Press Release: Irish Wildlife Trust and Gaelic Woodland Project Call for Nationwide Cherry Laurel Sales Ban 12 August 2026 New Government-commissioned risk assessment finds invasive Cherry Laurel poses a High risk to Ireland’s biodiversity, with High confidence. A newly published risk assessment of Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) has found the invasive plant poses an overall […]
Press Release: Over 600,000 call on EU to defend nature laws as wildfires sweep across Europe 10 August 2026 As the European Commission’s public consultation on the future of the Birds and Habitats Directives closes today, more than 600,000 people have signed a petition calling on the EU to defend its nature laws. Devastating fires […]
Leading by Example? The State’s Role in Wildlife Persecution First published: 05 August 2026 by Oisín Ó Néill, IWT Nature Advocacy Officer Wildlife crime is a serious, persistent, and growing problem in Ireland. Many protected species are used for illegal sporting activities, birds of prey are poisoned, and protected habitats and species destroyed when they […]
Nature & Society Need More Ambitious Nature Restoration First published online: 10 July 2026 The National Restoration Plan represents a historic opportunity, as arguably the most significant piece of biodiversity legislation to bind Ireland in a generation. The destruction and degradation of the ecosystems around us threatens not just our beautiful wild species but […]
Be Plant Wise. Let nature lead. Plant native. This Invasive Species Week, the Irish Wildlife Trust and Mary Reynolds are asking everyone to welcome native species into the garden instead of planting invasives by Charlotte Salter-Townshend, IWT Communications & Network Officer First published online: 25 June 2026 Invasive Species Week is coordinated by the National […]
River Glyde Fish Kill Exposes Ongoing Failure to Protect Ireland’s Waterways First published online 05/06/2026 Oisín Ó Néill, Nature Advocacy Officer Irish Wildlife Trust calls for prosecution and urgent action to address agricultural pollution On 4 June 2026, news broke of a devastating fish kill in the River Glyde, Co. Louth. More than 20,000 fish […]
Seeds of Inspiration, with IWT Monaghan Branch ‘Seeds of Inspiration’ is a feature length documentary and booklet (available in English and Irish) showcasing the extraordinary dedication of Castleblayney man John McKeon, who over the past 25 years has committed himself tirelessly to the growing, preserving, and celebrating of Ireland’s native trees, with particular attention to […]
Why should I take part in No Mow May? Published May 4th 2024 No Mow May is an annual campaign started by Plantlife in the UK, asking everyone to put away the lawnmower during the month of May to help our native wildlife. The All Ireland Pollinator Plan endorsed this campaign in Ireland […]
IWT New Year Plant Hunts with BSBI By Charlotte Salter-Townshend, IWT Communications & Network Officer First published online: 07 January 2026 Warmer winters may be changing the flowering times of plants, with a domino effect on all forms of wildlife. Since 2011, the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI) have collated data on what’s […]
Nature Advocacy and Policy: 2025 in review First published: 23/12/2025 2025 has been a difficult year for environmental issues. Pressures are appearing from all sides and there have been many disappointing blows to contend with. Those in power nationally and internationally don’t seem to have safeguarding the environment on their agendas and deregulation […]
Report from The Third UN Ocean Conference The IWT is dedicated to advocating for the protection and restoration of our marine life. To this end, we attended the recent UN Ocean Conference to monitor the proceedings and campaign for urgent marine protection actions from the Irish government and the EU. Below is a report from […]
IWT Members Only Competition – Goat Boat Tour To thank our loyal members, we’re thrilled to announce a fantastic members-only competition: 9 lucky IWT members will win a free spot on an exclusive Irish Sea Wildlife Tour! This special tour, run by Goat Boat tours – a passionate local business dedicated to marine wildlife, coastal […]
The Irish Wildlife Trust is evolving and with it, our visual identity is changing too. After months of thoughtful planning, we’re excited to introduce our refreshed look: a new logo and colour palette that better reflect who we are today, the breadth of our work, and our bold vision for nature restoration in Ireland. Since […]
We’re hiring a Communications & Network Officer Download job ad here Job Title: Communications & Network Officer Organisation: The Irish Wildlife Trust Location: Coleraine House, Coleraine Street, Dublin 7, Ireland (hybrid working supported) Hours: This is a full time 5 day week post Salary Rate: €30-35,000 per year (rate determined by level of experience) Start […]
The EU Ocean Pact was proposed by the European Commission and aims to bring coherence across any EU policies which are linked to the ocean. Some of the goals of the pact are to achieve healthy, resilient and thriving oceans and coastal communities and to promote a successful and sustainable blue economy. At […]
Citizens’ Assembly Ideas 2023 saw the publication of the “Report of the Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss”. Many impactful solutions to biodiversity loss are found within the recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly. It is vital that the Government of Ireland act on these recommendations. This series of articles explores ideas found within the Citizens’ Assembly […]
Nature Advocacy & Policy – A Look Back on 2024 Published 19th December 2024 By Grace Carr Overall, 2024 has been a disappointing year for nature conservation. We haven’t seen the ambitious change that is needed to tackle both the biodiversity and climate crisis. New political climates at EU level have brought new challenges […]
Reflecting on 2024: A Year of Nature Wins and Community Action Written by Emily Nolan Published 19th December 2024 As we close the chapter on 2024, it’s clear that this has been a standout year for the Irish Wildlife Trust. In a time of growing environmental challenges and occasional political uncertainty, we’ve come together […]
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 […]
A Historic Day for Europe and Nature Press Release 17th June 2024 The EU Nature Restoration Law is finally passed by the EU Council of Environmental Minister’s after several years of negotiations The EU Nature restoration Law which aims to restore 20% of EU land and 20% of EU seas was finally passed […]
Citizens’ Assembly Ideas 2023 saw the publication of the “Report of the Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss”. Many impactful solutions to biodiversity loss are found within the recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly. It is vital that the Government of Ireland act on these recommendations. This series of articles explores ideas found within the Citizens’ Assembly […]
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 […]
EU Member States Backtracking On Nature Restoration Law Undermines Democratic Process By Grace Carr Published March 28th 2024 A very disappointing turn of events has happened over the past week in regards to the NRL. The Council should have completed the final rubber stamp of the law on Monday. This is usually just a formality […]
EU Nature Restoration Law – A Deep Dive Published: March 14th 2024 Author: Grace Carr, IWT Marine Advocacy Officer. First Published by Fair Seas. Here we look at the recently passed EU Nature Restoration Law (NRL) and what it means for life in the ocean. In this blog we look at the marine targets within […]
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 […]
Bottom Trawling in the EU, the UK and Ireland The marine environment as well as the fisheries sector face a number of issues such as biodiversity loss and climate change as well as challenges arising from political matters like Brexit. Ensuring that marine ecosystems are restored and protected effectively will not only preserve the incredible […]
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 […]
