Ballycroy buzzing with family fun

Ballycroy Visitor Centre at Wild Nephin National Park is in full summer swing, with a host of events planned for families and individuals interested in our wonderful Mayo wildlife. From hiking to kids clubs, there is something for everyone.
Tomorrow (Thursday), July 11, sees the return of the Wild Child Club to the Ballycroy Visitor Centre at 2pm, when the focus will be on ‘Our Native Woodlands’. This club runs every Tuesday and Thursday for the summer.
Friday will see a Blanket Bog and Coastal Guided Walk on the beautiful 2km loop of the Claggan Mountain Coastal Trail between Mulranny and Ballycroy, with plenty to see this time of year. Evidence of our ancient forests are visible here, with ancient pine stumps on the shore and emerging from the bog. Wildlife that frequent the area include otters, ringed plovers and grey herons.
At noon on Saturday, from 10am to 1pm, Ballycroy Visitor Centre will be a hive of activity with a postcard-making workshop with experienced creative curator Ciarán. Working with recycled and preloved materials, create a set of ten postcards and rediscover the pleasures of the tradition of sending a postcard from your holiday. This fun morning is suitable for ages 12 and up, and all materials are supplied.
Last up this weekend is a guided habitat walk, starting from at the Ballycroy Visitor Centre at 2pm on Sunday.
All events are free to attend. Visitors can also avail of our the park’s shuttle-bus service between Westport and Bangor-Erris, which takes in multiple stops along the way. Running from Tuesday to Saturday until the end of August, the timetable (see www.nationalparks.ie/wild-nephin) ties in with the Wild Child Clubs on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and enables visitors to make the most of the National Park, whether they’re taking a short stroll and coffee at the visitor centre or embarking on the ambitious Bangor Trail.
Events later in the month include an astronomy workshop with Caoimhón de Bhailis, stories from the mountains with Michael Chambers, and a guided Nephin Beg walk with Eoin McGreal from Wild Atlantic Nature to celebrate Bog Day.

• Limited places are available for the postcard workshop, so contact 098 49889 to book your place. For more on the Wild Nephin National Park, its summer events and the shuttle bus service, visit www.nationalparks.ie/wild-nephin.