Lecale Conservation Seeks New Environmental Activists

Lecale Conservation is calling for environmental activists to join the group

County Down’s longest-standing environmental charity held its AGM at The Mill in Ballydugan recently and took the occasion to launch their new website.

You can view we website at the link:

www.lecaleconservation.org .

Incoming Lecale Conservation Chairperson John Peacocke said: “We were delighted to have received two years of funding for our Lecale Youth Group to train them on website creation, maintenance and social media campaigning.

“I would like to thank our youth officer Cadogan Enright for leading this work in Downpatrick Library on numerous Saturday mornings over the last 2 years.”

“The Lecale Conservation members have done an excellent job in vividly depicting environmental activism in South East Down for over 30 years and highlighting the work of well-known activists past and present.

“And they have created a record of how ordinary people have fought for, and succeeded in achieving environmental action in and around the Lecale area.”

Members of Lecale Conservation: (back row, l-r) Noel Killen, David Beckett, Bill Corry, Lorna Brown, Ruth McCoy, Chris Murphy. Front row, Phil Allen, Lyn Irvine, John Peacocke, Cadogan Enright and Jim Manley.

“I would encourage people of any age to look at  our new website

www.lecaleconservation.org

“and see how they might help in the many different types of work from restoring wildlife areas with fencing and planting, campaigning to change regulation or the law, doing funding applications or helping our youth group travel to Climate Change demos in Belfast or further afield.

“We have cross-membership with the Loch Cuan Canoe Club which has enabled members to participate in water-borne environmental action such as cleaning the River Quoile every spring or litter-picking 108 islands on Strangford Lough in late summer.”

Recent projects by Lecale Conservation include working with the Strangford and Lecale Coast Partnership to restore 1.5 kilometres of dunes at Tyrella beach, copying the previous successful work at Ballyhornan Beach.

Work in progress. A fence at Tyrella beach to help protect an area where sensitive new grasses and plants are to be planted by volunteers to help prevent erosion on the beach. Lecale Conservation is actively involved in this project and seeks volunteers to assist with the planting.
(Photo by Jim Masson©).

“And it includes raising funds for and carrying out work to create community parks and facilities in Ardglass, Kilclief and Killard.

Lecale Conservation secretary David Beckett said: “I would invite families or groups interested in supporting environmental action to organise a team for our quiz-night at the Lake-side Inn beside Ballydugan Lake on Saturday 23rd March at 8pm.

Quiz teams are maximum 6 per table and you can book at place with Margaret at 07789208859.

“If anyone is interested in joining our group and/or coming along to our monthly meetings at The Mill in Ballydugan nearby, they can email for further information to: lecaleconservation@gmail.com .”