MALAWI UPDATE FROM JOE GALLAGHER

Muli bwanji! Greetings from Malawi. It is now a month since I arrived in this area to work for 4 months and I have been asked to write a little bit about what is to be found here. You may well ask what interest the natural world here might hold for Cabragh Wetlands but as I arrived here on a Saturday evening 4 weeks ago and saw the swallows flying low over the ponds collecting flys and watched the egrets picking their way through the muddy flats I realised that many of these birds were en route to Ireland and could well find themselves settling near Thurles for the summer months!


I am here on the the Nankhumba Peninsula which divides the southern end of Lake Malawi. The area here is part of Lake Malawi National Park and is a World Heritage Site This National Park, with its deep clear waters, is home to many hundred species of fish, nearly all endemic. Their importance for the study of evolution is comparable to that of the Galapagos Islands finches. Lake Malawi, lying within the Western Rift Valley, is a unique inland sea 560 km long. The lake's water is permanently stratified, having a warm upper layer overlying a cooler lower layer and is remarkably clear. Because of the these characteristics of the lake, should it be contaminated, the renewal time would be in the order of 1,700 years. The water level fluctuates according to season with a long-term cycle of fluctuation over years. Recent years have seen increases to the highest levels since recording began, probably due to increased rainfall and to forest clearing on the high plateau above. The peninsula has poor rocky soils very susceptible to erosion. In general, the hills are wooded and rise steeply from the lakeshore. Habitat types vary from cliffs and bouldery shores to pebbly and sandy beaches and from wooded hillsides to occasional swamps and lagoons.


The Park was established primarily to protect some of Lake Malawi's very rich aquatic life. The lake contains the largest number of fish species of any lake in the world: over 1,000 from eleven families with perhaps half occurring in the Park area. Over 90% of the fish can only be found in Lake Malawi. The lake contains 30% of all known mbuna or cichlid species of fish of which all but five species of over 400 are endemic to Lake Malawi. More than 70% of mbuna species are not described. They are highly colored, highly territorial and very specialized.
Mammals include chacma baboon and a variety of monkeys, leopard and hippopotamus. The varied birdlife includes black eagle, fish eagle and along the shoreline many waders. The islands, especially Mumbo and Boadzulu, are important nesting sites for several thousand white-breasted cormorant.


Much of the lakeshore is heavily populated. Five shoreline villages, Chembe, Masaka, Mvunguti, Zambo and Chidzale, are included within enclaves in the park. As the soil of the peninsula is poor and crops fail about 50% of the time, local people are dependent on fishing for a livelihood. Some 40,000 people make a living directly from the lake in offshore fisheries, catching 70% of the country's animal protein intake. The Park has been zoned to allow traditional fishing methods aimed at catching migratory fish in limited areas, although in most of the Park the resident fish
are completely protected.



And so this is an introduction to this area of Malawi from which many of our summer visitors will come. Tuanana!













Source: United Nations Environment Programme-World Conservation Monitoring Centre

Wednesday 25th March 2009 8.00p.m. Cabragh Wetlands Education Centre.

The Cicada's 17 Year Sleep - Complexity and Emergence in the Natural World

Dr Declan Murphy
Have you ever wondered how a large flock of Starlings can fly and even negotiate complex manoeuvres without crashing into each other?

What do ant colonies, slime moulds and the teeming
streets of Victorian Manchester have in common? They are all
examples of complexity theory in action! Learn more about
this fascinating topic

Admission is free

SCHOOL TRIPS

Once again we are at the time of year when schools come to visit us here at Cabragh. Over the past two years we have had about two thousand school children enjoy the delights of nature at the wetlands. Our experience is that children respond enthusiastically to the delights of the natural world. They are stimulated and fulfilled in a way that only nature can evoke.
During a visit to Cabragh which lasts about two and a half hours children explore a number of different habitats.
The field trip starts with a 20 minute Power Point presentation during which the children are introduced to topics which they will later explore. We present information on the pond and pond life, the hedgerow, bird hide, stream and the wetlands in general.
After this presentation the children are taken on a tour of the various habitats to experience first hand the wonderful variety of plant and animal species, and how they all form a delicate and complex web of life. We divide the children into groups but each child has the opportunity to experience each habitat and partake in each activity. Always popular is the pond and the community of life that lives there. Children study the various insects in the viewing tanks and use charts to identify them. A walk through the wetland has beautifully illustrated information boards along the way.
All our activities are based on the primary science programme for primary schools. While the children enjoy a day at the wetland they are also fulfilling part of the school curriculum. The study area is confined and with the supervision of the school's staff it offers a safe environment for exploration of the natural world.
We believe that if we plant the love of nature in our children they will mature into adults who will care about our planet. Children may make follow up visits to the wetlands at any time. For safety reasons they must be supervised by an accompanying adult.

BIRD BOX DAY - SATURDAY 14TH MARCH 2009

We are having a Bird box day on Saturday March 14th from 11am to 1pm . Children are invited to come along accompanied by an adult to assemble their own bird box. There will be a charge of €5 for the box. NOTE: If they could bring a Phillips screw driver with them.
While they are working on the bird box Tom Gallagher will present a talk on ‘Garden Birds and their Folklore, and how to attract them’

Be The Change Seminar

The most critical issue, and the greatest opportunity, of our time......and what you can do about it

We invite all interested people, young and old to attend this fascinating event. This seminar challenges us to create a future that is environmentally sustainable, socially just and spiritually fulfilling. It poses the questions: Where are we? How did we get here? Where can we go from here?

The Seminar will be conducted by Michael Rodgers SPS , Director of the Tearmann Centre Glendalough.

Venue Cabragh Wetlands Centre

Date Saturday January 31st

Times 10.30am to 3.30pm with breaks for refreshments

Please bring packed lunch. There is a registration fee of €20 to help cover expenses. We hope to see you there! Further details can be obtained from info@cabraghwetlands.ie www.cabraghwetlands.ie


Be The Change Symposium Trailer from Emily Smith on Vimeo.

Winter News

This has been a year full of activity at Cabragh Wetlands.
Thanks to the assistance and support of Tipperary Enterprise we spent some
time during the year evaluating the role of Cabragh Wetlands and charting the course
ahead. We were ably assisted in the task by Environmental Consultant Mieke
Muyllaert and this led to our producing a business plan prepared by Lorraine Grainger.


During the year we initiated articles in The Tipperary Star, which if the feedback is
anything to go by, are appreciated by many people. Thanks sincerely to the editor Michael Dundon for his generous support.

Our Web site is up and running and well worth a regular visit. People visiting the site are from as far a field as China and the USA! Our web address is www.cabraghwetlands.ie


During the year we also produced a short DVD on the flora and fauna of the wetland, copies of which are available here at the Wetland at €10. It makes a lovely gift – recording as it does a local voluntary initiative in preserving a valuable resource. We thank all concerned for their support in bringing this fine snapshot of the wetlands to fruition. Ollie Delaney's editing is only topped by the amazing flight of the starlings captured by Seán Maher on video. We also have greeting cards on sale at the centre with photos of the flora and fauna of the wetlands.


Our school programme continues and we had a big number of Primary School visits during the year. We believe that what we have to offer here makes a valuable contribution to environmental education particularly in the field of habitat studies. The Summer Camp, popular as always, was well attended and the feedback from children and parents is very positive.


Together with Ceoltas we hosted regular evenings of Music and Song. We even managed to dance on the carpet and we look forward to having a timber floor in the future!


Our Open Day in July was well attended. Again we had Eanna Ní Leamhna who is always popular and never disappoints. Despite it being a very wet day it was enjoyable and informative. Thanks to all our loyal supporters for making this day such a success.


We were selected by the Co Council to represent Tipperary in the Pride of Place Competition. We had work to do to prepare for the event as they send out judges to view the place. We did well and received a Certificate. The profile which such competitions offer is valuable.


Bird Watch continue to use the Wetland as a bird ringing site, and they are putting together valuable information on the population and movement of birds. Rarities like the skua which Seán Maher found continue to surprise.


We also organized events in working with clay and stone during the year. Artists who conducted the workshops were Mary Scott and Philip Quinn. This was promoted by the Arts Officer of North Tipperary Co. Co. Thanks to all involved for a successful and fruitful event.


A huge loss to the centre is Marlene Harney who has returned to South Africa with her family. Marlene brought great energy and expertise to her work in promoting the wetlands. We were privileged to host a presentation to her of a beautiful painting of Cabragh Wetlands by Joe Gaynor on the 13th September. We wish Marlene, Durk and the boys success and happiness in their new home.


At this time our series of Winter talks have resumed. We hosted a selection of interesting topics all related to the environment. We believe that Cabragh Wetlands offers a valuable focus for environmental issues. Your involvement with us and your support is much appreciated.


We want to streamline our membership and we request all membership fees to be renewed at
this time. So may we give you a gentle reminder that your membership is due about now!


Many thanks for your support and Happy Christmas,
From all at Cabragh Wetlands

The Wren and Its Folklore

For almost 1000yrs before St Patrick started his mission in Ireland the Celts and their druids worshiped many gods of nature. They placed great miportance on the belief that birds were messagners of the gods. As the christian religion spread many birds were seen as being good or bad ormens. The robin, pictured so often on Christmas cards, was respected because it was supposed to have received its red breast because it kept the fire in the stable at Bethlahem alight while Mary and Joseph slept.


The wren on the other hand was sacred to the Druids of pre- christian Ireland . The Irish noun for the wren 'Dreoilín' is probably derived from 'drui-éan' or druid bird. It was regarded by the ancient Celts as a messenger of the gods and the godess Clíona (the godess of love and beauty) took the form of a wren. The soul of the Oak King who was sacrificed to the sungod Bel at the summer solstice was embodied in the wren.


Probably because it has such strong connections with the pagan religion christians discredited the wren with stories of betrayal and treachery. The wren was supposed to have made Christ's whereabouts known to the Roman soldiers in the Garden of Gethsemane. It was also blamed for betraying St Stephen to his killers. In our own history when one Irish army was preparing to attack Cromwell's forces their presence was given away by a wren tapping an Irish drum. The Irish were all killed. While the robin stood for summer the wren stood for winter.


The wren was hunted on St. Stephen's Day - Lá an Dreolín. The dead wrens were tied to a holly branch and carried from door to door and the wren boys chanted verses like:

'The wren, the wren the king of all birds

St. Stephen's Day he was caught in the furze

Up with the kettle down with the pan

Give us a penny to bury the wren.'

If the good landlady of the house didn't give them a treat the wren was buried on the doorstep which disgraced that household.