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We are running a series of webinars on solutions to the biodiversity crisis in Ireland. Join us once a month to watch live discussions with specialists in wildlife conservation or use the links below to watch back. To join live and take part in the Q&A keep an eye out for the webinar registration links as they are announced here and on our social media.
September 11th 2024 at 6pm – The Nature Restoration Law Series: Marine
Join us for an insightful webinar where we’ll dive into the critical aspects of Ireland’s journey toward marine protection and restoration. Donal Griffin, Fair Seas Campaign Coordinator, will discuss the long-awaited National Marine Protected Area (MPA) legislation. While Grace Carr, IWT Marine Advocacy Officer, will explore the different aspects of the marine chapter of the EU Nature Restoration Law (NRL) and how it relates to Irish ecosystems.
We’ll discuss how Ireland can meet its restoration targets through a combination of the MPA Bill, effective management of existing Natura 2000 sites, and joint recommendations under the EU Common Fisheries Policy. Whether you’re a policy maker, marine professional, or conservation enthusiast, this session will offer valuable insights into protecting Ireland’s vital marine ecosystems.
July 30th 2024 at 7pm - The Nature Restoration Law Series: Public Lands
Join us on Tuesday, July 30th for the first session of our webinar series focused on the recently enacted Nature Restoration Law. This series aims to explore innovative strategies for restoring and protecting nature in Ireland.
In this first session, Grace, IWT’s Marine Advocacy Officer, will provide an introduction to the key targets of the Nature Restoration Law. We are also delighted to welcome our special guest, Fintan Kelly from the IEN, who will discuss the ways we can unlock the potential of public lands to restore nature in Ireland.
Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with experts and gain insights into how we can work together to preserve Ireland’s natural heritage.
January 25th 2024 at 7pm - What does EU Nature Restoration Law mean for agriculture and nature?
Latest 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 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.
Webinar Film Screening Fair Seas: The Atlantic Northwest 2023
Virtual premier of the award-winning Fair Seas: The Atlantic Northwest with guest speakers!
The film dives into the Atlantic Ocean through compelling interviews with individuals whose lives are intricately connected to its vast waters. The film underscores the critical need for establishing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), serving as a pivotal strategy to strengthen and safeguard our ongoing marine conservation efforts.
The webinar opens with a fascinating and informative talk from Jack O’Donovan, Fair Seas Communications Officer, followed by a panel discussion with some individuals involved in the making of the film.
If you missed this screening and wish to see The Atlantic Northwest, the next screening is in Donegal in February 2024.
More details will be shared soon, so be sure to follow the Irish Wildlife Trust and Fair Seas so you don’t miss any updates.
Irish Wildlife Trust newsletter: https://iwt.ie/what-we-do/communication/newsletter/
Fair Seas newsletter: https://fairseas.ie/contact/
October 03rd - LIFE on Machair
In this webinar we will be joined by Dr Catherine Farrell to learn about the LIFE Machair project.
LIFE on Machair is a six year EU funded project running from 2022 to 2028. The project was developed to work with farmers, landowners and local communities in a bid to protect and restore Ireland’s network of Machair systems and associated breeding wader and pollinator communities.
September 28th at 7pm - Fair Seas Ocean Literacy Survey 2023
Our webinar series is back after the Summer break!
Register below for this event with Fair Seas and Dr. Emma McKinley speaking about the results of Ireland’s Ocean Literacy Survey and what this means for marine governance.
June 6th at 7pm - Bringing back the sturgeon 2023
For our final webinar of this season join us next Tuesday, June 6th at 7pm, for a look at efforts to restore sturgeon to Irish and British waters. With speakers from the Irish Wildlife Trust and the Blue Marine Foundation. This webinar will discuss the recent report entitled ‘Restoring the Sturgeon to Irish Waters’ and which is available on our website.
May 2nd at 7pm - Lessons from the Past: Whales & whaling in Ireland 100 years ago 2023
This talk looks at Ireland’s brief shore-based whaling industry that came to an end one century ago. Although depressing, the results highlight the potential for Irish waters to once again support a richer variety of large whale species, if given the chance.
Conor Ryan is Irish zoologist based in the Hebrides in Scotland, whale researcher and guide for National Geographic.
Date & Time: Tuesday 2nd May, 2023, 07:00 PM
April 19th at 7pm - Ireland's First Hope Spot 2023
Description: In this webinar we talk about Irelands first ever Hope Spot ‘The Greater Skellig Coast’. We hear from Jack O’Donovan Tra of Fair Seas, Professor Dan Laffoley from Mission Blue and Lucy Hunt from SeaSynergy.
Dan tells us about his career in ocean conservation and his role in the 30×30 target we hear so much about. You can learn more about his latest venture ‘Save Our Wild Isles’ at the link below and find out how important business is to nature conservation.
There are also four new films ready for screening. https://www.saveourwildisles.org.uk/business
Check out Lucys work at https://www.seasynergy.org/ and find out more about what you can find at your local coast. This is Ireland’s first Marine Awareness and Activity centre and a great place to learn and have a unique experience with the ocean
And of course don’t forget to check out our partners Fair Seas webpage and keep up to date with marine news and conservation in Ireland by signing up to their newsletter. Their World Ocean Day conference is happening soon on June 8th at Cork City Hall and you can get your tickets here: https://fairseas.clr.events/event/133176:world-ocean-day-conference
April 12th at 7pm - Lynx and wolves - top predators for Ireland? 2023
Description: This webinar looks at recent research into Ireland’s former top predators.
Dara Sands is author of the paper Dewilding ‘Wolf-land’: Exploring the Historical Dimensions of Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence in Ireland
Colin Guilfoyle studied the suitability of the Irish landscape to sustain a population of lynx. Find out more: Assessing the ecological suitability of the Irish landscape for the Eurasian lynx
March 7th at 7pm - Wild Woods: Ireland's native woodlands 2023
Description: In this webinar he will talked about Ireland’s native woodland including its wildlife, management and policies for its protection. Richard Nairn is an ecologist and writer based in County Wicklow.
February 10th at 7pm - The Lesser Horseshoe Bat 🦇 2023
Description: This webinar will looked at the lesser horseshoe bat and the work of the Vincent Wildlife Trust in Ireland in conserving this important species.
***Due technical problems this webinar was not recorded ***
January 10th at 7pm - Rights of Nature 🌳 2023
Description: We talked to James Orr and Katie Holden about the campaign for the Rights of Nature to be recognised in Ireland.
December 9th at 7pm - COP 15 Biodiversity Conference from Montreal 2022
Description: The Irish Wildlife Trust was in Montreal for COP15 in December 2022. This webinar talks about what’s at stake and why the deal for nature is so important
November 17h at 7pm - The Secret Life of Crows with Ricky Whelan 2022
Description: This webinar takes a look at the diversity and character of crows in Ireland and around the world.
October 4th at 7pm - An Irish Atlantic Rainforest 🌳📚 2022
Description: We meeting Eoghan Daltun, author of ‘An Irish Atlantic Rainforest’ to hear about his rewilding of a patch of land on the Beara Peninsula in Co. Cork
September 6th at 7pm - Mushrooms and Fungi 🍄 2022
Description: This webinar presents an overview of the importance of mushrooms and fungi in Ireland from leading mycologist Maria Cullen
June 8th at 7pm - Rewooding Ireland - lessons from Scotland 2022
Description: How can Ireland expand and restore our forests? Join us and James Rainey, an ecologist working in Scotland, to discuss on an ecological approach to expanding tree cover.
May 9th at 7pm - Food Security 2022
Description: With war in Ukraine and a worsening ecological crisis that threatens food production, how can we best prepare ourselves for the changes that are coming?
We discussed this important topic with Bridgi Murphy from Talamh Beo and Olive Moore from UCC Centre for Cooperative Studies.
Check out the presentation from Olive Moore here: Food Security – Ireland and the World by Oliver Moore
April 6th at 7pm - Farming for Nature 2022
*** Check out our Special Webinars Series ***
March 30th - Water for biodiversity 2022
Description: This webinar looks at biodiversity and water status with Dr Evelyn Moorkens, who talks about the plights of the critically endangered freshwater pearl mussel, and IWT Campaign Officer Pádraic Fogarty who talks about the need for good status of our water bodes for all life as well as the many policy initiatives that aim to achieve this.
March 23rd - The state of our water bodies and some of the main pressures they are under 2022
Description: This webinar in our Water Framework Directive (WFD) series looks at the main pressures affecting water status in Ireland, particularly agriculture and wastewater treatment. Jenny Deakin, the senior catchment scientist for the Environmental Protection Agency, provides an overview of the current situation. Elaine McGoff, natural environment officer with An Taisce, talks about the pressure on water from agriculture while Sinead O’Brien, co-ordinator with the Sustainable Water Network (SWAN) tells us about pollution from wastewater treatment plants.
March 16th: Physical modifications of rivers 2022
Description: In this webinar we are talking about ‘physical modifications’ of rivers, in particular arterial drainage works, which physically alter the natural flow of rivers. It is among the chief pressures on water bodies and one which is increasing. The webinar explores what a natural river flow is and why it matters with Dr Mary Bourke of Trinity College Dublin. We hear from Dr Andrea Lacchia, science writer and author of an investigation into river drainage works in Ireland for Noteworthy https://www.noteworthy.ie/breaking-th…
March 9th - an overview of the WFD 2022
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Description: This webinar series about the Water Framework Directive (WFD) comes to you in association with the Sustainable Water Network (SWAN). We hear from SWAN co-ordinator, Sinead O’Brien and Trish Murphy from the Inishowen Rivers Trust on why the WFD is so important at a national and a local level.
March 9th at 7pm - Wild Atlantic Nature LIFE Project 2022
Description: LIFE IP Wild Atlantic Nature is an innovative and ambitious project aimed at conservation and management of Ireland’s Natura 2000 network of blanket bog habitats. Funded under the EU LIFE programme for nine years (2021-2029), LIFE IP Wild Atlantic Nature works with farmers, local communities, state agencies and others across a broad range of actions spanning sectors including farming, forestry, tourism, community development, education and research.
February 8th at 7pm - Rewilding!
2022
Description: This webinar will look at the meaning of rewilding, its scientific underpinning and how it can be used to address the biodiversity crisis
January 11th at 7pm - Sharks in Irish waters
2022
Description: A talk about the surprising diversity of sharks in our oceans and what needs to be done to better protect them.
December 7th at 7pm - The white-tailed eagle in Ireland
2021
Description: A webinar on the reintroduction of the White-tailed Eagle to Ireland. This is one of the most exciting nature conservation projects in Ireland in recent years and we look forward to hearing all about this with Dr Allan Mee.
November 3rd at 7pm - COP26 - Now or later? 2021
October 5th at 7pm - Code Red for planet Earth 2021
Description: Environmental journalist John Gibbons gives us an overview of what is at stake as world leaders prepare to meet in Glasgow for the COP26 summit on climate change.
July 15th at 11:30am - Our Ocean of Opportunity - MPAs for Ireland 2021
Description: This webinar on Marine Protected Areas for Ireland includes expert speakers (Grace Cott, UCD, Ruth Brennan TCD, Morven Roberteson, Blue Marine Foundation & Jean-Luc Solandt, Marine Conservation Society) as well as an introduction from Minister for State Malcolm Noonan.
June 1st at 7pm - Saving Our Seas - with Enric Sala 2021
Description: Enric Sala is director of National Geographic’s Pristine Seas project which combines exploration, research, and media to support and empower local communities and inspire country leaders to protect the last wild places in the ocean. To date, Pristine Seas has helped to create 22 of the largest marine reserves on the planet, covering an area of 5.8 million square km.
May 4th at 7pm - Grace O'Sullivan MEP - in conversation 2021
Description: This webinar will give an overview of Grace’s work in the European Parliament, in particular as the Parliament’s Rapporteur for the Environment Action Programme to 2030 and her recent work on overfishing and fisheries control.
Grace O’Sullivan was an activist with Greenpeace and is a long-time advocate of protecting the marine environment. She was elected an MEP in 2019 and has been heavily involved in environmental matters in the European Parliament including fisheries, biodiversity, climate change and international trade deals. We talked to Grace about her work and the importance of the EU in framing our current environmental debate.
April 6th at 7pm - Rewilding in Europe 2021
Description: This webinar will look at how rewilding is being put into practice in two parts of Europe: the Oder Delta on the border between Germany and Poland, and Spain.
Speakers:
Peter Torkler
Peter Torkler joined Rewilding Oder Delta as Team Leader Poland in March 2020. Rewilding Oder Delta perfectly matches Peter’s passion to work in the field and to balance nature conservation work and the needs of local people. Understanding these needs is a great motivation for him to lobby for the right political and financial framework conditions to make rewilding part of a nature-based economy.
Jordi Palau
Jordi Palau is a Forest Engineer and holds an MSc in Protected Area Management. He has been the manager of two natural parks and three national game reserves in Catalonia, being one of them (Boumort) a pilot site for rewilding, and he has also advised some Spanish private estates interested in conservation and ecotourism. He has travelled around the world visiting rewilding scenarios in Africa, Eurasia and the Americas, getting to know them first-hand. In 2020 he published the book “Rewilding Iberia. Exploring the potential of rewilding in Spain” (Lynx Editions).
March 1st at 7pm - Nature in the City 2021
Description: We’ll be talking about the importance of biodiversity in Dublin including the importance of trees and green space, the value of water ways and some of the plans to enhance nature in Dublin. Our capital city has a surprising amount of nature but we need more! Speakers include Alma Clavin of UCD, Patrick McCabe of REDscape Landscape & Urbanism and Lorraine Bull, biodiversity officer with Dublin City Council.
February 1st at 7pm - Birds on the Edge 2021
Description: This webinar will look at efforts to save three of Ireland’s most endangered birds: the Curlew, the Corncrake and the Hen Harrier. Speakers include Ryan Wilson-Parr of the Hen Harrier Project, Kathryn Finney of BirdWatch Ireland and John Carey of the recently-launched Corncrake LIFE project.
Dec 7th - Farming and Nature in Ireland's Uplands 2020
Description: A webinar on farming and nature in Ireland’s uplands with Dr. Eugene Costelle from the Department of Archaeology University College Cork.
Nov 16th - Nature-Based Solutions to Climate Breakdown 2020
Description: A discussion on nature-based solutions to climate breakdown with Jennifer Whitmore TD and Nathalie Seddon of the University of Oxford.
Nov 2nd - Marine Protected Areas for Ireland 2020
Description: The government has committed to protecting 30% of our seas by 2030 but currently Ireland only protects 2.5%, and even these areas do not enjoy any actual protection. Join the IWT for a discussion on the potential for bigger and better MPAs for Ireland featuring our own Regina Classen and National Geographic’s Adrian Gahan.
Adrian presented National Geographic’s Pristine Seas project and discussed the potential for marine protected areas in Ireland.
Regina introduced us to the current state of marine protection in Ireland and what needs to be done to reverse the decline in marine biodiversity and enhance the carbon storage capacity of our Ocean. For more information, you can read her full report on Ireland’s failure to protect marine Natura 2000 sites here.
Oct 2020: Farming in the Biodiversity and Climate Crisis 2020
Description: An Irish Wildlife Trust webinar with farmers Sinead Moran and Clive Bright