The Bealtaine Festival of Outdoor Science, celebrating our Living Earth, ran from the 18th to the 25th of May this year.
The festival, which is in its 10th year, provided a full programme that was as diverse as our nearby biodiversity and showcased the best of the natural heritage of the Southeast (and beyond!) as well as including events to commemorate this year's International Day for Biological Diversity on May 22nd.
This year's theme for Biodiversity day was Island Biodiversity. As a coastal region, the Southeast is ideally situated to explore just what it means to be an island and many of our events reflect this theme: coastal foraging, mosaic making and much more.
The festival is a unique partnership between visitor centres and environmental organisations in the south-east interested in promoting the pursuit of outdoor science and is particularly designed with young people in mind. Our partners include the City Council, County Council, Copper Coast Geopark, South East Technological University Research Groups, ECO-UNESCO, National Museum of Ireland, Grow it Yourself, Tourin House, the Irish Wildlife Trust, Lismore Heritage Centre and a host of expert writers, nature experts and researchers. A comprehensive list of our partners is available from www.livingearth.ie.
Bealtaine Festival of Outdoor Science derives its name from the ancient Celtic celebration of the return of summer. This festival is all about celebrating late spring and early summer and the biological changes this brings to the world around us.