A free family fun event to celebrate Heritage Week and the Croagh Patrick Volunteer Ambassador Programme. Participants will get to meet the Ambassadors, join them in some interactive & fun Leave No Trace Training and shadow them on the mountain as mini Croagh Patrick Ambassadors for the day.

The objectives of the Heritage Week Event are to provide public awareness of the Croagh Patrick Volunteer Ambassador Programme, provide public awareness of the Heritage of the local area and to provide public awareness of the Leave No Trace Principles.

Two accredited Leave No Trace Trainers and a minimum of six Croagh Patrick Volunteer Ambassadors will engage with the participants on the day, introduce the concept of the day and teach them how to plan ahead and prepare before commencing some family fun activities along a walking route of Croagh Patrick.

The groups will be led by the CP Ambassadors who will give a storytelling hike, stopping at various significant points along the route. The Ambassadors will lead their usual litter-pick on the mountain and show the participants how to categorise what they collect for survey purposes.

Winners of interactive games and activities throughout the event will be rewarded with Leave No Trace prizes at the end of the day!
Over 120,000 people climb Croagh Patrick annually. However, the mountain currently does not have any statutory or legal conservation protection or status. The increase in visitor numbers has resulted in many negative impacts on the mountain, the most visible of which is the path erosion on privately-owned land.

The aim of the Volunteer Ambassador Programme is to develop a team of local volunteers to act as Ambassadors for Croagh Patrick to assist the public in appreciating the mountain and it’s surrounds through education and communication, drive public awareness of the importance of care and respect for our natural heritage, to empower positive behavioural change and develop skills around outdoor recreation so that locals and visitors can continue to enjoy and protect Croagh Patrick and its surrounds.

Address
Co. Mayo