Walking on Water: A Celebration of Water, Wildlife and Community
FIONA MCGARRY
Walking on Water is a community celebration and guided waterways tour involving various local groups such as the Care for Creation, Clean Water Action (CWAG), Standing Up 4 Nature and Surfers Against Sewage. The event takes place on Saturday, 20 June and includes walks along hidden rivers and activities at Stade Hall.
The River Bourne
HIP spoke to organiser Jane Ripley to find out what gave her the idea for the event. She pointed out that there is local awareness of problems affecting the sea, but not much awareness of issues affecting our streams, lakes, and river systems.
Jane discovered that many people don’t know that The Bourne, the underground river in the Old Town, is “one of our two hidden waterways”. She told me: “It rises at Park Hill, goes behind people’s gardens and then comes out again, but no one seems to know where.” She thought it would be really nice to have a celebration to raise awareness of our different water sources and their ecology and history, as well as people’s memories.
Jane believes that “If people know about and love our waterways and wild spaces, they’re more likely to want to protect them.”
One of the Walking on Water events is a guided walk that follows the course of the Bourne from the playing fields of Sacred Heart School in Harold Road down to the Stade. It begins at 11.30am and includes children from the school who have been making water-themed models with Radiator Arts. Expect to see a procession of water creatures, including mermaids, dragonflies, and fish.
At the Stade there will be various stalls and activities for all ages that focus on aquatic life and issues. They include folk band Square Peg singing watery ballads, an immersive drone trip down the Bourne, samples of local marine wildlife from Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, information from the Kelp Project, Plastic Free Hastings, and the local RNLI. Feel free to dress up as a water creature (mermaids are very welcome!) and bring a banner, toy or scultpture of sealife to help raise awareness for the amazing nature living under the water.
The seafront miniature railway will also be joining in the fun. A separate short walk follows the streams in Alexandra Park, starting at Pumphouse Café at 11.30am.
Jane hopes the event will be an opportunity to find out about local volunteer groups and to talk to the Mayor and some of our local councillors. She would also like to stage the event again next year and involve other groups and schools. She says: “We can only change things if we join people up and get as many people as possible actively involved.”
Walking on Water is on 20 June from 11am and 4pm. Attendees are encouraged to dress as water creatures, and bring sculptures, toys, or banners of sea life. You can register and find out more on the Eventbrite Walking on Water page eventbrite.com/e/walking-on-water-tickets-1984931182600
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