Scouts wild adventure in Island Wood
THE Kanturk Cub Scouts and Beaver Scouts had a memorable walk with nature in the Island Wood in Newmarket on last Sunday.
Thanks to the expert planning and preparation from New Leaf Health Shop in Kanturk and the Secret Garden in Newmarket, a group of 40 scouts and leaders as well as a large group of interested adults were able to step back to a time when people knew all about the wealth of remedies from nature's bounty.
The scouts said they will look at all the leaves and flowers with a new knowledge and appreciation of their benefits to both the wildlife, bees and ourselves.
Starting at noon, the large group feasted on the generations of knowledge passed down and explained by the very informed guides.
At every few steps they heard of nature’s very own chewing gum, ancient remedies and salad delights, wrapped in folklore and stories on how to keep the fairies at bay.
And it was not only the woodlands that delighted the group, the scouts were informed of treasures in the rivers that are over 100 years old and the excellent work done through IRD Duhallow to preserve the salmon, oysters, kingfisher and the otter as well as the very river and the riverbank itself.
To add to the excitement of this happy cooking pot, everyone climbed under, over, crawled and stretched through the fallen trees before moving to the second part of the day in The Secret Garden.
With the majestic birds of prey in the scented surroundings of the beautiful gardens, the Scouts were able to hold owls, falcons, a baby fox cub and even see the release of two hedgehogs back into the wild.
These birds and animals are rescued by the Irish Wildlife Trust and the Scouts gave a donation to help with this great work.
The group paid a big ‘ thank you’ to everyone who allowed the scouts to be part of this great day, it has hopefully awoken a love of nature for everyone and shown a gem at our doorstep, The Island Wood.