Take a walk on the wild side for heritage week

FROM the birds and the bees and everything in between, children of all ages are being invited to indulge in their wild side and get back to nature as part of National Heritage Week.

Wild Child Day which takes place on Saturday, will see hundreds of events across the country aimed at getting families and kids back outdoors in celebration of International year of Biodiversity 2010.

Heritage council chief executive Michael Starrett said the idea behind the day is to encourage families to interact and connect with the natural world, and to see the benefits it has to offer.

“Everyday life moves at such a fast pace that we often don’t really take the time to enjoy the outdoors. This Saturday, event organisers have come on board to organise events for Wild Child Day that are especially for kids.

“For those that can’t make it to an event, go into your garden or local park, lie on the grass, explore with your children and enjoy the nature on your doorstep.”

Events running as part of Wild Child Day will include bat walks, bug hunts and bird watching amongst a variety of other family friendly activities.

As part of Wild Child Day the Heritage Council has also launched a Wild Child Photo Competition where people are being invited to submit an image that they think captures the spirit of biodiversity.

- National Heritage Week runs from August 21–29 . More information on events can be found at www.heritageweek.ie.