Blog Archives

Biodiversity Committee – Identifying Invasive Species

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One of the aims of the Biodiversity Committee of Wexford Tidy Towns is to identify areas where invasive species are present and report them so that these areas can be mapped. Knowing where these unwelcome visitors are and mapping them is the first step in their eradication. We know we have a problem in Co Wexford with Japanese Knotweed and Himalayan Balsam.

Japanese Knotweed is something you really do not want in your garden as it can really take over, even causing structural damage. Getting rid of it is not easy especially if you go about it the wrong way. Here is what the Biodiversity Ireland website says about it:

Key identification features: Japanese Knotweed is a herbaceous perennial plant with hollow bamboo-like stems that are speckled red. Grows to 3m in height. Leaves are 10-15cm long and up to 13cm wide, are shield shaped with a flat base and are arranged along zig-zag stems. Roots are bright orange inside. Flowers are very small, white, grouped and hanging. Flowering from July to October. It dies back in winter leaving dead stems. Can be confused with other non-native knotweed species.

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Japanese Knotweed

Himalayan Balsam you can see this along water courses at various place around the county. This one also likes to take over, completely, any areas in which it takes hold.

Key identification features: Herbaceous annual plant with hollow brittle stems that are pink to red in colour in summer. It grows to 2m in height. Leaves are distinctive with finely serrated edges that can be red tinged and normally arranged in whorls of three. The flowers are ‘trumpet’ shaped and can vary in colour from white to pink to purple. It flowers from July to October. A distinctive feature is the seed capsule which explodes and ejects the seed when mature. Roots are shallow and plant is easily pulled from the ground.

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Himalayan Balsam

We all must play our part identifying areas in which these, and other alien species, are present. Down the line we may look at organising work parties to work at clearing affected areas.

Visit the National Biodiversity Centre to learn more.

We encourage you to use this online form to report any sightings of invasive species.

Posted in Biodiversity, Tidy Towns News

Big Beach Clean – Kaat Strand 20/09/2014

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This week’s clean up 20th September we found ourselves at Kaat Strand as Wexford Tidy Towns were involved with the Clean Coasts Big Beach Clean weekend 2014. This event was taking place all around the nation on the weekend of the 19th, 20th and 21st of September. Clean Coast teamed up with the International Ocean Conservancy again for this International Coastal Cleanup event. Last year 645,015 volunteers in 92 countries removed 5,580 tonnes of marine litter from the world’s oceans. You can find out more about this international initiative at Clean Coasts Website

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Our Big Beach Clean was a massive success, 25 volunteers met at Kaat Strand at 10am and over the next two hours collected 52 bags of rubbish, a TV, a mattress and lots of other debris. There is always a good deal of litter washed up in this area so every pair of hands that we have will be greatly appreciated. We would like to say a big thank you to Slaney Branch, Inland Waterways, who also joined it was a pleasure to work with them. Also thank you to the Riverbank House Hotel who looked after us all again providing lovely fresh tea, coffee and scones after our clean up.
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We would like to remind you to dispose of your waste responsibly, don’t let it end up in our waters where it can do harm to the wild life and damage our coastline.

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Posted in Cleanups, Events, Tidy Towns Competition, Tidy Towns News

Green Dog Walker Campaign

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We are looking for some dog owners to join us on the Quay opposite the Bank of Ireland Offices at 10.30am Friday 26th September 2014 for the launch of Green Dog Walkers Campaign. Please come along and join us with your dogs or if you can’t make it on the day make a pledge to support this campaign.

The Green Dog Walker Campaign is a positive and pro-active way to encourage and support responsible dog ownership in Wexford. It aims to increase awareness of the problem of dog fouling which is among the most common forms of littering.

This is a campaign promoted and funded by the Environment Department of Wexford County Council, and supported by Borough District of Wexford, Wexford Tidy Towns, WSPCA, Visit Wexford.ie to combat the dog fouling in Wexford Town through public pledges, the local papers, facebook and South East Radio.

If you are a dog owner please come along with your dog and make a pledge to be a responsible dog owner, if you are not a dog owner we would welcome your support. When you sign up to the scheme we will send you a complimentary Green Dog-Walkers high-vis vest, Green Dog-Walkers armband and a ‘doggie bone’ poop-bag dispenser with a roll of bags.

By signing up you have ‘Taken the Pledge’ to always clean up after your dog, to carry extra doggie bags and to gladly give others a bag for their dog if they ask for one. By wearing the green armband you are indicating that you are a responsible dog–owner participating in and supporting the scheme.

Join our Green Dog Walkers campaign today by signing the pledge and together we can reduce dog-fouling in our community.

Dog walkers can take the pledge by signing the form Green Dog Walkers Leaflet and returning it to Environment Section, Wexford County Council, Carricklawn, Wexford.

Download the application form here Green Dog Walker Leaflet
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Posted in Biodiversity, Cleanups, Events, Tidy Towns Competition, Tidy Towns News

Whiterock Hill Cleanup 13/09/2014

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We had 16 volunteers out on Saturday 13th September and we got some amazing results due to the huge amount of work that the volunteers did on the day. They were out litter picking, cutting back brambles, nettle and branches sticking out onto the footpaths and hoeing and digging to retrieve the footpaths from leaves and dirt. There was 19 bags of rubbish and 4 large trailers full vegetation collected during the two and a half hours cleanup. It was a great mornings work on what is becoming one of the busiest approach roads to the town.

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Congratulations to all the volunteers for their hard work and to the Council staff who were out supporting us. This shows just how keen Wexford Tidy Towns volunteers are, we recently achieved Bronze Medal status in the National Competition and on Wednesday and Saturday our team was out continuing to keep Wexford Tidy. Thank you everyone. And a special thank you to Gaelic Bar Wexford for lovely tea coffee and biscuits afterwards.

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As enthusiastic and hard-working as we all are, we could always do with new volunteers, so if you have a couple of hours to spare why not become a Tidy Towns’ Volunteer. Our next clean-up is Saturday 20th at Kaat Strand as part of Clean Coast’s Big Coast Clean. We will gather at 10am and spend two hours cleaning the beach. There is always a good deal of litter washed up in this area so every pair of hands that we have will be greatly appreciated.

Posted in Cleanups, Tidy Towns Competition, Tidy Towns News

Recycle for Gambia

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Recycle for Gambia – Collection Day on Saturday Sept 27th

The Rotary Club of Wexford is again seeking to recognise and support the work of Wexford Priest Fr. Sean Devereux in Gambia. Fr. Sean has now spent almost 15 years helping poor communities in the diocese of Banjul Gambia.

The Rotary Club of Wexford supported by South East Radio presents “Recycle for Gambia” a special collection day on Saturday September 27th. Fr. Sean needs the following items:

  • Bicycles, regardless of the condition, wide wheeled mountain bikes and high nellys.
  • Light clothing for children and young people, sports jerseys, t-shirts, runners and football boots.
  • Power tools… drills, saws and plains.
  • Garden tools…. shovels, picks, forks, rakes.
  • Plastic seed trays for seed planting.
  • Exercise books, pencils, colouring pencils, Ladybird reading books for their nursery schools.
  • He also need syringes, stethoscopes, old and new type blood pressure monitors, bandages and in date medical supplies.
  • For the community based radio station and University students he needs used laptops or computers, headphones, mic stands, short and boom stands, mic cable and a small analogue mixer. Also CD players and cassette players.

    • Families in rural Gambia live on less than $1.25 a day and desperately need your help. The Collection Day will be on September 27th at the Wexford Enterprise Centre Car Park (opposite the Renault garage) on the Rosslare Road, Drinagh, Wexford from 11a.m. to 4p.m.

    Your unwanted items can really transform lives in the Gambia so please donate all you can.
    Thank you

    Posted in Events, Tidy Towns News

    Let’s Bee Friendly in Wexford

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    Wexford Tidy Towns “Let’s Bee Friendly” biodiversity campaign was launched this year by the biodiversity committee of Wexford Tidy Towns and supported by Wexford County Council as an action under the Wexford County Biodiversity Action Plan 2013-2018. The aim was to encourage everyone to keep under-threat pollinators like bees in mind when planting and looking after our gardens. Garden centres in Wexford have been encouraging shoppers to include bee-friendly flowers in their shopping basket. Learn more about how you can help from our gardening tips and pledge your support to the “Let’s Bee Friendly” campaign. We would love to hear about any actions you have taken to help the bees this summer by filling in the form on the “Let’s Bee Friendly” page.

    Also have you seen any of the bee friendly flower around Wexford town they are looking great and help our buzzing little friends. Below is a small section of people involved in the campaign and some of the flowers you can find around the town.

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    Wexford County Council have a great wild flower display growing at the entrance to their HQ.

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    Wexford in Bloom helped provided lots of flowers around the town this Summer that both the people and bees enjoyed.

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    The bee-friendly flowerbeds on 1798 Street were planted by workers from the Council, along with green-fingered volunteers from the Cornmarket Project.

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    Wexford Creamery were one of the groups that sponsored a “bee friendly” flower bed which is located at Rocklands.

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    This is one of the “Let’s Bee Friendly” posters which is located on the Quays in Wexford.

    We thank everyone for their support to this important biodiversity campaign and encourage people to make a pledge on the “Let’s Bee Friendly” campaign page to let everyone know how you did or are helping our bees!

    Posted in Biodiversity, Events, Tidy Towns News

    Picnic in the Park – Redmond Park

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    Love Redmond Park has their Annual Picnic in the Park taking place on the last Sunday of August from 2pm – 5pm. It is a great day out for all the family. For the younger folk it gives an opportunity to milk the last little bit out of the Summer before settling back into school mode. Format is same as last year with arts zone, puppet show, obstacle races with Menapians AC, football skills with The Vols (GAA) and Wexford Celtic (soccer), live music with The Ocelots and others, Bui Bolg’s super-sized BENCH, hoola-hoops and more. MC is DJ Cullie. Hot and cold drinks and ice cream served.

    The most important thing, however, is you! Bring a picnic basket and a rug and enjoy a relaxed afternoon in Wexford’s favourite little park.

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    Posted in Events, Tidy Towns News