CELEBRATE WORLD CURLEW DAY WITH US on Thursday APRIL 21st
On Thursday, April 21st, we will be in Ardee Library from 10.30am - 4pm.
To celebrate World Curlew Day we will be dressed as Curlews and sharing our love of these beautiful birds.
Come say hello! Ardee Library has graciously let us host a public celebration of Curlews, the challenges they face, and the ways these iconic birds interact with the imagination to enrich our lives. We will share some of the music, art, and ideas inspired by Curlews.
We look forward to sharing the beauty and peculiarity of Ardee Bog with everyone and to hearing other people’s stories and memories about the bog, questions about the Curlews, or just having a chat about what we do with Friends of Ardee Bog.
CURLEWS ARE ON THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION IN IRELAND. LEARN MORE HERE.
Our striking Curlew costumes were designed by Rachel Murphy for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. We will be sharing a recipe on how to make your own Curlew costume - coming soon!
Curlews are one of the most iconic birds of the Irish countryside, but the Curlew Task Force has reported that there has been a 96% decline in numbers since the 1980s.[1] The Curlew is on the Red List of endangered birds and in danger of extinction in Ireland.[2] In 2021 only 34 breeding pairs were confirmed in Ireland.[3] Curlews are feeding and possibly nesting in Ardee Bog.[4]
“We are running out of time. Curlews are on the brink of extinction in Ireland. We have a moral obligation to protect the habitat that supports Curlews. Imagine Ireland without the unique call of the Curlew?” - Anne Lennon, Friends of Ardee Bog, Curlew monitoring team leader
[1] Curlew Task Force: https://www.npws.ie/research-projects/animal-species/birds/curlew-task-force
[2] https://www.nationalruralnetwork.ie/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/The-Conservation-of-Breeding-Curlew-in-Ireland-NRN-Website.pdf
[3] https://www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/general/curlew-conservation-programme-report-2021.pdf
[4] Friends of Ardee Bog has a Curlew monitoring group. Map of Curlew sites in our photo archive.
The next day — on Friday April 22nd — we will celebrate EARTH DAY with a parade to Ardee Bog where we will hold a ceremony to celebrate the RIGHTS OF NATURE of Ardee Bog and the RIGHTS OF ALL BOGS on the island of Ireland.
Friday, April 22nd, EARTH DAY:
MEET in the Fair Green at noon
PARADE, walk, bike, jog, buggie to Corstown Bog*
CEREMONY in Corstown Bog at 2.30PM
PICNIC (leave no trace) at Corstown Lake afterwards (weather permitting!)
*There is parking at Corstown Bog, so those who can’t walk can meet us there. But we hope that everyone will try to join us for the walk.
*There might be limited space in cars/bus to take people back to town after the ceremony.
SEE YOU THERE!
Follow us on instagram or send us a message to find out more.
Click here to learn more about World Curlew Day.
Click here to learn more about Earth Day 2022.