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Be Plant Wise. Let nature lead. Plant native.
25 June 2026
The National Biodiversity Data Centre (NBDC) coordinates Invasive Species Week. You can learn all about Ireland’s invasive species and events happening this week here Invasive Species Week. As part of Invasive Species Week (22–28 June 2026), the Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) is encouraging gardeners, landowners, community groups, and local authorities to take simple but powerful actions to help nature recover.
The message is straightforward:
Invasive species are recognised as the second greatest driver of biodiversity loss globally after habitat destruction. In Ireland, invasive plants continue to spread through our woodlands, wetlands, waterways, and countryside, displacing native species and altering entire ecosystems.
Many invasive plants were originally introduced for ornamental or hedging purposes. Today, introduced flowering plants outnumber native flowering plants recorded in the wild across Ireland. At the same time, more than half of Ireland’s native plant species have declined in range, abundance, or both.
Oisín O’Néill the IWT Nature Advocacy Officer explains:
“Plants are the foundation of our ecosystems. They provide food, shelter, and breeding habitat for countless species. By choosing native plants and avoiding invasive species, everyone can play a direct role in restoring biodiversity from the ground up.”
This week, the IWT is highlighting positive, practical actions that anyone can take, whether they have a large garden, a community space, a schoolyard, or even a small patch of lawn. To share this important message the IWT held a collaborative webinar with landscape designer, environmental activist and founder of We Are The Ark, Mary Reynolds. A link to this webinar can be found here.
For many years now Mary has been supporting communities and garden owners to welcome native plants into their garden and public space through the We Are The Ark programme. This work has recently featured through the TG4 programme Réabhlóid ar Chúl an Tí.
Mary added:
“We have ripped nature apart, patch by patch. We have a lot of work to do. Patch by patch is how we stitch it all back together. We are the needle and native plants are the thread.”
The IWT is encouraging people to think carefully about where their plants come from. Locally sourced, native trees and hedging plants are better adapted to local conditions and support stronger ecological connections with wildlife. Projects such as Seeds of Inspiration, led by the IWT Monaghan Branch in partnership with Monaghan County Council Biodiversity Office, are demonstrating how communities can collect, propagate, and share local provenance native trees for future generations. For more information on local tree propagation people can watch the Seeds of Inspiration documentary and short videos on the IWT’s YouTube channel.
This Invasive Species Week, the Irish Wildlife Trust is asking everyone to take a moment before planting and ask: Will this plant help nature, or harm it?
By being plant wise, embracing native species, and allowing nature to recover, every garden can become part of Ireland’s nature restoration movement providing a growing network of habitats for wildlife.
Learn more
ENDS
Oisín Ó Néill, Irish Wildlife Trust Nature Advocacy Officer, oisin@iwt.ie
The Irish Wildlife Trust was founded in 1979 as a charitable conservation body. We provide the public with information about wildlife, run education and training programs, carry out habitat and species surveys, campaign and lobby around biodiversity issues, restore natural habitats, consult with industry, agriculture, and Local Authorities to maintain our natural heritage, and contribute to national and international forums for the protection of biodiversity. The IWT is a nationwide organisation with a strong membership base and branches in Dublin, Kerry, Limerick, Waterford & Monaghan.
If you value our work, please consider supporting us by becoming a member