Waterford's River Licky access project wins award

A project which opened up access to Waterford's River Licky secured a top environmental award yesterday.

The River Licky Management Plan Project was the overall winner of the ESB/Conservation Volunteers Ireland Community Environment Awards 2002. Prof David Bellamy, president of CVI, presented the project team with the award and €3,200 prize money at a ceremony in Dublin.

The River Licky is host to the pearl mussel which is extinct in Europe apart from parts of Ireland and Scotland. The management project grew out of a series of visits to the river by local children on summer camp.

It was known that the river hosted pearl mussels and that water quality there was falling. But in 2001 the project employed an expert to carry out a population survey, which showed far greater numbers than perviously thought.

The river's population is described as being of major significance, not only in Ireland but internationally, and the organisers of the awards scheme said the project was "hugely important".

Four awards worth €1,905 each went to the Rusheen Bird Sanctuary, Galway; Glinsk Community Development Society, Co Galway; the HOPE Project, an initiative to acquaint children with their local environments, Straffan, Co Kildare and Portumna Castle Crafts and Garden, Co Galway.

Local awards were secured by Tarbert Development Association, Co Kerry; Dromard Foroige Recycling Initiative, Co Leitrim; the landmark feature at Foilhammerum, Valentia Island and Terenure Enterprise Centre, Rathfarnham, Dublin, for its project to enhance knowledge of flora and fauna in Terenure.

Eight projects received commendations including the Shangan Neighbourhood Recycling and Composting Centre, Ballymun, Dublin; the Organic Walled Garden at Donamon, Co Roscommon; and "The Neale - a heritage village," in Ballinrobe, Co Mayo.