The Bedford River Festival, a popular two-day event, is expected to attract over 300,000 attendees on July 20 and 21. The festival includes art, music, food, drink, performances, and sporting events. Rachel Atkinson, organizer of the Green Earth Village, a vegan area at the festival, highlights the positive effects on local businesses. Bedford Borough Council, the event organizer, acknowledges the festival's significant visitor numbers and boost to the local economy. The festival features water-based activities on the River Great Ouse, including paddleboarding, kayaking, and canoeing. Desiree Bas, an Italo-Iranian linguist, artist, author, illustrator, and dancer, will run multilingual storytelling and dance sessions. The event generates over £6 million for the local economy and was initially planned to be replaced with an annual family festival but the decision was reversed. Concerns over facial recognition at the festival have been raised. [1ee23678]
Despite the rainy weather, the Tim Hortons Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival took place at Mooney's Bay Park on June 23, 2024. Paddlers participated in dragon-boat races down the Rideau River. The festival featured a non-stop schedule of races and two nights of free concerts. The races went on Sunday morning despite heavy rainfall and a severe thunderstorm warning. The festival is organized by volunteers, including Mike Gardner. The event was captured in a series of photos by Ashley Fraser [93c0de7b].
Environmentalists in Ooty are opposing the proposed adventure tourism project at the Boat House in Ooty lake. The project, which includes activities like zip lining and bungee jumping, is seen as a violation of wetland conservation rules. The Confederation of Environmental Associations of Nilgiris (CEAN) has filed a complaint with the district collector, citing the lack of information about the high flood level in the past 10 years [55319fe7].
In addition, a water treatment plant in Chennai is unable to distribute water due to the unavailability of water from Retteri lake, which is filled with garbage and sewage outfalls. The Water Resources Department is working on improving the lake's capacity to use it as a water supply source [55319fe7].
Chandan Nayal, a resident of Nainital, Uttarakhand, quit his lecturer job in 2016 to dedicate his life to protecting the forests of the region. Inspired by his childhood experiences of witnessing nature getting destroyed, Nayal decided to increase the forest area in the region. He planted over 60,000 trees and distributed 83,000 plants in the past decade. He also built small check dams and used rainwater harvesting to restore depleted water sources, trees, and forests. Nayal was honored with the 'Water Hero Award' by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India, on 23 July 2021. He has inspired neighboring villages to plant trees and is actively involved in imparting environmental lessons to students in schools [fc9020b2].
Meanwhile, in Nagaon district, children were seen crossing a dried-up lake near Kathiatoli on April 13, 2024. The image of the children crossing the dried-up lake highlights the issue of water scarcity in the area [d503f97c].
Lake Hopatcong Adventure Company, part of the Live the Lake NJ Family of businesses, offers guided biking, hiking, and water tours in Lake Hopatcong. The company provides one-of-a-kind outdoor experiences for friends and families, including custom group adventures and private tours for larger groups. The most popular service is the 30- or 60-minute hydrobike tours on the lake. The company also hosts daily hikes, bike rides, and day camps with water tours and mini golf. Future plans include expanding the business by adding more equipment and non-powered vehicles on the lake. Patty Chinelli, the general manager of Lake Hopatcong Adventure Company, describes Lake Hopatcong as a beautiful lake with a great atmosphere and various activities to enjoy [e0394257].