Tidy Towns ‘keeping things fresh’

Tidy Towns Cavan is striving to quell climate change.

The group recently met with representatives from across Europe to discuss rising temperatures, water conservation and how to protect our climate.

According to the local Tidy Towns group, it all starts with young people and they have been visiting Cavan schools and educating the youth on what they can do to help battle climate change.

During the meeting, a quote came up, which the group's secretary Paul Lynch really enjoys.

“We’re not going to save the earth, but there’s a very good chance that our kids will.”

One of the main aims within schools was to get children recycling with the ‘Can You Recycle It?’ project. The committee had bins manufactured in the shape of a can or bottle to help children sort their recycling. They then completed an art project using the materials.

“There was an incentive there, you collect the bottles, you collect the cans, and you make an art project,” explained Paul.

As a father himself, Paul expressed the importance of making taking care of our environment fun and exciting for young children.

“We need to get the idea into children’s heads that everything isn’t just one use; things can be reused, things can be recycled.”

The committee members have also planted veggie window boxes in schools to encourage children to grow their own food and reap the rewards. Produce grown includes kale, scallions and lettuce.

Paul called for more incentives when it comes to recycling in Ireland.

“We have to make recycling profitable,” he said, adding that a receiving a few cents per bottle or can would encourage people to recycle more.

Representatives from Malta, Croatia, Italy, and Germany attended the discussions, listening to what Tidy Towns Cavan are doing and spoke about their own initiatives.

A Malta representative outlined how water conservation in the current climate is huge. Temperatures in the Mediterranean island hit 39 degrees Celsius last week with a real feeling of over 40 degrees. In a bid to save water, residents in the country are harvesting water from their rooftops and using it for daily needs such as flushing their toilets.

“If you’re wasting water in Malta, there’s a fine,” Paul said, adding that “it’s quite strict”.

The Dublin native pointed out that we have “an international responsibility” to care for the environment.

For example, he says, we have a duty to take care of the many lakes we have in Cavan, with a shortage of freshwater in the country.

“We have to look after the lakes and the biodiversity and the ecology of the lakes.

“There’s countless examples during the year of incidents in lakes where there have been spillages with numerous fish dying.”

Paul feels with the current cost of living and family life here, people tend to put climate change “on the back burner”.

“Everybody has a little part to play in climate change and we all have to make that effort,” he encouraged.

As Paul spoke to the Celt, he was just after putting up a tent at Row Campsite in Killeshandra. He admitted to having a real “grá” for Cavan and working within the community, having been treated well since he moved to the area with his wife 16 years ago.

“I wanted to make a difference,” Paul said of his decision to join the Tidy Towns committee.

“I want Cavan to continue to be a nice place.”

He praised the rest of the committee, who each joined tidy town for individual interests of horticulture, biodiversity or anti-littering, bringing all their talents together to keep Cavan tidy.

The group's efforts have been nominated for the Community and Council Award for the best ecological and environmental projects, they finished in third place in the Irish Business Against Litter league and placed first in last year's Cavan Tidy Town competition and also won a silver medal nationally.

“We are trying to keep things moving, we’re trying to keep things fresh,” he said of their work.

“I think we’ve made a difference I really do.”

Family fun day

The group are organising a family fun day at Green Lough as part of Cavan Calling with a barbeque, an ecology talk, a treasure hunt and more starting at 1pm on July 29.

“If anyone wants to get involved or wants to sit down and have a chat we’ll be there,” Paul assured.

Alternatively, for those who want to get involved or want support from Tidy Towns Cavan, they can contact Paul on 086 125 2739 or through the group’s Facebook page.