MOUNTAIN LOG NEWS 9 Pictured this page: Christina McInerney examines an insect captured by John Cromie at the Mountain Environment Weekend in Glendalough in June. Photo: Helen Lawless Previous page: Clockwise from left: Danny Parker and Andrew Burr at the top of the Axe Blade sea stack in Donegal; Wicklow Trails app; participants in the Mountain Environment Weekend at Glendalough; Eimir McSwiggan competing at the Ice Climbing World Cup in Saas Fee, Switzerland in January 2024. Images: Iain Millar, WicklowTrails.ie, Alan Lauder, Vladek Zumr MOUNTAIN ENVIRONMENT WEEKEND Helen Lawless reports Generous rain did not dampen the discussion and learning at Mountaineering Ireland’s Mountain Environment Weekend in Glendalough in June, the first time this event has taken place in Wicklow. It all started with an excellent presentation by Ann Fitzpatrick about the work of Wicklow Mountains National Park, the challenge of having 40% of Ireland’s population within an hour’s drive, and the positivity of work to improve habitat condition through native tree-planting, deer culling and peatland restoration. Saturday morning, John Cromie braved the midges to share the beauty of a selection of some 50 moth species trapped overnight. Lorna Kelly then introduced participants to the work of the Wicklow Uplands Council before we braved the rain. Wet ground conditions prompted a change of plan, abandoning Tonelagee for the more durable paths and schist summit of Derrybawn. With the ground being wet and soft, our group of 15 people would have churned up peat on Tonelagee’s boggy slopes, worsening damage that is already a concern for the national park. This provided a good example of the flexibility that clubs and other groups are asked to exercise to help protect the mountains we get so much benefit from.
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