Flint event sparks interest in Welsh sea and coastline
Last month’s Festival of the Sea helped raise awareness of Wales’ marine environment and the challenges it faces, Natural Resources Wales has said.
The second of two festival events took place on 22 March in the historic setting of Flint castle, drawing residents and visitors to learn more about the Dee Estuary and the wider Welsh coastline through hands-on activities and marine-themed games.
Natural Resources Wales, who took part in planning and running the event, described the day as a success that “helped hundreds of people learn about the Welsh marine environment.”
Interactive activities on the day included raking for cockles in a sand pit and a popular ‘Feely Box’ game, where participants reached into mystery boxes to identify items and decide whether they should be found in the sea.
According to the team, “The biggest hit on our stand was the marine litter ‘Feely Box’ game, where visitors were asked to feel and identify what was in the different boxes, and then decide whether it should be in the ocean.”
The stand also prompted discussion about wider issues affecting the estuary and Welsh waters.
“Visitors to our stand enjoyed raking for cockles in the sand pit and talking with us about the impact of different invasive non-native species in the Dee Estuary and around the Welsh coastline,” the team said.
The Flint event followed an earlier Festival of the Sea held in Milford Haven, with both days offering talks and displays on marine projects and conservation work underway across Wales.
“We were involved in the planning of the festival as well as the activities and presentations over the weekends,” NRW’s marine team explained.
“The days were split between stalls, activities, and presentations on specific projects relating to the sea and ocean awareness.”
The festival is one of the first outcomes of the Y Môr a Ni (The Sea and Us) strategy, developed by the Ocean Literacy for Wales Coalition in collaboration with the Wales Coast and Seas Partnership.
The aim of the project is to improve public understanding of the marine environment and reduce barriers that may prevent communities from connecting with the coast.
Reflecting on both weekends, NRW said: “The weekends were a great success with many people commenting on how engaging and informative the different stalls and presentations were.”
The event at Flint castle helped highlight the value of the Dee Estuary and local ecosystems, while also offering an accessible and family-friendly space for people to engage with marine science.
“These interactive games generated great questions and conversations about the health and value of our marine environment,” NRW said.
To find out more about the Y Môr a Ni strategy and upcoming events, people are encouraged to visit the Natural Resources Wales Citizen Space webpage.
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