Calendar

Ken Whelan from the Marine Institute will give an illustrated talk on Ireland’s land-drainage programmes over the past 50 years and the severe impact they’ve had on both our rivers and the wildlife corridors along these rivers. This includes the loss of some of the most important natural flood relief features of our river catchments (wetlands, raised bogs, aquifers etc). 

In addition, the current very expensive and hugely disruptive flood relief schemes do little to address the core long-term issues, particularly in the context of climate change.

IWT Bat Talk and Walk – Sligo – Sunday 10th Sep. at 7pm
Ecologist Seán Meehan, Vice Chairperson of the Irish Wildlife Trust, is hosting a ‘Ballintrillick Bat Night’ (talk, presentation and walk) starting at The Benwiskin Centre and then onto the Gleniff Barytes Mill site. It is important that you register your interest by sending an email to enquiries@iwt.ie so we can inform you if the event has to be cancelled if the weather is an issue again.

Talk about Whittled Away and bringing nature back to the hills. All welcome.

‘Ireland’s natural heritage is being steadily whittled away by human exploitation, pollution and other aspects of modern development. This could represent a serious loss to the nation.’
Irish Government Report, 1969
This urgent call for intervention to prevent the loss of our natural heritage is taken from a government report published in June 1969. Since then, nature in Ireland has continued to disappear at an alarming rate. Overfishing, industrial-scale farming and pollution have decimated wildlife habitats and populations. In a single lifetime, vast shoals of herring, rivers bursting with salmon, and bogs alive with flocks of curlew and geese have all become folk memories. Coastal and rural communities are struggling to survive; the foundations of our tourism and agricultural sectors are being undermined. The lack of political engagement frequently sees the state in the European Court of Justice for breaches of environmental law.
Pádraic Fogarty authoritatively charts how this grim failure to manage our natural resources has impoverished our country. But all is not lost: he also reveals the possibilities for the future, describing how we can fill our seas with fish, farm in tune with nature, and create forests that benefit both people and wildlife. He calls for the return of long-lost species like wild boar, cranes and wolves, showing how nature and wildlife can recover hand in hand.

Join us in the Killarney Library as part of the National Culture Night celebrations. We will be showcasing the work of the Kerry branch as well as exploring the biodiversity of Kerry.

IWT Laois/Offaly branch’s next volunteer event is at Emo GAA Club where we’ll be cutting and lifting the hay meadow created there.

We’re going for a Sunday morning from 11am-2pm. All help appreciated, both young and not-so-young (even if only for an hour or two!). Kid-friendly.

We’ll have lots of tea and biccies on hand but please bring along your own packed lunch. Please dress for the weather as well.

Any queries please contact: brian.iwtlaoisoffaly@gmail.com

Join Kevin Delahunty for a “Creepy-Crawly” Halloween event.

Learn about the many fascinating miniature creatures all around us and their role in the ecosystem. Kid-friendly.

LOCATION: Meeting point: Visitors’ Centre (located close to Aras An Uachtarain), Phoenix Park, Dublin.

TIME: 11AM – 1PM.