Citizens’ Assembly Ideas In this column we examine the recommendation of Ireland’s Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss. One such recommendation was the reviewing, strengthening and improved enforcement of legislation regarding hedgerows. Katie Smirnova of Hedgerows Ireland takes a closer look for us. Strengthening Hedgerow Protection Written by Katie Smirnova, Campaigns Officer at Hedgerows Ireland The […]
The Magic Of An Irish Rainforest By Eoghan Daltun Published online October 14th 2024 The opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Irish Wildlife Trust. Guest Writer in Irish Wildlife Magazine Autumn 2024 Issue. Get your copy of the latest magazine by joining IWT […]
Connecting With Nature by Kieran Flood Published July 10th 2024 Taking time to connect with nature is a valuable exercise for our wellbeing and for nature too. Most of us feel a sense of belonging and joy when we spend time in nature. This is sometimes referred to as biophilia and it is […]
It’s Time Public Land Was Managed In The Public Interest By Fintan Kelly, Guest Writer in Irish Wildlife Magazine Summer 2024 Issue. Get your copy of the latest magazine by joining IWT today. The opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Irish Wildlife Trust. […]
Call to Action: Consultation on Trawling Activity in 6 Nautical Mile Zone Published April 05th 2024 The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine wants to hear your views on vessels trawling within the 6 nautical mile (6nm) zone around Ireland’s coastlines and we are encouraging everyone to take the time to submit a […]
Citizen’s Assembly Ideas 2023 saw the publication of the “Report of the Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss” as well as the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment and Climate Actions “Report on the examination of recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly report on biodiversity loss”. At the IWT we were delighted to see many progressive solutions to […]
The Irish Sea Network (ISN) releases its new report ‘Ecological Considerations for Marine Spatial Planning in the Irish Sea’. Published: February 9th, 2024 The Irish Wildlife Trust, SWAN and 11 other environmental organisations across Ireland and the UK are urging their governments to take a collaborative and ecosystem based approach to marine spatial […]
WORLD WETLANDS DAY 2024 World Wetlands Day stands as a global reminder of the crucial role wetlands play in maintaining biodiversity and ecological balance. These vibrant ecosystems are especially critical for iconic Irish species such as the Curlew, a bird whose calls are synonymous with Irish wetlands yet is alarmingly diminishing from our landscapes. The […]
This year, marine policy has been at forefront of the Irish Wildlife Trust’s advocacy efforts, as we collaborated with multiple NGOs to lobby for enhanced marine protection. Read the following sections for an in-depth look at some of the highs and lows of marine conservation in 2023. Marine Protected Area Bill In January, […]
2023 has been filled with many ups and downs when it comes to biodiversity and conservation measures for nature in Ireland, read on for some of the most important developments of the year. Citizens Assembly on Biodiversity Loss and EU Biodiversity Strategy One of the best news stories for nature conservation this year was the […]
Goodbye to the Hills Pádraic Fogarty 26th March 2023 At a conference in Galway dedicated to the management of Ireland’s uplands regions, speaker after speaker raised concerns about the ecological degradation caused by over-grazing, the low returns for farmers on their sheep as well as the need for diversification and more native woodland in the […]
The failure of fisheries science In 2013, as part of an overhaul of the Common Fisheries Policy, the European Union committed to ending overfishing by 2015 ‘where possible’ and by 2020 ‘at the latest’. Needless to say, this deadline came and went but a successful legal challenge by Friends of the Irish Environment in the […]
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 […]
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 […]
Many Irish wildlife enthusiasts have been asking one question over the past year – what’s going on with the Wild Nephin Project? Lenny Antonelli digs a little deeper. Jointly announced three years ago by the State forestry company Coillte and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), the Wild Nephin Project’s stated aim is to […]
Doorstep Wilderness: A Wilder Side of Dublin is a book by Paul Hughes, a full-time photographer and member of the Irish Wildlife Trust and Birdwatch Ireland. It details the life of a stretch of the River Dodder, mostly between Ballsbridge and the railway bridge at Lansdowne Station, between the spring of 2008 and summer 2012. […]
A review by Rónán McLaughlin. Many years ago as a child growing up in Malin head, Co. Donegal, I was surrounded by nature. It was everywhere and everything we did revolved around it. We farmed, we fished and we felt grateful for the arrival of the swallow and we had a somewhat somber feeling when […]
