MEA Outdoors

MEA Outdoors Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from MEA Outdoors, 11 Antrim Street, Carrickfergus.

The Green and Blue Spaces of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council area, brought to you by the Parks and Open Spaces Development Team

Events and Information - https://linktr.ee/mea_outdoors 🌊🐝🦋🌳🛶🌱🌼🥾

BATHING WATER QUALITY 🌊Here in , we are lucky enough to have five ✋🏼 Designated Bathing Waters ➡️ Swipe across to see ...
01/06/2026

BATHING WATER QUALITY 🌊
Here in , we are lucky enough to have five ✋🏼 Designated Bathing Waters ➡️ Swipe across to see where they are 📍
So what does this mean for you, the people who enjoy these spaces? ⬇️
💧Designating a bathing water is an official way of recognising that a body of water is a popular site for swimming or paddling
💧Our bathing season begins on 1st June and ends on 15th September each year - DAERA are responsible for monitoring and making sure these waters are of high enough quality for you to enjoy. .ni
💧Sites are classified into one of four categories:
Excellent, Good, Satisfactory, Tempory Advice Issued Against Bathing
💧 set these standards based on research. The water is tested for 2 types of bacteria 🦠 : E.coli and intestinal enterococci. These bacteria usually enter the water from sewage and animal manure 💩

❗️It’s important to note that the bacteria tested for Bathing Waters is different to the blue-green algae we have been witnessing in certain bodies of water in recent years❗️

So what now? 🤔

Each Monday during the season, DAERA publically posts the results for all beaches at https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/bathing-water-quality
We will then:
✅ Display information at each site
✅ Post results here, on MEA Outdoors
We hope this will make the information easier to access and easier to share

🌊 BIG SEAWEED SEARCH 🪸🐚📍 Carrickfergus Seafront 🏰 🗓️ Sunday 7th June 9am Take part in the Big Seaweed Search - be a citi...
28/05/2026

🌊 BIG SEAWEED SEARCH 🪸🐚

📍 Carrickfergus Seafront 🏰
🗓️ Sunday 7th June 9am



Take part in the Big Seaweed Search - be a citizen scientist, explore coastal wildlife, and help protect our seas. No experience needed!

Join the Marine Conservation Society and the Natural History Museum to celebrate ten years of the Big Seaweed Search. Become a citizen scientist for the day and discover the weird and wonderful world of seaweed.

Often overlooked by rockpoolers searching for fish or crabs, seaweeds are vital to marine ecosystems. They provide shelter and food for a wide range of coastal wildlife and play an essential role in maintaining healthy seas 🩵💙

However, these remarkable algae are under increasing pressure from:

‼️Rising sea temperatures, which are shifting the natural ranges of some species northwards
‼️Invasive non-native species, which compete with native seaweeds for space and nutrients
‼️ Ocean acidification, which can damage coralline seaweeds

The Big Seaweed Search is a nationwide survey that tracks how these pressures are affecting seaweed distribution across the UK. The data collected has already contributed to important scientific research, including the UK Red List of seaweed species of conservation concern.

Now it’s your chance to take part right here in Mid and East Antrim - no experience necessary.

More information and booking at the link in comments🔗

Sea you there!!! 🌊🌊🌊

‼️ Date change ‼️The June beach cleans will now take place on 15th and 29th June! The 8th June is no longer happening!We...
27/05/2026

‼️ Date change ‼️

The June beach cleans will now take place on 15th and 29th June!

The 8th June is no longer happening!

We look forward to welcoming you on 15th 🩵💙

BEACH CLEAN 2.0 🌊♻️💙 📍 Ballygally Beach 18:00-20:00 💙 15 June (please note date change‼️)💙 29 June Join us to lift litt...
27/05/2026

BEACH CLEAN 2.0 🌊♻️💙

📍 Ballygally Beach 18:00-20:00

💙 15 June (please note date change‼️)
💙 29 June

Join us to lift litter and take part in an exciting project that turns beach litter into useful items!

Researchers from and will share their method of separating litter as we pick, which they can then turn into new 3D printing filament and other building material.

Be part of a new wave of circular waste management by joining Beach Clean 2.0 - a beach clean with a special trick!

All ages and abilities welcome
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Equipment will be provided

The future is safe! The kids have stepped up to Protect Portglenone Forest Bluebells! 🪻🌱While bluebell season is nearly ...
27/05/2026

The future is safe!

The kids have stepped up to Protect Portglenone Forest Bluebells! 🪻🌱

While bluebell season is nearly over, we’ve sadly had reports of trampling and damage to the flowers at several locations, including the Forest Service site at Portglenone.

It’s not all doom and gloom though, there’s been some wonderful community action ⚡️

The P6 class from Buick Memorial School (Cullybackey), guided by their teacher Helen McQuiston and Liz from the Forest Service, have created handmade signs to warn walkers to protect the flowers.

We love seeing the next generation take ownership of these beautiful natural spaces 🌳

Wonderful job 💚

Over the winter we will be looking ahead to next season and the protection of these special flowers 🙌

🧬🧫🔭Soapbox Science comes to Ballymena! 🙌 FREE event 🙌 🗓️ Friday 12th June, 11am – 2pm 📍 People’s Park, Ballymena 🌳 ar...
27/05/2026

🧬🧫🔭Soapbox Science comes to Ballymena!

🙌 FREE event 🙌

🗓️ Friday 12th June, 11am – 2pm

📍 People’s Park, Ballymena 🌳

are delighted to be working in partnership with to bring the first-ever Soapbox Science event to the borough 🥼🔬

This free, drop‑in event will see inspiring female researchers step onto their soapboxes outside the Pavilion and Play Park in People’s Park, Ballymena, on Friday 12 June, from 11am to 2pm, to share their science with passers‑by.

One Beach. One day. One lorry load of litter. 💔📍 Browns Bay Beach, IslandmageeWe love seeing people out exploring and en...
26/05/2026

One Beach. One day. One lorry load of litter. 💔

📍 Browns Bay Beach, Islandmagee

We love seeing people out exploring and enjoying our blue and green spaces, but they need to be respected and protected too and that job belongs to all of us.

Plastic, cans, bottles and food waste were left on the sand — harmful to wildlife, damaging to our coastline, and creating a huge clean up operation.

We can all do our part:

✔️ Bring a rubbish bag
✔️ Take everything home with you
✔️ Use reusable bottles, cups and picnic containers
✔️ Avoid single-use plastics
✔️ Check your area before leaving

🌊If you bring it to the beach, please take it home 🏡

Loving our coastline means looking after it 🤍💙🩵

🐋 Whale Watch Ireland 2026 🫍 📍 Portmuck Harbour 53 (!) of you attended Saturdays event at Portmuck! According to facilit...
26/05/2026

🐋 Whale Watch Ireland 2026 🫍

📍 Portmuck Harbour



53 (!) of you attended Saturdays event at Portmuck!

According to facilitator, Ian Enlander, this is the highest attendance he has seen in 24 years. Unreal to see such interest the natural world around us 🩵

Those present got to see Harbour Porpoise and Grey Seal with a supporting cast of lots of seabirds (breeding activity on Isle of Muck) and glorious weather 🌞

Class time had by all on our coastline! 🐚

26/05/2026

🌊♻️ Beach Clean 2.0 🌊♻️

Volunteers got together in Ballygally this month to be part of an innovative beach clean that will see litter turned into usable material like 3D printer filament!

We’ve got two more opportunities for you to join us:

📍 Ballygally beach
📅 8 and 29 June, 6-8pm

All ages and abilities welcome, Children must be accompanied by an adult. Equipment will be provided.

🚯 Littering can be an issue around our shorelines, particularly over the summer. Plastic accounts for about 80% of waste found on beaches and poses serious risks to wildlife.

While we love to see everyone play their part in keeping Mid and East Antrim beautiful by disposing of their litter properly, we’ve partnered with Future Island-Island on this Beach Clean 2.0 initiative with a difference. It ensures any litter that is left behind or washed up is sorted by volunteers on the beach and then as much as possible is recycled in a lab by researchers from Queen’s University, Belfast and Ulster University.

Big thanks to those who have already taken part and we hope to see more of you soon!

WILDLIFE DANDER 🐚🪶🙌We have one walk left on this lovely series ☝️This is your sign to join us! ⬇️ Wildlife Dander: Brown...
26/05/2026

WILDLIFE DANDER 🐚🪶🙌

We have one walk left on this lovely series ☝️

This is your sign to join us! ⬇️

Wildlife Dander: Browns Bay Beach

🌊 Thursday 28th May
🌊 2-4pm

Join us for a relaxing wildlife walk along the beautiful shores of Browns Bay Beach as we explore the rich coastal habitat and keep watch for seabirds, shorelife, and other local wildlife 👀

With stunning sea views and plenty of opportunities for spotting species such as gulls, terns, oystercatchers, cormorants, and maybe even seals offshore, this guided walk is perfect for nature lovers of all ages.

Whether you’re an experienced birdwatcher or simply curious about the natural world, come along for a friendly, fun and informative walk with like-minded people 💚🩵

Just a few spaces left - book at the link in our bio 🔗

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11 Antrim Street
Carrickfergus
BT387DG

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