Every little helps!

The nomination of the Cabragh Wetlands Trust for an All-Ireland Pride of Place Conservation Award is very good news both for the Trust and for the local community. North Tipperary County Council has made the nomination for a cross-border award, in conjunction with Cooperation Ireland. Whether or not we get to shake hands with the President at the autumn Awards Ceremony is perhaps immaterial….though it would be nice to win! What matters is that there is growing recognition at a national level of the key role that community groups play in preserving their local habitats.

It would be easy to leave ecological protection to government, whether at county, national or European levels, and they have vital roles to play in setting ground rules and providing expertise and watchdogs….and money. But we have to believe that we as individuals are the ultimate guardians of our own habitats. If we do not care for the health of our own piece of earth, why should anyone else? It would be good to think that it is morally uplifting for us to be involved, and certainly the best possible example and bequest to our children.

The recent death of Edward Lorenz robbed us of the man recognized as the developer of “Chaos Theory”. He once ran a weather-prediction programme on his computer and decided to double-check the results, but to save time reduced his figures from six decimal places to three, an apparently insignificant adjustment of one part in a thousand. The results were dramatically different, and the implications were developed in his 1972 talk: “Predictability: Does the Flap of a Butterfly’s Wings in Brazil set off a tornado in Texas?”

Small deviations, small actions, can have massive and unpredictable results. Chaos Theory has had a profound impact on scientific and social theory, resulting in “one of the most dramatic changes in mankind’s view of nature since …..Newton”. It’s up there with Darwin and Einstein.

We have to believe that what we do as individuals and a community matters. Who knows what difference putting a coin in a bucket might make, or teaching your child about flowers, or buying binoculars instead of an ipod, or adding your perspective, expertise and enthusiasm to the work of a local group. If we all act locally, we can make a difference globally.

Come and help!

We are still frequently asked what the Cabragh Wetlands are, so for those of you still unsure, here is a quick overview of what the Trust is about.

Keen local amateur naturalists were aware that something catastrophic could be about to happen, when in the late 1980’s, the decision to close the Sugar Plant was taken. The settling ponds were a haven for a large number of birds, both native permanent residents and seasonal migrants from both the Arctic and Africa, and the flood plains around were well known for the range of plants and insects that flourished. It was feared that the habitat faced possible destruction, with housing estates or landfill mooted as potential “developments” for this unique ecosystem.

The settling ponds were lost, but the formation of the Cabragh Wetlands Trust, generous assistance from the Sugar Company and support from a variety of authorities (N. Tipp County Council, Shannon Development, Leader, Heritage Council, Tipperary Enterprise, FAS and others) enabled the Trust to purchase a few acres and work with local landowners to manage the larger wetland area in an ecologically sustainable way.

Conservation is the Trust’s raison d’etre, but we are in this for the long term, and the best way to ensure the permanent survival of this haven is to make it a community project, and to make recreation and education secondary priorities. So while we are committed to maintaining the wetlands ecosystem, water purity, healthy habitats and biodiversity, we are also establishing the Wetlands Centre as a forum to enhance public understanding of environmental issues, as a support for all levels of education through field studies courses and research and through public lectures and courses. We are doing what we can to promote both our natural and cultural heritage, and to encourage community involvement and recreation.

That’s a very broad brief, and one that needs support and involvement by a large number of people. If you want to help, come out and see us one morning, or call us on 0504-43879. The next Open Day will be on Saturday August 30^th during Heritage Week, but the walkways are almost always open for a quiet, contemplative, restorative stroll.