Wych Elm Ulmus glabra Leamhán sléibhe The Wych elm is the only native elm in Ireland. It is a wide ranging Elm tree, it can be found from Ireland to Russia and as far north as the Arctic Circle. They are typically mountainous species preferring moist soils and higher humidity’s, its name in Irish means […]
Brown Hawker Dragonfly Aeshna grandis Seabhcaí Ómrach The brown hawker is large common dragonfly found in Ireland, it is distinctive because of its chocolate brown colouring. They grow to 7.3cm long and have a wingspan of 10.2cm. Both males and females are similar looking but can be distinguished as males have blue dots on their […]
Small spotted catshark/ lesser-spotted dogfish Scyliorhinus canicul Catsúileach ballach/ Fiogach Beag Commonly known as dogfish, the small spotted catshark is one of 71 cartilaginous sharks found in Irish waters. From a recent report published by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) (Clarke, et al., 2016) on the status of sharks in Irish Waters they […]
Enchanter’s nightshade Circaea lutetiana Fuinseagach Enchanter’s nightshade is a small plant with long stems and broad leaves, it can grow to 20-50cm or taller and it has small white flowers at the head of each stem. The flowers which are very distinctive as they only have two petals that are deeply cleft, making it look […]
PRESS RELEASE: Dramatic new research shows the power of trees in addressing global climate breakdown. 08th July 2019 Dramatic new research, published in the journal ‘Science’ demonstrates the incredible powers of trees to drawdown carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The researchers suggested this should be among the priority actions in dealing with climate breakdown. The […]
Scots Pine Pinus sylvestris Péine Albanach The Scots pine is one of Ireland’s three native coniferous trees. It is found across Eurasia from Ireland to Siberia, it was believed that it had died out in Ireland around 2000 years ago but has since been reintroduced for plantations in the 17th century. Tree stumps have been […]
Marsh Fritillary Euphydryas aurinia Fritileán Réisc The Marsh Fritillary Butterfly is one of Ireland’s few legally protected Butterflies. It is protected under Annex II of the European Union Habitats and Species Directive. They have an orange and cream square pattern on their wings and can be identified by their distinctive cream bands on their underwing. […]
Nettle Urtica dioica Neantóg The Common or Stinging Nettle is a highly successful plant found all over the temperate areas of the world. It spreads by means of seeds and underground rhizomes that creep around just under the surface of the soil. The jagged leaves held in pairs along the square stems are easily recognisable […]
Press Release: Irish Wildlife Trust welcomes Coillte forest initiative which is potentially very significant for nature 20th June 2019 The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) strongly welcomes Coillte’s announcement that a new division of the company is to be devoted to biodiversity and non-commercial objectives. This is a very significant step towards creating large areas of […]
PRESS RELEASE: Nature largely missing from the government Climate Action Plan 18 June 2019 The Irish Wildlife Trust welcomes the publication of the government’s Climate Action Plan but is disappointed that nature – and addressing the biodiversity/extinction crisis in particular – is largely ignored. We welcome the commitment to better manage hedgerows and soils in […]
We need to protect the seas as if our lives depend upon it For a small island nation our connection to the ocean can sometimes feel tenuous. Yet – unbeknownst to most of us perhaps – the oxygen in every other breath comes from the sea. To be more specific, 50% of the oxygen produced […]
People for Bees in National Biodiversity Week The IWT People for Bees programme had a great opening weekend to National Biodiversity Week, with a double bill of bee monitoring workshops. We were in St Enda’s park in Rathfarnham Co Dublin on Saturday and in Letterkenny Institute of Technology on Sunday. Both bee monitoring events were […]
Floating Classroom onboard Celtic Mist 20th May 2019 A group of Ireland’s environmental NGOs are teaming up this spring for a rather unique education project lead by the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group. The exciting Floating Classroom initiative is combining ocean exploration with an educational schools programme which aims to raise awareness of Ireland’s marine […]
Discover your nature this National Biodiversity Week For the Irish Wildlife Trust, National Biodiversity Week is one of the most important and enjoyable weeks of the year. It is an opportunity for people across the country to get out and experience the biodiversity we still have in Ireland. There is a huge amount to discover […]
PRESS RELEASE: Irish Wildlife Trust accuses the Office of Public Works in acting unlawfully in destroying large sections of the River Newport in Limerick The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) has accused the Office of Public Works (OPW) in acting unlawfully when clearing a 3km stretch of river habitat along the River Newport in Co. Limerick […]
Dáil Calls for biodiversity loss in Ireland to be examined by the Citizen’s Assembly BirdWatch Ireland, The Irish Wildlife Trust and An Taisce warmly welcome the amendment passed in Dáil Éireann tonight for the issue of biodiversity loss to be examined by the Citizen’s Assembly. This move recognises the ecological crisis we are in. We call on the […]
PRESS RELEASE: IWT is calling on the government to declare a climate and biodiversity emergency following the publication of the latest UN report 06 May 2019 The Irish Wildlife Trust is calling on the government to declare a climate and biodiversity emergency following the publication of the latest UN report to warn of catastrophic consequences […]
PRESS RELEASE: Radical transformation of our uplands required to overcome threat of wild fires 23 April 2019 The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) is calling for a radical transformation in how we manage our upland landscapes after another weekend of wild fires devastated habitats across Ireland. Last year the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine […]
PRESS RELEASE: Irish Wildlife Trust objects to Bord na Móna’s plans for a 24-turbine wind farm within the Shannon Wilderness Park 28th March 2019 The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) has submitted an objection to An Bord Pleanala against Bord na Móna’s proposed Derryadd 24-turbine wind farm in the heart of the proposed Shannon Wilderness Park […]
PRESS RELEASE: IWT welcomes news that burning of uplands will not be extended into March this year 28 February 2019 The IWT has welcomed the announcement from Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Josepha Madigan, that burning of uplands will not be permitted into March of this year. IWT campaigns officer Pádraic Fogarty says: […]
The Irish Wildlife Trust is delighted to announce the winners of the Together for Biodiversity Awards. The awards were presented to the category winners at the National Biodiversity Conference by Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Josepha Madigan. The Awards are an opportunity to celebrate the work being carried out by individuals, communities, schools, […]
A lament for our peatlands What a let down. After being invited to an Oireachtas hearing to “discuss preserving biodiversity and ecosystems of peatlands” I had thought that here was an chance to talk openly with law-makers about the threats and opportunities facing our bedragled bogs. Even the press release from the ‘Joint Committee on […]
PRESS RELEASE: Proposed burning regulations are no solution to solving issues in our uplands 01 February 2019 The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) has made a submission to the proposed guidelines on the implementation of Section 7(1) of the Heritage Act 2018 which will allow controlled burning of vegetation during an extended season, including March. The […]
Press Release: People urged to join Dáil protest against forestry policy The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) is supporting the ‘Save Leitrim’ campaign which is organising a protest at the Dáil this Wednesday at 11am. We are urging people concerned with current forestry policy to turn up and send a clear signal to politicians that the […]
PRESS RELEASE: IWT welcomes decision by Minister Creed to restrict trawling in coastal waters The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) wishes to commend Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, for his decision today banning vessels over 18m in length from trawling within 6 nautical miles of the coast. This is a very significant […]
IWT complains to Minister Madigan over destruction of woodland in Connemara National Park The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) has formally complained to Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Josepha Madigan, over the recent destruction of a broad-leaved woodland in Connemara National Park in Galway. The removal of the woodland, which was evaluated by independent […]
PRESS RELEASE: Irish Wildlife Trust calls on the Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action to ensure that nature is central to its recommendations. The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) has made a written submission to the Committee on Climate Action, calling on its members to recognise the important role that nature conservation can play in mitigating climate […]
Restoring nature must be central to climate action By Padraic Fogarty, IWT Campaigns Officer Two reports in the past two months focussed the world’s attention – if only briefly – on the dire state of our planet. The first, from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) laid out in stark terms how there […]
IWT Attend the Extinction Rally in Dublin on 17th November Our Campaigns Officer Padraic Fogarty addressed the crowd, highlighting the urgency of species loss in Ireland.
Press Release: Public urged to attend Extinction rally tomorrow (November 17th) The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) is urging people to attend events around Ireland to protest the lack of action in the face of planetary ecological collapse. Events will be held in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Belfast at 2pm in what is planned to be a family-friendly […]
