The December talk of the Dublin Branch of Green Drinks will be about the new book by well known ecologist Richard Nairn on the nature and history of Dublin. The talk will highlight the interdependence of people and nature in Dublin Bay, illustrated by the historical ecology of this rich coastal ecosystem. It will also look to the future with the threats of climate change and the challenges for the recently established Dublin Bay Biosphere.”
Richard Nairn is an ecologist and writer who grew up on the shores of the bay and still sails regularly there. He was previously a nature reserve warden and the first Director of IWC BirdWatch Ireland. “Dublin Bay: Nature and History” is his fifth book.
**NOTE: Event venue is Basement Blue Room, not top floor.
The December talk of the Dublin Branch of Green Drinks will be about the new book by well known ecologist Richard Nairn on the nature and history of Dublin. The talk will highlight the interdependence of people and nature in Dublin Bay, illustrated by the historical ecology of this rich coastal ecosystem. It will also look to the future with the threats of climate change and the challenges for the recently established Dublin Bay Biosphere.”
Richard Nairn is an ecologist and writer who grew up on the shores of the bay and still sails regularly there. He was previously a nature reserve warden and the first Director of IWC BirdWatch Ireland. “Dublin Bay: Nature and History” is his fifth book.
**NOTE: Event venue is Basement Blue Room, not top floor.
Join photographer and Birr native Tina Claffey on a photographic journey. Tina will describe her photographic adventures in Botswana through to her more recent work capturing iconic images of Irish bogs. Much of Tinas work featured in her newly released photobook Tapestry Of Light is taken at Abbeyleix Bog a local nature hot-spot. Tina’s new book will be available to purchase on the evening.
[caption id="attachment_2935" align="alignleft" width="400"] Grey Heron by Martin Mc[/caption]
IWT Dublin Branch’s January outing occurs on Sunday January 7th. We are most fortunate to have a birdwatch outing led by John Fox. Those of you who bought the book on Dublin Bay by, among others, Richard Nairn, who gave our December talk will know that John is the main photographer of that volume, so the outing should be spectacular. We meet on the causeway at 12 noon. Remember – dress warmly.
Maria McGrail will give a presentation on wildlife photography. “Green Drinks”, hosted by IWT Dublin branch, occurs the first Tuesday of each month at JW Sweetman’s pub on Burgh Quay right beside O’Connell Bridge. Top floor. See IWT Dublin Branch Facebook page or their Meetup page for further details closer to the date.
Free Wildlife Photography workshop with Maria McGrail. The workshop is limited to 10 participants who should bring whatever camera they have and a tripod if they have one. Tea and coffee are available so participants will just have to bring their lunch. Booking necessary at dublinbranch@iwt.ie Places are allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.
On Sunday 15th April, the Laois/Offaly branch of the IWT is inviting the public to meet Zoologist and Amphibian Expert Collie Ennis at 12 noon in Abbeyleix Heritage House before heading to Abbeyleix Bog in search of frogs and newts. This event is suitable for young & old alike and is family friendly. Its a free event but donations to the branches conservation work always welcome.
Contact the Laois/Offaly Branch for any further information.
Join us for a webinar on the importance of the EU Nature Restoration Law and what it means agriculture and nature. After a quick overview of the law and what has happened so far, we will hear from Dr. Guy Pe’er, who specialises in agroecology and conservation biology. He has a particular interest in agriculture, the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and how it affects both people and nature.
For more details on Dr. Pe’er’s work, visit his page on iDiv or find him on X.
This event require registration. Please register here.
Bring binoculars and telescopes if you have them, but the branch should have some to share.
And there will be some clambering – so sensible footwear is required.
And remember to wrap up well.
Join us for an in person screening of Fair Seas latest film ‘The Atlantic Northwest.’ The film recently won the award of Exceptional Merit at the Documentaries Without Borders International Film Festival and has been selected as a finalist for the Big Blue Film Festival in Oregon USA. The film spoke to different stakeholders including anglers, divers, tourism operators and seafood producers on what the ocean means to them and how they think Marine Protected Areas will affect their local area.
After the screening we will have a panel discussion focused around Marine Protected Areas in Ireland and the chance to discuss ideas with a number of experts from different fields.
Event requires registration. Please register here.
Location: Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny. Port Road, F92 C8HD, Letterkenny, Ireland.
Join us at Tralee Wetland centre on Saturday the 17th February at 3.30pm for an event exploring some of the ecosystems and species found in Kerry and across Ireland. We will also discuss the importance of national and EU legislation, such as the Nature Restoration Law and the new Irish Marine Protected Area bill, in protecting and restoring these areas and the species that rely on them.
Gerard Skollard from the IWT Kerry branch will speak about some of the work being done in Kerry by IWT and other environmental groups. Sean Kelly, Member of the European Parliament will join us to talk about his ‘Bee Better’ campaign and the need for healthy pollinator populations. We will also hear from Louise Overy on some of the work being done in the community around seagrass, oysters and elasmobranchs. Grace Carr, Marine Advocacy Officer with the IWT will give an overview of the Nature Restoration Law and it’s importance to marine ecosystems. Fair Seas will also give an update on the national Marine Protected Area legislation and where we are in the process
More speakers are to be confirmed so keep an eye on our social media and future newsletters for more details.
This event requires registration, so please register here: REGISTRATION LINK
Date: Saturday the 17th February
Time: 3.30pm
Location: Tralee Bay Wetlands Centre, Ballyard Rd, Ballyard, Tralee, Co. Kerry.
Once again our March outing is led by the wonderful Tim Clabon, and, once again it’s along a river – this time the Dodder.
It’s on March 24th, at 10:30, Meet at the Dodder Waterfall. It’s beside bus stops for S6, S8, 49, 65B and right beside Old Bawn Shopping Centre.
Just a stroll along the bank of the River Dodder, looking at some of the wildlife that occurs around this area in what used to be called Spring!
Bring rainwear and good walking shoes or boots.
For more info or enquiries on this event please contact Dublin Branch on dublinbranch@iwt.ie.
Join Dublin Branch member Niall Mac Coitir on a guided walk to see some of the trees, wild flowers and birds indeed all the biodiversity to be found in St. Anne’s Park in Clontarf. Niall Mac Coitir is the author of Ireland’s Trees: Myths, Legends and Folklore.
Location: St. Anne’s Park in Clontarf.
Meeting Point: Red Stables
Time & Date: 11:00, April 21st.
Please note: We’ll be mostly on paths – but wear sensible footwear. Car parking in St Anne’s Park can be problematical. You might be best parking nearby (don’t block driveways) and walking. Bus 130 leaves you at the gate. Raheny Dart station is 5ish minutes by bike – and you can bring the bike on the Dart.
If you have any queries, please contact the Dublin branch directly. Email: DublinBranch@iwt.ie
Location: King’s Island, Limerick City
Meeting Point: The Potato Market on Merchants Quay
Time & Date: 11:00, April 27th.
If you are interested in improving your plant identification skills, we recommend downloading the free app: Flora Incognito ahead of the vent.
This walk is open to all!
For any queries, please contact the IWT Limerick Branch directly, email: limerickbranch@iwt.ie
Location: Cappagh House, County Waterford. Meet for car pooling at Butlerstown retail centre at 13.30.
Time & Date: 14:00, May 12th
On World Bee Day, join the Irish Wildlife Trust and NPWS to discover the bumblebees and other bugs that make their home in Knocksink Wood Nature Reserve. The walk will explore the pollinating insects and flowering plants found in the Knocksink Wood Nature Reserve and surrounding area. You will learn about wild irish bee and wildflower identification as well as woodland ecology.
Date: 20.05.2024
Time: 15:00
Meeting point: Confirmed on booking
Price: Free
Booking info: All ages welcome, booking is essential, email knocksinkwood@npws.gov.ie. Dogs (excepting guide dogs) are not permitted.
Contact: knocksinkwood@npws.gov.ie
Location: Waterford Greenway.
Meeting point: Confirmed upon booking
Join the Irish Wildlife Trust for an educational event where you will discover the world of Ireland’s wild bees. You will learn how to identify and submit sightings of commonly encountered Irish bees as well as how you can help by creating bee friendly habitat. This event will consist of a short talk followed by a walk around the garden when we hopefully spot lots of bees and practice our identification skills.
This free event is part of National Biodiversity Week and is being run in collaboration between the Irish Wildlife Trust and the National Botanic Gardens.
Date: Sat 25th May
Time: 11:00 to 13:00.
Meeting point: Visitors Centre, The National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin 9
Price: Free of charge
Booking info: Link
Contact: botanicscentre@opw.ie
The Limerick Branch of IWT (IWTLB) are hosting two events in Curraghchase Forest Park on Sunday 26th May 2024 from 11.30-13.00 in association with Kilcornan Tidy Towns. Dragonflies and Butterflies at the Lake; Woodland Plants in the Woods.
Date: 26.05.2024
Time: 11:30 – 13:00
Meeting point: Confirmed after booking
Price: Free
Booking info: To book on please email requesting a place on either “Dragonflies” or “Woodland Plants” to limerickevents@iwt.ie
Event Contact: limerickbranch@iwt.ie
Date: 26th May
Time: 14:00 to 16:00
Description: Calling all nature enthusiasts and citizen scientists!
Are you interested in learning more about recording biodiversity and uploading records to the National Biodiversity Data Centre? Recording local species is vitally important for the management and conservation of wildlife and the more active citizen scientists we have, the more we can learn about our biodiversity.
This event will be an introduction to biological recording and will look at using the NBDC website and app to upload records. Kieran Flood will be our speaker, and the presentation / Q&A will be followed by a practical session – a walk through lovely Muckno Park where participants can put their recording skills to the test.
Monaghan is currently 28th in the County League of records, let’s see if we can make it to the top ten!
Meeting point: Confirmed upon booking
Booking info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/896140589627?aff=oddtdtcreator
Contact: monaghanbranch@iwt.ie
Price: Free
Time & Date: 10am , 23rd June 2024
Location: Meet at the Interpretive Centre, next to the Causeway
Come along with Niall Mac Coitir of IWT Dublin Branch, to see some of the amazing variety of wildflowers on Bull Island at this time of year, including several species of orchid! The display rivals anything that can be seen in the Burren.
Meet at the Interpretative Centre, next to the Causeway at 10am. The event will last about two hours.
Wear sensible shoes and, this being Ireland, sunscreen AND rain gear.
Please be advised the terrain we’ll be covering is slightly rough so would not be suitable for buggies – and wear ‘sensible’ shoes!
If you’ve never done an outing like this, we recommend taking a look at Liz’s introductory course to learn about Irish bumblebees!
https://biodiversityireland.ie/identifying-irish-bumblebees/lesson.html
St Stephen’s Green Park is a historical park and garden, located in the centre of Dublin city. Cared for by the Office of Public Works, the park is an important public resource in the area, and provides an oasis of green calm in the middle of a bustling city. Many species of birds and plants also call the park their home.
We’re getting a marvelous guided tour of the park on Sunday, July 7th , and led by a Green gardener, expert on all the biodiversity of the Green. Meet at the Fusiliers’ Arch (top of Grafton Street) at 11 am for an insight to a part of Dublin you may not recognise.
Time: 11am
Date: July 7th 2024
Meeting Point: Fusilier’s Arch (top of Grafton Street)
If you have questions about the event, please contact: DublinBranch@iwt.ie
The 27th of July marks the first ever Irish Sea Day, where each nation is hosting events to celebrate the wildlife and communities that live and work around the Irish Sea. A joint event is being held in Rostrever Co.Down by Shifting tides, SeasearchNI, Ulster Wildlife, RSPB, SWAN, the Northern Ireland Marine task Force and the Irish Wildlife Trust linking the North and South of our beautiful island and raising awareness of the issues facing the waters around us.
There will be a Rockpool Ramble from 10 – 12 where you will get the chance to explore the local rockpools and identify the wildlife found there. The Northern Ireland Marine Task Force will give a talk at 2 looking at the threats and pressures facing the marine environment. At 3 there will be a presentation from Ulster Wildlife and the Irish Wildlife Trust looking at Marine Protected Areas both sides of the border. While this is going on SeasearchNI and Shifting Tides are running an observer course for divers and snorkellers. If you are interested in registering for the 2 day course, follow this link.
Book your place on the Rockpool Ramble here