Himalayan balsam is an invasive species of Irish waterways in Ireland. It can grow to 2m tall and prevents native plants from growing underneath it. In October it dies back and leaves the ground bear which can cause erosion. Its flower produces more nectar than our native species which makes it more attractive to insects resulting in less pollination of our native plants. For more information visit www.invasivespeciesireland.com.

We will be removing Himalayan balsam from the banks of the river Liffey, starting behind the Mill community centre in Celbridge and working our way towards Straffan. Participants will need strong boots or wellies (wellies are preferable), long robust trousers (to ward off the unwelcome attention of nettles or brambles), long sleeved upper garments and long durable gloves (for the same reason).

If you are interested in volunteering send us an e-mail at kildarebranch@iwt.ie. We need as many volunteers as we can for this event to be successful and your support will be much appreciated!

For more information contact: Roseanne at kildarebranch@iwt.ie or follow our
blog: www.iwtkildarebranch.wordpress.com

Himalayan balsam - one of our 'most unwanted' alien invasive species'

To coincide with Biodiversity Day on May 22nd, environmental groups will be co-hosting a seminar on protecting the marine environment in Dublin. We will have talks from the IWT on Marine Protected Areas, from the National Parks and Wildlife Service on progress made so far in designating protected sites, and from the Ulster Wildlife Trust on how marine biodiversity is being protected in the UK.

The Marine Institute will also be there to launch their ‘Atlas of Biodiversity Indicators’ and we will hear talks from them on discarding, fishing in protected areas, and guidelines for aquaculture in Special Areas of Conservation.

This half day event is a must for anyone interested in the marine environment and promises to be lively and informative. To attend you must register, which is free, by completing the attached form and forwarding it to: Justin Byrne, Administrator, Irish Environmental Network by 15 May. Email: Justin@ien.ie (Tel: 01 878 0116).

The form and event programme can be downloaded here.

A BioBlitz is a 24 hour Nature Competition from 5pm on Friday the 18th of May until 5pm on Saturday the 19th of May.

The Irish Wildlife Trust will be participating in this years BioBlitz event in Lough Boora, Co. Offaly and we hope you can come along.

BioBlitz is a scientific race against time. The aim of this fun competition is to find as many species as possible within a park over 24 hours. In this unique event the general public, scientists and students come together and learn how recorders use their skills to study the wildlife of an area and take part.

We will be recording birds, bats and other creatures big and small. Learn about the nature of Ireland and the fabulous wealth of biodiversity that occurs all around us.

On Friday evening there will be a bat walk, led by bat experts and on Saturday morning you can come along to hear the dawn chorus. On Saturday you can also visit our stand, see what wild things have been found overnight and participate in the wildlife recording!

We are calling on those with enthusiasm and some expertise to come join us in identifying all the species of Lough Boora. So far we have over 30 experts but we need more! If you are interested in helping out please email reserves@iwt.ie. Don’t worry if you don’t have expertise you can still come along and enjoy the day and learn lots about wildlife.

Lough Boora is a diverse site of mostly cutaway peat bog with regenerating wetland and woodland habitats as well as forestry and agriculture. It encompasses lands owned and managed by a number of bodies including Bord na Mona, Coillte, NPWS and IWT. For more information about IWT’s reserve visit:http://iwt.ie/what-we-do/reserves/boora-bog-co-offaly/

The event is coordinated by the National Biodiversity Data Centre in four sites around Ireland. See more athttp://bioblitz.biodiversityireland.ie/ andwww.loughbooraparklands.ie.

Connemara came out top in 2010 with 542 species, while last year Killarney National Park was the winner with a staggering 1088 species! Let’s see what we can record at Lough Boora!

After thorough examination of the scientific evidence the Welsh government has decided to drop plans for a badger cull and proceed with a badger vaccination programme instead. Scientific findings (1) state that badger culling can make no meaningful contribution to reducing Bovine TB levels in cattle and can even compound the problem. This science-led decision will save money for taxpayers, farmers as well as local communities. It will also save badgers. Badger vaccination, in combination with cattle measures, will provide a long term sustainable, economical and ethical solution to this complex problem.

1 Krebs trial, (Randomised Badger trial RBCT) http://collections.europarchive.org/tna/20081027092120/http:/defra.gov.uk/an imalh/tb/culling/index.htm

Contacts:
For more information email: irishwildlife@iwt.ie, or phone 01 8602839 (087 8142343) or visit our website www.iwt.ie.

For 2012 the IWT has an excellent series of wildlife adventures lined up. Visiting some of the most beautiful and unique places in Ireland with leading experts, this year’s trips will be a treat. Places fill very fast so please do book early to avoid disappointment. See below for details the first two adventures:

1. Burren Weekend Trip
Join the IWT, Shane Connolly and Stephen Ward on an exploration of the Burren. Enjoy a unique walking experience. Various topics covered on the walks will include wildlife and natural history, botany, geology, history, folklore and agricultural conservation. Its a fantastic time of year to see rare wild flowers with fantastic leading experts.

Time: 10.30am – 4pm on Saturday and 10.30 to 1pm on Sunday

Date: 28th to 29th of April

Location: Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare (full details of the meeting place will be available after booking)

Price: €50 euro for members of IWT. €85 for non members.

Booking: Places are limited and booking is essential. Contact Sarah on 01 8602839 or email: enquiries@iwt.ie to secure your place.

2. Saltee Island Trip
Join the IWT and Willie Delaney on an exploration of the Saltee Islands. One of the most spectacular sights on the Saltees in Summer is the sea bird colonies on the cliffs. Vast numbers of Guillemots and Razorbills pack the ledges and create an incessant din. Visitors will also see Fulmars, Shag and the amazing Gannet city. While the sight of the Puffins congregating in small groups near their nests is a spectacle not to be missed! The Great Saltee also has a breeding population of Grey Seals, one of the very few in eastern Ireland.

Time: 10.30am – 4.30pm

Date: Saturday, 12th of May

Location: Kilmore Quay, Co. Wexford (full details of the meeting place will be available after booking)

Price: €55 euro for IWT members including boat fare.

€90 for non-members (price includes annual membership).

Booking: Places are limited and booking is essential. Contact Conn on 01 8602839 or email: conservation@iwt.ie to secure your place.

Wide-ranging changes are now necessary in the way we live and govern ourselves, travel, provide food, achieve good health, education, use land and plan development and manage water.  The economy is a subset of the Earth ecosystem – is finite and so infinite growth is simply not possible. We need to re-define what we mean by “progress” and use all our creativity to make changes that benefit the present, as well as future, generations. A healthy environment is vital for our economic interests – tourism, agriculture and providing a secure supply of clean water for homes and businesses.

Ireland lags behind it’s contemporaries in terms of halting biodiversity loss, energy sourcing and efficiency, sustainable transport, waste reduction and water quality. But despite a need to work harder to catch up, the draft plan sets mainly vague, long-term targets.

The IWT has spelled out some of the specific goals we need to set in this Framework

-          Full restoration and protection of our sites designated for nature conservation

-          Restoring and maintaining wildlife corridors such as hedgerows, small woodlands and river corridors

-          More wildlife gardening to encourage bees and butterflies that are in worrying decline

-          Restoration of forests, wetlands and floodplains

-          Restoration of rivers and streams. Land drainage and removal of riverside vegetation has resulted in floods which scour the riverbed, increase erosion and reduce water quality.

-          Sustainable methods of agriculture must be encouraged. Farmland bird populations are at their lowest since records began with half of all the birds listed on BirdWatch Ireland’s ‘red list’ dependant on farmland habitats. The corncrake is on the brink of extinction while other once familiar birds such as the Curlew, Yellowhammer and Barn owl are following a similar trajectory.

-          Greater support for environmental education.  Research has shown that engagement with the outdoors is hugely beneficial to children and that it is possible to counter the sanitising effects of indoor and sedentary lifestyles through exploring a woodland, creating a wildlife garden, creating using natural materials etc.

-          Environmental and social, as well as economic, sustainability must be integrated into all aspects of society, including local governance and in particular, the funding criteria used by organisations such as Leader for new community and rural development projects.

These are achievable goals which will benefit the natural environment, the public purse and the quality of all our lives. The full text of the IWT’s submission can be found by clicking here.