Leave No Trace Ireland is asking the public to take simple eco-friendly acts to protect the environment this Sunday (July 28) as part of national ‘Love this Place Day’.
Love This Place Day is the culmination of 2024’s Love This Place National Awareness Campaign which invites individuals and their communities to join in a collective national effort to protect, respect and care for Ireland’s outdoor spaces, biodiversity and natural heritage.
Speaking ahead of the day, Leave No Trace Ireland CEO, Maura Kiely said:
“We want National Love This Place Day to become established in the calendar as an annual call-out to inspire individuals, communities and organisations to take simple actions to actively respect and protect our wonderful outdoor spaces and natural environment.
“This weekend, culminating in Love This Place Day on Sunday, is a fantastic opportunity for everyone to show their enthusiasm and support for a movement for positive change in how we care for, and protect, the natural world and our outdoor public spaces.”
Leave no Trace helps individuals, communities, organisations and companies to facilitate safe and ethical use of the outdoors through educational programmes, partnerships and awareness campaigns.
The group is partnering with Fáilte Ireland, Sport Ireland, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), the Department of Rural and Community Development, Dublin City Council, the Office of Public Works OPW), Coilte and Waterways Ireland to celebrate the day.
Love This Place Day
The organisation and its partners are encouraging people to get involved in various activities including a two-minute clean-up with friends, family and/or colleagues; to volunteer with a local community or eco group like Tidy Towns; an outdoor picnic or a walk or hike on the day.
It is also running three community clean-up events at Benone beach, Co. Derry, Barna Woods, Co. Galway, Lees Road, Co. Clare and individuals are encouraged to sign up to these on Leave No Trace’s website.
It is seeking participants to pledge their allegiance on the Leave No Trace website by taking the Love This Place promise.
Photos and videos of activities are welcomed and can be shared on social media using the #LoveThisPlaceDay and tagging Leave No Trace.
Sharing this content on instagram stories with the aforementioned hashtag and tag will ensure individual entry into a competition to win a €150 gift voucher for the Great Outdoors.
The competition closes Sunday, July 28 at midnight after which the winner will be announced.
The Love This Place campaign highlights three specific ‘Calls to Action’:
- Stick to the Path – asking the public to stay on pathways to avoid damaging habitats;
- Be a Responsible Dog Owner – asking dog owners to pick up dog waste and to ensure dogs remain on leashes, especially in proximity to farm animals;
- Keep Ireland Litter-Free – asking the public to dispose of their rubbish correctly.
Supporting the campaign, Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Malcom Noonan said:
“The protection and restoration of nature is more important now than ever, and public awareness has never been higher.
“We are all responsible for looking after the natural world, but it’s only by working together that we can protect the countryside and ensure that when we’re out enjoying it, no trace is left behind.”