Electric Picnic Blog
This weekend the Irish whale and dolphin group found itself stranded inland at the Electric Picnic, hoping to spread awareness and have just a bit of fun.
Together with other NGO’s we set up in the Global Green to welcome festival goers with leaflets and maps but also whale Jenga and our formidable killer whale skull. The large dolphin in front of our marquee was particularly popular, drawing the attention of many passersby and illustrating perfectly just how heavy they can be. Trying to carry the filled dolphin through the festival to our stall required all hands-on deck to the great amusement of onlookers.
From the very start we received a warm welcome with curious minds wondering into our stall asking questions about our exhibits and our goals. Many had never heard of us before but were eager to share their stories of dolphins swimming along their kayak, a surprise visit of a basking shark or the humpback whale they saw dancing along the shore. Learning they could share these sightings with us, to be used for research or to push for legislative changes came as a delightful surprise to many. Kids quickly spotted the inflatable dolphin or were drawn in by our skull which many initially insisted must be from a T-rex. Sneaking in a bit of education while playing games has always been great fun.
After standing at the stand for several hours, we decided IWDG had to venture onto the festival grounds to meet those who were too busy partying to meet us personally. Now, what better way to get the attention at a festival than to dress up? It took no convincing to dress me up as a ferocious killer whale with not so ferocious glitter. Together with my trusty whale friend and our human guide we trekked out into the festival. Soon we had integrated into festival culture. Fun fact, killer whales are horrendous at mini golf, but baleen whales are the GOAT. As we wondered by the propaganda machine, I could not help but advocate that killer whales should realistically be taking over and joined the elections (I think they were rigged). On our way back, I was stopped by a nun who was convinced the black and white looked better on him than on me. Preposterous, killer whales were born to slay in countershading.
In the end this past weekend not only gave me the chance to excitedly rant to strangers about the beauty of the Irish biodiversity, but I also got to see my boss run around in a dolphin costume, tried to learn Irish from our language officer and dance my heart out in the Salty Dog (the best pirate venue one has ever seen). I can only hope that we were as memorable to the festival as they were to us.
By Emilie De Loose
Project Leader and Data Scientist of the Atlantic Whale Deal (IWDG)
Heritage Week 17th-25th of August 2024.
Supported by Inis the Energy of the Sea , Irish Environmental Network and The Heritage Council.