for granted – without its light and warmth we would be in a very sorry state. The sun is the source of so much on our planet, and with the fortieth anniversary looming of Neil Armstrong’s first moon landing, it is worth reflecting on the fragility and interdependence the units of our solar system. The sun supplies our energy needs and the needs of all life. We have come to regard the use of fossil fuels like coal and oil as normal. Our creativity in inventing technology which allows us to exploit and utilize these energy sources has been astonishing, but they are finite sources of energy and will not last much longer – not to mention the consequences for the environment and climate of massive carbon emissions. Our traditional energy sources are going to run low within the lifetime of most people reading this. It is not a theoretical problem for the distant future, it is an immediate problem for you, your children and your grandchildren. We are living off our deposit account and most of us are not acknowledging that it will run out. All of earth’s processes depend on the sun; they work well enough. There are just three of these processes. First the producers supply the food. Many millions of years ago plants learned to trap sunlight and turn it into food, a process known as photosynthesis – a major step in Earth’s evolution. Secondly came the consumer animals which eat the plants and turn them into food, like cattle eating grass. We fall into this category. The last group are the decomposers, like earthworms, which have the important task of breaking down material and making it available for the plants to take up. And so the cycle begins again. For almost four billion years this process has continued. It is well tried and tested. Mankind lives within this process, which looks after our needs so well. We too are part of this interconnected and interdependent community of life. At a time when there is such heightened environmental concern, our challenge is to allow the sun and Earth to provide for all of life, just as they have done so very well for so long.

Summers Evenings

The old people celebrated St John’s Eve with gusto, and the longest day of the year is always a milestone both in one’s personal life and in the world of nature. At this time of the year Cabragh Wetlands is at its pristine best. A few evenings ago, in a blood-red sunset as close as it ever gets to the Devil’s Bit, a Committee member came across a small group of ladies tucked silently beneath the trees watching the water lilies beginning to close at the end of another beautiful day. In answer to a nosey question they replied that they were waiting for an otter. Of course no otter arrived on demand – nature is a force beyond human control, and efforts to do so have resulted in a cataclysmic outlook for mankind. But here at Cabragh such concerns can seem far away, and time and patience bring their reward. Some come to capture a moment on camera, others on multi-pixel film, and yet nothing can recreate that fusion of sound, colour, smell and a hint of a breeze on the evening air. What is certain is that an evening stroll or quiet sojourn by the lakeside lifts the spirits and gives a feeling that, despite everything, all’s well with the world in this quiet green corner of Fertiana, Cabragh and Galbertstown. Hurrying back to the busy world, one begins to think that on the longest day of the year time is once again gaining on us. How many beautiful May evenings have we lost, just as we missed the churning lake waters of March and the arrival of migrant birds arrived from foreign shores? The children, of course, have another wonderful opportunity this summer. As the marsh at last begins to dry out, the butterflies and damselflies flit and hover, the orchids colour the grassland, reed buntings and stonechats grate the ear, and our youthful Detectives in the Wild are there to observe, record, measure but above all experience at first hand the joy that immersion in the natural world brings to the young mind. Detective in the Wild Summer Camp begins at Cabragh Wetlands on July 13th, and a similar week for adults during Heritage Week at the end of August. All details from the Wetlands Centre (0504-43879) or 0504-23831.