Our Lake, Our Heritage is a 12-month project which aims to increase the capacity, sustainability and resilience of the Lough Carra Catchment Association (LCCA). As a volunteer-led environmental advocacy charity the LCCA is committed to making a long-term, enduring and sustainable positive impact on the internationally important and locally-cherished natural and cultural heritage of Lough Carra and its surrounding landscape.
Our Lake, Our Heritage is the first step in our most recent Strategic Plan (2025 – 2029) supported by our Education Plan 2025-2029 and Fundraising Strategy 2025-2029 and has been made possible by generous funding from the Heritage Council.
What is Our Lake, Our Heritage?
The central mission of the Lough Carra Catchment Association (LCCA) is to “Restore, protect and conserve the ecological integrity of Lough Carra and its lakeshore habitats and to ensure the quality of drinking water from the lake”
To this end the aims of the project are to:
1. Develop the Lough Carra Ambassador Programme which will:
- Increase awareness of the importance of our natural, cultural and archaeological heritage, and
- Empower ambassadors to be part of our drive for positive change in the conservation of Lough Carra and its surrounding landscape.
We will recruit 12 new volunteers who will become Lough Carra Ambassadors. These individuals will become integral members of the wider LCCA team, and will attend a series of webinars, workshops and field trips to learn about the natural and cultural heritage of the Lough Carra landscape. They will also be invited take part in engagement events and share their learning with others, to attend bi-monthly meetings held by the LCCA to learn more about the work of the association, play a pivotal role in assisting with the Lough Carra Bio-Blitz as part of Heritage Week in August 2025 and generally support the LCCA team at engagement events through the year and advocate for Lough Carra. Find out more here.
2. Establish the Friends of Lough Carra initiative which will:
- Provide opportunities for individuals, families, businesses and corporate partners to support the LCCA.
- As a Friend of Lough Carra there will be a wide variety of ways for more people to support the association through donations and becoming a benefactor.
3. Undertake a comprehensive governance review to explore succession planning, developing the next strategic plan, evaluate regulatory compliance and assess the associations stakeholder engagement, risk management and strategic leadership.
4. Create more opportunities for a wider range of people to engage with the work of the LCCA.
5. Organise and host a highly engaging BioBlitz event at Lough Carra, Co. Mayo, as part of Heritage Week 2025. The event will bring together local communities, environmental enthusiasts, and biodiversity experts to celebrate the rich natural and cultural heritage of Lough Carra and its surroundings. During the week our newly recruited Ambassadors will be part of the planning, organising and delivery of Biodiversity Surveys where participants will team up with ecologists and conservationists to document as many species of plants, animals, insects, and fungi as possible over Heritage Week.
6. Produce the Ambassadors Podcast Series and create a range of digital education and engagement materials.
