Bealtaine Living Earth Festival

All News/Events

Date: 18 May, 2019 - 26 May, 2019

Time: All Day

Location: Ireland's Southeast

Cost: All events are free, booking essential for most.

Ireland’s Southeast has some of the finest natural heritage and biodiversity in Ireland which is celebrated in the annual Bealtaine Living Earth Festival in May.

Bealtaine Living Earth Festival runs this year from the 18 – 26 May 2019. This is the 15 year of Ireland’s biggest biodiversity and natural heritage festival. The Bealtaine Living Earth Festival is a cooperative partnership of organisations (public bodies and NGOs) concerned with the stewardship of the natural environment in the South-East of Ireland. This festival celebrates our natural heritage and environment and highlights the relationship between sustainability, biodiversity and natural resources.

Why not join the Bealtaine Living Earth Biodiversity festival for some guided walks along the seashore, discover and explore the beauty of JFK Arboretum, or learn about the history of the Copper Coast and much more.

Coordinated by Calmast, Waterford Institute of Technology’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) Outreach Centre the festival takes places across the counties of the Southeast and everyone is invited to join one or more of the many free talks, guided walks and workshops and get out and about to explore our wonderful biodiversity and natural heritage.

Saturday 11 May
16:00-17:00: Ireland’s Fascinating Wildflowers - A Talk by Naturalist and Author Zoë Devlin in WIT. There is no booking required for this event.

Saturday 18 May
11:00 & 13:00: Gardening for Pollinators: All things buzzing and beautiful! 2 interactive workshop where you can learn about our Bees and Pollinators. Event is on in WIT's Greenhouse Complex on the Carraiganore Campus. The event is free, but a ticket is required, please book here.

11:00-12:00: Between a Rock and a Hard Place. Garrarus Beach. We will take a closer look at rocky shore biodiversity with Marie Power, author of The Sea Garden. Come and explore the flora and fauna of the rocky shore, including identifying edible seaweeds. SOLD OUT.

Sunday 19 May
14:00-15:00: Explore the Copper Coast Mini Farm- Discover science with Calmast's Cordula Weiss while getting up close to all the animals living on a farm- SOLD OUT

15:00-16:00: Where Ireland meets Japan: Lafcadio Hearn Japanese Gardens. Join us on a journey of Hearn’s life, first through the Victorian Garden, then to the American and Greek gardens, until you eventually arrive in the Japanese gardens which feature many Japanese plants and Japanese architectural features. This is a free event, but booking required. Please book here.

Monday 20 May
19:00-21:00: Dusk Chorus - The Songs of Nightfall. Listen to the wonderful songs of birds at nightfall with author and broadcaster Eric Dempsey. The event is free, but a ticket is required, please book here.

Tuesday 21 May
15:00-17:00: Climate Change: A Discussion with Evelyn Cusack. This meeting will take place in Waterford City Hall. The event is free, but a ticket is required, please book here.

20:00-21:00: Ireland’s Weather: A journey through time with Evelyn Cusack. Evelyn will take us on a whistle stop tour through the climates of our early earth, from the beginning of civilisation and the Weather Gods on to the Age of Enlightenment and to Lismore’s Robert Boyle, finishing with our present high tech numerical forecast models which are now used to predict our weather. The Munster Bar,11 The Mall, Waterford. There is no booking required for this event.

Wednesday 22 May
11:00-12:30: Copper Coast Geopark Centre. This will be an interactive work shop and presentation about rocks, minerals and landscapes of the Copper Coast and Waterford. There is no booking required for this event.

18:30-20:00: Mount Congreve Unseen. This event celebrates the UN's International Day of Biological Diversity. Mount Congreve, one of the great botanical gardens of the world which is visited by thousands of people each year also nurtures often unseen and unexplored habitats. The event is free, but a ticket is required, please book here.

Thursday 23 May
18:00-20:00: Treasures of the Earth. Join Gemmologist Tina Keating for an introduction to the fascinating world of gem minerals and gemstones! This event takes place in Garter Lane Arts Centre. The event is free, but a ticket is required, please book here.

Friday 24 May
18:00-19:30: The Secrets of the Gardens. Enjoy the beauty of the world-famous gardens and explore one of largest collection of plants in Ireland: Mount Congreve, one of the ‘Great Gardens of the World’, is a stunning seventy acres of woodlands, wide lawns and a walled garden with many hidden secrets. This event is free but a ticket is required, please book here.

19:00-20:30: Copper Coast Geological Walk. Bunmahon Beach (West car park), walk through hundreds of millions of years of Earth’s history and learn how to read the dramatic history of the Copper Coasts rock formations.

Sunday 26 May
14:00-16:30: Mosaic on the Beach. Annestown Beach, Annestown, Waterford. Create a giant Mosaic on Annestown Beach with geologist Tina Keating using all the natural materials found on the beach. No booking required – just drop in and help us build a giant mosaic!

Saturday 18 May- Sunday 26 May
10:00-20:00: Come visit the JFK Memorial Park & Arboretum and participate in our Bealtaine Biodiversity Festival events, free entry between 18 and 26 May!

Saturday 18 May

12:00-13:00: The Beauty of Rhododendrons. Enjoy a guided tour through the Ericaceous Gardens in the JFK arboretum. The ericaceous garden contains many types of Rhododendrons and Azaleas and is a must see for visitors to the Arboretum. This event is free but a ticket is required, please book here.

Sunday 19 May
11:00-12:00: Mammal Identification. This event takes place in Wexford Wildfowl Reserve. A look at Irish mammals and the habitats they need to survive, with skull identification and quizzes. Booking required: Please call 076 100 2660 or email [email protected]

19:00-21:00: Dusk Chorus - The Songs of Nightfall. A dusk walk through the beautiful JKF Memorial Park & Arboretum with author and broadcaster Eric Dempsey. Eric is well known from the Mooney Show and for his many books about the birds of Ireland. He will introduce the common birds of the region and demonstrate how to identify them through their calls. This event is free but a ticket is required, please book here.

Wednesday 22 May
12:00-13:00: Tree Therapy: Wellness Walk. Open all your senses and discover the calming benefits of forest bathing at the JFK Arboretum. This event celebrates the UN's International Day of Biological Diversity. In 2019, the theme is 'Our Biodiversity, Our Food, Our Health' and aims to spread awareness of the dependency of our health on biodiversity and healthy ecosystems. This event is free but a ticket is required, please book here.

Friday 24 May
13:00-17:00: Mandala Day. Something for the whole family to take part in! A Nature Mandala uses natural objects like fallen leaves and twigs to form patterns. Help build the biggest Mandala at the JFK Arboretum with the help of the Guide Staff. Watch the beauty of nature unfold with this fabulous natural creation. No booking required – just drop in and help us build a giant mandala!

Saturday 25 May
12:00-13:00: A Living Library: The John F Kennedy Arboretum. An arboretum is a planned and ordered collection of trees grown for scientific and educational purposes. Join Mary O’Neill-Moloney, Head Guide, and learn about the amazing trees at the JFK Arboretum which has one of the most comprehensive plant collections in Ireland. This event is free but a ticket is required, please book here.

Sunday 26 May
14:30-16:00: The Importance of Trees. This event takes place in Wexford Wildfowl Reserve. A closer look at why trees are so important for all living things, walking around the Centre, we’ll age the trees, give them a health check and study them closely with magnifying glasses! Booking required: Please call 076 100 2660 or email [email protected]

Saturday 18 May
10:30-12:00: Breathtaking Biodiversity. Join Head Gardener Paul Cutler on a guided walk and discover the wonderful nature and biodiversity of the enchanting Altamont Gardens. Often called a jewel in Ireland's gardening crown, Altamont Gardens are an enchanting blend of formal and informal gardens with riverside walks, majestic trees and exotic plants throughout the gardens which are home to many birds and mammals. This event is free but booking is required, please book here.

Tuesday 21 May
19:00-21:00: Dusk Chorus - The Songs of Nightfall. This event takes place in Oak Park Forest Park. Listen to the wonderful songs of birds at nightfall on a guided tour with author and broadcaster Eric Dempsey. Eric is well known from the Mooney Show and for his many books about the birds of Ireland. He will introduce the common birds of the city and demonstrate how to identify them through their calls. Booking via Eventbrite or email [email protected]