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Irish Independent

Nature meets art in Wicklow as day-long festival runs from dawn ‘til dusk

The festival is on Saturday, May 17, and promises a wide range of artistic and nature-based events in the areas of Enniskerry, Bray and the Glencree Valley. Organisers say it is a chance to step away from everyday life to deepen our appreciation of the natural world. It will begin with a dawn chorus walk with the renowned ornithologist and wildlife sound recordist Sean Ronayne, through a the field in the native woodlands near Knockree Hostel, Glencree. Sean's walk will be followed by an informal breakfast at the hostel, during which local zoologist Kieron Finch will arrive with the moths that he has captured overnight, inspiring awe and wonder as he unveils their magnificence. Following the Magic of Moths will be a family bug hunt led by local artist Liz McMahon that will bring parents and children into the forests along the banks of the river to explore the many wonderful critters that inhabit the native woodland. This will be followed by a family walk, exploring habitats along the riverbanks, with local nature enthusiast and mountain leader, Martha Burton. Professor Jane Stout, one of Ireland's leading botanists, will join The Shaking Bog to lead a wildflowers and pollinators walk through the Lacken Valley, rich with bluebells and wild garlic. 'What is Wild?' a talk by Mark Cocker, award-winning author of creative non-fiction, a naturalist, columnist and broadcaster, will take place at St Patrick's Church, Curtlestown, at 5.30pm. Cocker's latest book One Midsummer's Day: Swifts and the Story of Life on Earth celebrates the interconnectedness of all of life and has been shortlisted for the prestigious Richard Jefferies Prize for nature writing. The day-long programme of events will draw to a close with a memorable performance in two parts. The first will be a poetry reading from the acclaimed nature/eco poet Jane Robinson who will read from her poetry collections Island and Atoll. The second part of the evening will mark the first home performance by acclaimed solo and concert violinist Lynda O'Connor, who grew up just minutes away from Curtlestown Church. Lynda will be joined by international concert cellist and composer Ailbhe McDonagh and together they will perform The Irish Four Seasons which premiered late last year Meanwhile, Riverscapes as a project will flow through the coming weeks and months with various activities feeding into its various 'tributaries' of engagement. Many of these activities will evolve out of consultations and conversations with community groups and individuals and some will be more structured. ADVERTISEMENT It will culminate with the unveiling of Alan Gilsenan's film that will be screened in Mermaid Arts Centre in October as part of a larger autumn programme of events. Commenting on this year's programme, director Catherine Nunes said: 'The Shaking Bog believes that we can contribute to finding a 'third way' forwards by gathering not dividing, by inspiring and connecting, by sharing and including, by reflecting and wondering, by touching on the alchemy that happens when nature and meet – for it is there that the light shines in and hope resides.' For full details of the programme, go to: This year, all tickets are being sold through the Mermaid Arts Centre platform, at