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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.
The great auk is the only Irish bird to have gone extinct within the last 500 years.
Conor O’Brien will discuss what drove this magnificent, flightless bird to extinction – and the attempts to bring it back from the dead.
Author and IWT Campaigns Officer Pádraic Fogarty will be talking about his book – Whittled Away – and Ireland’s vanishing nature at Banagher Library.
Join leader Denis Cullen for a wildlife walk. Meet in Waterford at 1230 pm for car-pooling, car park between Shandon Roundabout and Waterford Council Offices at 1.30 from where we proceed to the car-park leading to the Cunnigar.
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.
Join Irish Wildlife Trust botanist Mr. Ger Scollard as he demonstrates the sowing and growing of wildflowers this Sunday 11th March Mothers Day. Make the most of the unused corners of your garden or liven up your window or patio boxes. Suitable for adults and children and children of ALL ages are welcome.
Ger is back by popular demand, and places per workshop are limited so advanced booking is advisable as to avoid disappointment. All materials will be provided!
EVENT IS SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN & ADULTS
TIME(s): 11.15am 12.15pm 1.15pm 2.15pm
COST: Adults €5 Seniors: €4 Child(ren): €2
This event is FREE to customers who take tour or book activities / hire of equipment on Mothers Day.
To book and secure your place call reception 066 7126700 /
Declan Murphy, author of highly praised new book A Life in the Trees – a personal account of the Great Spotted Woodpecker in County Wicklow will be leading a IWT Dublin branch walk to hear the bird drumming, and perhaps even see one. We will not however, be looking for nests or chicks.
Birds, like otters, are early-morning creatures. We will be meeting on the bridge in Rathdrum, County Wicklow, at 8 am on the morning on the 24th. Children are welcome, but all should be conscious of the Irish weather, dress appropriately, bring raingear and bring nibbles for children (and yourselves!).
The Laois/Offaly branch host Martine Brennan on Thursday the 4th of April at 8pm in Mueller & O’Connell Bakery, Abbeyleix. Martine is an amateur naturalist and Twitter aficionado who has become a prolific recorder and tweeter of all things wild in Laois. Martine with a little help from the Twitter community is a self taught naturalist and her talk will focus on how, when and why she became so interested in the wildlife of Laois whilst exploring some of her favorite sites and species that she has discovered along the way.
Community Bee Monitoring Workshop
Old School House, Ballintober, Co Roscommon
This workshop will provide training in bee identification, surveying and recording techniques. It will consist of an indoor presentation and an outdoor practical session at a nearby wildflower habitat. This is a beginner’s level workshop. It will introduce you to the fascinating world of bees and the importance of bee monitoring in Ireland. This workshop is ideal for community groups such as Tidy Towns.
Booking is essential contact us at conservation@iwt.ie for booking
This event is free of charge and supported by Roscommon County Council
Community Bee Monitoring Workshop
ACM Castleconnell, Co Limerick
This workshop will provide training in bee identification, surveying and recording techniques. It will consist of an indoor presentation and an outdoor practical session at a nearby wildflower habitat. This is a beginner’s level workshop. It will introduce you to the fascinating world of bees and the importance of bee monitoring in Ireland. This workshop is ideal for community groups such as Tidy Towns.
Booking is essential contact us at conservation@iwt.ie for booking
This event is free of charge and supported by Limerick County Council
Community Bee Monitoring Workshop
St Mary’s Junior School, Blessington, Co Wicklow
This workshop will provide training in bee identification, surveying and recording techniques. It will consist of an indoor presentation and an outdoor practical session at a nearby wildflower habitat. This is a beginner’s level workshop. It will introduce you to the fascinating world of bees and the importance of bee monitoring in Ireland. This workshop is ideal for community groups such as Tidy Towns.
Booking is essential contact us at conservation@iwt.ie for booking
This event is free of charge and supported by Wicklow County Council
Community Bee Monitoring Workshop
Cavan Town Library, Co Cavan
This workshop will provide training in bee identification, surveying and recording techniques. It will consist of an indoor presentation and an outdoor practical session at a nearby wildflower habitat. This is a beginner’s level workshop. It will introduce you to the fascinating world of bees and the importance of bee monitoring in Ireland. This workshop is ideal for community groups such as Tidy Towns.
Booking is essential contact us at conservation@iwt.ie for booking
This event is free of charge and supported by Cavan County Council
Green Drinks May – The Greater Spotted Woodpecker
This month, the IWT Dublin Branch will host Declan Murphy to give a talk about one of Ireland’s newest arrivals, the Greater Spotted Woodpecker. Many are praising Declan’s recent book A Life in the Trees – a personal account of the Great Spotted Woodpecker in County Wicklow.
Community Bee Monitoring Workshop
Adare Village Hall, Co Limerick
This workshop will provide training in bee identification, surveying and recording techniques. It will consist of an indoor presentation and an outdoor practical session at a nearby wildflower habitat. This is a beginner’s level workshop. It will introduce you to the fascinating world of bees and the importance of bee monitoring in Ireland. This workshop is ideal for community groups such as Tidy Towns.
Booking is essential contact us at conservation@iwt.ie for booking
This event is free of charge and supported by Limerick City and County Council
Join Marie Power for an event to highlight the biodiversity of the Copper Coast of Waterford. We will walk the beach at Garrarus Strand learning about the plant and animal life on the rocky shore. We will learn how to identify the edible seaweeds found here as well as learning about the rock pool animals and the interconnectedness of all life on the shore.
This event is free of charge but please book on at http://www.livingearth.ie/
This event is open to all ages. It involves walking off path on the beach and participants should wear suitable footwear for walking on the rocks and dress for coastal weather. Bearing in mind that conditions on the shore may be different to inland.
Join the Irish Wildlife Trust Kerry Branch for an early morning birdsong concert.
For details contact iwtkerry@gmail.com
TIME: 7am
MEETING POINT: South Pole Inn, Annascaul
Join the Irish Wildlife Trust for a guided biodiversity walk along the scenic Barrow Way Towpath. This will be a leisurely walking tour suitable to all ages. The river Barrow is rich in biodiversity and a home to otter, water birds and fish while the banks support beautiful wildflowers and insect life. At this event, we will walk the Barrow Towpath from St Mullins stopping to learn about the botanical biodiversity while looking out for signs of otter and other native mammals.
This walk is on grassy paths on level easy terrain. Walking boots and outdoor clothing are recommended. It’s led by Alan Walshe, an ecological with years of experience of leading groups.
MEETING POINT: The towpath at St Mullins at 1:30pm
CONTACT: iwtwaterfordbranch@gmail.com for details
Suitable for all ages.
Join the Irish Wildlife Trust for a guided biodiversity walk through some of Galway City’s best bee spying spots. Protecting our pollinators is an effective way to take action for biodiversity. At this event, we walk through some of Galway City’s bee habitat and learn how to identify and care for our Irish bumblebees. The walk will start opposite the Huntsmans Inn and follow the shore of Lough Aralia along hedgerows and over to Ballyboughane Beach where we will hopefully find plenty of bees on the shoreline wildflowers growing there such as clover and ox-eye daisy. Butterfly nets and viewing jars will be available so everyone can enjoy the fun of netting a bee to have a closer look before letting them go on the merry way. It is great fun for all the family.
The event is suitable for all and participant should wear comfortable walking clothes and footwear.
MEETING POINT: Car park opposite Huntsman Inn, Galway City
Contact: conservation@iwt.ie
The Irish Wildlife Trust discusses the importance of pollinators with the DCU campus community. How can the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan be applied to universities and what can you do to help wild bees? Learn how to identify bumblebees and about the bumblebee monitoring scheme. After a start talk, the group will be taken on a walk across campus to the DCU community, discussing the potential habitats and food for bees on campus, and attempt to observe bees in the garden.
All welcome.
Wildlife Gardening Talk
Presented by The Irish Wildlife Trust
Get practical advice on how we can all do our bit to protect our native biodiversity with some simple changes to how we garden. From window boxes to big gardens we can help our native biodiversity. This is a free Biodiversity Week event being delivered by the Irish Wildlife Trust and Kildare County Council.
Booking required – contact naaslib@kildarecoco.ie
THIS EVENT IS BOOKED OUT
Join the Irish Wildlife Trust on a nocturnal tour of Dublin’s National Botanic Gardens. The event will allow visitors a glimpse at what goes on in the gardens after the gates close and darkness falls. Find out which creatures roam this beautiful garden by night. At this event, you will learn about Ireland’s nocturnal biodiversity in this historic site. We will use bat detectors to hopefully hear the calls of our native bats as they forage over the garden pond and between the majestic trees. Event participant will get a chance to use our bat detector devices to try out finding bats using their echolocation calls. While on the tour, we will keep our eyes and ear open for other creatures such as badgers, foxes and owls. The IWT’s conservation officer Kieran Flood will be leading the walk.
The event will be taking place at nightfall. Participant should dress for evening weather and bring a small torch for their own use. Booking is essential for this event please contact botanicscentre@opw.ie to book.
This event is open to all and will take place on wheelchair accessible footpaths. It is a family friendly event.
This event will combine an informative talk on Irish bats with walk in the beautiful Balllyseedy Wood. Join the Irish Wildlife Trust Kerry Branch at the Tralee Bay Wetlands Centre at 8pm to hear the background on Irish bats, their little quirks and how they live, given by Dr David Mc Cormick, ecologist at Tralee Bay Wetlands and Chairperson of IWT. We will then leave the centre after the talk heading to the south entrance of Ballyseedy Woods. At the woods, participants will walk the woodland paths with our IWT guides in search of nocturnal biodiversity. We will use bat detectors to hear the bats amazing echolocation calls and discover which species of bat are foraging in these woods. Participants will be able to try out the bat detectors for themselves and experience listening to sound of bat calls.
Participants are advised to wear appropriate outdoor clothing, good walking shoes and to bring a small torch.
This event is open to all and is family friendly.
Once a site of local industry, the Commons North Woodland is now a beautiful example of a local biodiversity site. The former lime quarry in now an accessible wildlife walking area, with bats inhabiting the old quarry sites.
On this walk, we will explore the biodiversity of the woodland, which is home to badgers, bats, birds and rare butterflies. This site contains woodland, limestone pavement and quarry ponds. Our Irish Wildlife Trust guide will help you explore the plants and animals present in all these habitat. The use of butterfly nets and pond dipping equipment will help us see the resident butterflies, bumblebees and pond life up close. This is great fun for kids and adults alike, and an excellent way to celebrate 25 year of action for Ireland biodiversity.
MEETING POINT: At the walk entrance, Lanesborough, Co Longford
Contact: conservation@iwt.ie for details
Participants should wear outdoor walking clothes and footwear.
These are short 20 minute workshops looking at simple ways to turn home gardens into wildlife havens. Contact iwtkerry@gmail.com for details/
LOCATION: Tralee Bay Wetland Centre
TIME: 2:00pm, 2:20pm, 2:40pm
On Saturday, May 26th, the Dublin Branch of the IWT will hold a Biodiversity walk on the Grand Canal, as part of Ireland’s Biodiversity week. Larry Gordon, of the Grand Canal group, will lead us on a walk along the canal, lasting about 90 minutes and starting at 4 p.m. at Dolphin’s Barn Bridge. The Canal is a wonderful artery of wildlife from central Ireland right into our capital city, and Larry will explore and explain this flow of biodiversity traffic. For Decades bats, birds, otter and fish all use the Grand Canal to find food and navigate within our urban landscape. It is still and essential biodiversity habitat for Dublin City and well worth exploring this Biodiversity Week.
MEETING POINT: Dolphin’s Barn Bridge, Dublin TIME: 16:00 – 17:00
Contact: dublinbranch@iwt.ie for details
The walk is suitable for the entire family. Remember, even though it has late May, the afternoons can get a little chilly, so make sure the little ones are wrapped up.
Join Dublin Branch member Niall Mac Coitir for the annual wildflower walk on Bull Island where you will see an amazing variety of flowers that rival anything in the burren, including up to six species of orchid!
Not suitable for children under twelve. Wear sensible shoes and appropriate outdoor gear.
Meeting Point: Meet at Interpretive Centre at end of causeway
Photo Credit: http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/465053
25th July, Meeting 11:00 at Ballyfermot Library
This family friendly event will feature a brief wildlife talk in the library followed by a walk to Markievicz Park to explore the wildlife found there. At this event, you will learn about the trees and wildlife of Markievicz Park, such as bees, butterflies and birds.
The event is free of charge – booking is essential on ballyfermotlibrary@dublincity.ie or 01 6269324
This event is funded by Dublin City Council
This workshop will provide training in bee habitat creation – bee friendly planting and nest site creation. It will consist of an indoor presentation and an outdoor walk to see local bee habitat. It is a beginner’s level workshop. It will introduce you to the fascinating world of bees and the importance of bee conservation in Ireland. The workshop is ideal for community groups such as Tidy Towns.
Venue:
Time 11:00-14:30
This workshop is free of charge. Booking is essential on conservation@iwt.ie
This IWT project aims to empower community groups and the public around the country to take action in essential monitoring of wild bee populations and the creation of wild bee habitat.
Find project details at iwt.ie/people-for-bees/
This workshop was funded by Limerick City & County Council
Kieran Flood, Conservation Officer for the Irish Wildlife Trust will be giving a talk on our Irish lizards and the work the Irish Wildlife Trust has been doing to map the distribution of our little know Irish reptiles. Ireland is not known for its reptile diversity but our own native reptile, the viviparous lizard, is widespread and a fascinating creature. We are also home to the slow worm, an introduced legless lizard. So come along to this Green Drinks talk to find out more.
Location: JW Sweetman on Burgh Quay beside O’Connell Bridge.
Date: 07th August
Time: 19:00
08th August, Meeting 14:00 at Marino Library, 14 – 20 Marino Mart, Fairview, Dublin 3. D03 VW10
This family friendly event will feature a brief wildlife talk in the library followed by a walk to Fairview Park to explore the wildlife found there. At this event, you will learn about the trees and wildlife of Fairview Park, such as bees, butterflies and birds.
The event is free of charge – booking is essential on marinolibrary@dublincity.ie or 01 8336297