Irish Wildlife Autumn 2020

ISSN - 1649 - 5705 • AUTUMN ’20

IRISH MAGAZINE OF THE IRISH WILDLIFE TRUST

IRELAND ’S

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WILDLIFE M AGAZINE

Climate Action at a Crossroads SPOTTED IN IRELAND: • BLACK-HEADED GULL • COMMON WASP • EARLY THORN MOTH

INCH: KERRY’S THREATENED DUNE SYSTEM

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WELCOME

Chairman’s Comment

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Cover credits: Red Deer Killarney by Vivian Wynne Philips

Contents page credits: See page 35

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arm greetings from all in IWT! As the shortening days becoming more noticeable, we are reminded that autumn has once again arrived. This season is a personal favourite of mine and for wildlife enthusiasts, provides ideal opportunities to spot wildlife in all its glory, full and vibrant after the fruitful days of summer. Hedgerows and scrub are laden with blackberries, haws, sloes and elderberries, all providing an abundance of energy rich food to help prepare our wildlife for the upcoming winter season. The autumn bird migration, a changing of the guard if you like, gets underway, and over the next number of weeks, our island will see the departure of many species such as swallows, willow warblers and martins for southern lands. In their place, an influx of winter species such as whooper swan, fieldfare and brent geese arrive to take advantage of our more hospitable winter climate. Autumn is a season of change, colour and richness and with numbers of people on staycations winding down, it is a chance to visit many of our now less busy woodland parks, beaches and hills to enjoy wildlife and find some solitude.

With plenty of wildlife on display during autumn, this is an ideal opportunity for us to record our wildlife sightings and submit these records to the National Biodiversity Data Centre. Biological records provide us with invaluable data to monitor the distribution and abundance of species, identify species in decline, track the spread of invasive species etc, all of which can help shape conservation policies and action plans. Our ‘Conservation News’ section has more details about submitting your records.

During the recent global lockdown, sightings of wildlife in urban areas in Ireland and from around the world were frequently shared and shown on social and mainstream media. Footage of a fox walking up a near deserted Grafton Street and badgers foraging in gardens in housing estates became symbolic images of the shutdown with some commentary about nature ‘fighting back’ etc presenting this as a positive. The reality is more sobering. Certain wildlife species are becoming increasingly common in urban areas both in Ireland and globally due to human inflicted pressures such as habitat loss and fragmentation. Clearing land for agriculture and urbanisation disrupts ecosystems and creates a species dispersal effect, bringing species and humans, into closer proximity. With wildlife

and humans coming into increasingly closer contact, the chances for zoonotic diseases (those that initially spread from wildlife to humans) to spread increases.

COVID 19 is the obvious example of a virus that is believed to have spread from wildlife to humans due to our disturbance and damage to ecosystems.

To blame certain species, such as bats, for disease outbreaks is unfounded and dangerous as it deflects from our destructive activities and shifts the blame to wildlife. Billy Flynn’s piece covers this issue and discusses what the future implications for humans may be.

An interesting contribution to this edition is from Minister for Land Use and Biodiversity, Pippa Hackett. In her piece she outlines how it is possible to be both a farmer and an environmentalist and that finding the balance between the two is the key to sustainability for both sides. However, mistrust and misunderstandings remain and during the summer, following IWT’s call for sheep to be taken off upland areas to allow vegetation recovery and to implement restoration measures, a rather negative response came from certain farming sectors. All too often, when eNGOs such as IWT raise issues resulting from inappropriate agricultural practices, they are meet with accusations of being anti-farming.

The reality is that IWT has always recognised the importance of farming and the role that sustainable farming plays in maintaining habitats, biodiversity and, just as importantly, rural communities. We hope that Minister Hackett’s experience as both farmer and environmentalist will be to the fore of upcoming policies and decisions originating from her department over the coming months and years. On a side note, isn’t it welcome to see ‘Biodiversity’ in a Ministers title? Long overdue!

I hope you all get a chance to get out and about this autumn. As always, please keep up to date with all that is happening in IWT by visiting our website, Facebook and Twitter accounts. Thanks for all your support.

Enjoy the read

Seán Meehan, Chairman, Irish Wildlife Trust

Pass it on. If you’re finished with your Irish Wildlife don’t throw it in the bin. Pass it on to someone who you think may enjoy it – or ask your local library or doctor’s office to leave it in the reception.

You’ll help the environment and the IWT while you’re at it.

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FIELD REPORT

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CONTENTS

Contents 4.

ABOUT US

Discover more about the work of the IWT and how you can get involved.

5. CONSERVATION NEWS

Tim Clabon compiles the latest national and international news from the conservation world.

7.

MARINE CONSERVATION

Regina Classenon on Ireland’s failure to protect Marine Natura 2000 sites.

11. IWT NEWS

Read all about our recent activities.

16.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Sadhbh O’Neill of Stop Climate Chaos gives us an update at a critical time for the climate movement in Ireland.

20. PIPPA HACKETT

A new voice for nature in government.

22.

EXPLORING WILDLIFE

Shining a light on Inch, Kerry’s threatened dune system.

24. SEASONAL FOCUS

Billy Flynn looks at the latest evidence linking Covid-19 and the loss of ecosystems.

26.

FIADHÚLRA

Beacha agus Beacha Gabhair agus a leitheid.

28.

CITIZEN SCIENCE

Moth trapping - what you need to get started.

30. WILD IDEAS

Dr Jenni Roche on the history of Scots pine in Ireland.

32. FEATURE

The bizarre and cruel practice of ‘glue-trapping’ song birds is suspended in France.

36. COMPETITION

Win a copy of An Irish Nature Year by Jane Powers.

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IRISH WILDLIFE TRUST

About Us The Irish Wildlife Trust was founded in 1979 and aims to conserve wildlife and the habitats it depends on throughout Ireland, while encouraging a greater understanding and appreciation of the natural world.

The IWT is dedicated to creating a better future for Ireland’s wildlife through: Motivating and supporting people to take action for wildlife.

Education and raising awareness of all aspects of Irish wildlife and conservation issues.

Research of the natural environment.

Acquiring and managing nature reserves to safeguard species and habitats.

Lobbying decision-makers at all levels to promote policy in Ireland that provides a sustainable future for wildlife and people.

Working in partnership with other organisations to achieve results that matter for conservation.

IMAGES THIS PAGE: TOP: Jellyfish by Kieran Boyce ABOVE Puffin by John Holden

HAVE COMMENTS? Editor: Pádraic Fogarty Magazine queries email: editor@iwt.ie Information on campaigning and policies email: irishwildlife@iwt.ie Snail mail: The Irish Wildlife Trust, 8 CABRA ROAD, DUBLIN 7, D07 T1W2 Web: www.iwt.ie Social media: facebook.com/IrishWildlifeTrust twitter.com/Irishwildlife instagram.com/irishwildlifetrust/

The IWT encourages action at a local level and has a number of branches around the country: Dublin: dublinbranch@iwt.ie facebook.com/DublinBranchIrishWildlife Trust, dubliniwt.blogspot.ie Waterford: Denis Cullen, iwtwaterfordbranch@gmail.com, deniscullen@eircom.net, irishwildlifetrust. blogspot.ie Kerry: Ger, iwtkerry@gmail.com, www.facebook.com/KerryIWT Galway: Dan, iwtgalway@gmail.com, www.facebook.com/IWTgalwaybranch Laois/Offaly: Ricky, iwtlaoisoffaly@gmail.com, www.facebook.com/IWTlaoisoffalybranch

Irish Wildlife is published quarterly by the IWT.

HOW CAN YOU HELP? You, our members, make the IWT what it is. Through your subscriptions and support we can undertake the projects that are benefiting Ireland’s wildlife. If you would like to help more, here’s what you can do: • Make a one-off donation to the IWT. • Give IWT membership as a gift.

• Volunteer – we are always looking for people to help out. There are lots of ways to get involved, from helping with important admin work in our office to helping us increase membership by volunteering at public events. See our website www.iwt.ie for details or contact the office directly.

• Do you have land that you would like used for conservation? We are always on the lookout to establish new sites to enhance wildlife or provide education opportunities.

• Remember us in your will. Why not leave a lasting legacy towards conserving Ireland’s natural heritage? The IWT uses all funds towards our campaigns, managing reserves and our education programmes. Please visit www.mylegacy.ie.

• Set up a branch. Are you passionate about wildlife and are in a county that does not have an IWT branch? Contact the office and we can give you the support you need to get up and running.

Keep up to date on all the latest news from the Irish Wildlife Trust on www.iwt.ie 4

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CONSERVATION NEWS

CONSERVATION NEWS

The latest national and international news from the conservation world, compiled by Tim Clabon.

IRISH NEWS

 A Blue Tit in Northern Ireland perched on a stick

with a fresh catch of caterpillars in its mouth

The number of records submitted through Biodiversity Ireland’s Citizen Science Portal passed the 100,000 mark on the 4th of July, in comparison to this record being reached in 2019 on the 22nd August.

The three months of the Covid-19 lockdown saw an increase in the rate of recording. April experienced a 54% increase, May a 70% increase and June 66% compared to previous years. This would indicate people turned to recording and engaging with wildlife during the lockdown.

The lockdown may have allowed people to spend more time on their interests and perhaps learn about their locality, connect with nature and maybe notice more wildlife that can be so often overlooked despite being virtually on peoples doorsteps.

Biodiversity Ireland’s #SpeciesADay was also an initiative set-up to encourage people to record the wildlife they see in their local area.

This appears to have had a great response, with many people engaging with the campaign. https://www.biodiversityireland.ie/recordersreach-the-100000th-record-mark-in-2020/ “2020 has seen a marked increase in recording activity throughout the country,” according to Oisín Duffy, Surveys and Records Officer with the National Biodiversity Data Centre, “There has been a significant surge in recording activity, particularly from April of this year, with figures

higher than we have ever seen. On average, over 3,500 records are being entered each week in 2020. Massive thanks to all our recorders who have made this possible.

Ireland’s Citizen Science portal is available to be used by anyone; if you see a species of note and are sure of its identification, please submit the details to https://records.biodiversityireland. ie/ so that the observation can be added to our national biodiversity database. This will allow us to continue to build the knowledge base on what species we have in Ireland and help us to better understand how they are distributed.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS Giant Panda

Pandering Species

to One

by Tim Clabon

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he Giant Panda is one of the most recognisable species of conservation concern. It is one of the success stories of conservation, being saved from the brink of extinction. It is even the logo of the World-Wide Fund for Nature.

However, the success of this species has had unforeseen consequences on other species having failed to take in the requirements of larger predators when establishing Protected Areas for conserving Giant Panda populations.

The success of Giant Pandas is seen as an example of wildlife conservation working. Once they were listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species, but in 2016 their status was changed to Vulnerable.

Known as an ‘Umbrella’ or ‘Flagship’ species (a species selected for conservation, as protecting them indirectly benefits other species), it was thought that by conserving pandas, other species would benefit. However, results of research carried out by Dr Sheng Li, et al of Peking University in Beijing, found that while many species have benefitted from this approach, large carnivores in the areas where conservation efforts were targeted for the Giant Panda indicate that these species may have missed out.

Carnivores including Leopards, Snow Leopards, Asian Wild Dogs and Wolves have practically disappeared from the majority of areas protected for the Giant Panda.

The study, led by Dr Sheng Li with a team of researchers used over a decade worth of data from camera-trap surveys, analysing data from 73 protected areas, 66 of which were panda nature reserves, and compared them with historical data.

Their findings showed that the Umbrella 6

species approach benefitted many species including plants, birds, and smaller mammals (we assume insects also, but this is not mentioned). But larger carnivores lost out.

Carnivores play an important role, keeping species such as deer in check, which would otherwise cause problems such as overgrazing within their habitat, having knock-on effect for other species, as well as pandas. These carnivores face threats from logging, poaching of both the carnivores and their prey and disease brought in by domestic animals. Their loss could be devastating to the ecosystem, resulting in change or even collapse.

Since the establishment of reserves for pandas in the 1960s the study found that; leopards have disappeared from 81% of reserves, snow leopards from 38%, wolves from 77% and Asian wild dogs from 95%. The numbers of these species in the areas studied are now very low. Overall, the study found that all four species had retreated from areas they had historically occupied. Snow Leopards showed the least amount of decline, believed to be due to the low human density in their alpine habitats.

The researchers suggest that one of the main factors that benefited pandas but not the carnivores might be the different habitat needs.

The pandas occupy a relatively small territory, whereas the carnivores require a larger territory.

Protected Areas were established which while being suitable for pandas, were too small to afford protection for the four predators, apart from a couple of larger protected areas, which contained all four species of predator.

The researchers recommend that more specific long-term integrated planning is required to account for the needs of the four predators considering habitat restoration, anti-poaching enforcement and reducing the habitat fragmentation between Protected Areas.

The researchers conclude “restoring large carnivore populations and trophic complexity in giant panda habitats will increase the resilience and sustainability of the ecosystem, not only for giant pandas, but also for other wild species.

While it is easy to see this as a negative story, the success of the panda conservation program provides hope for other species threatened globally, and recognising the issue means steps can be taken to reverse negative trends identified in other keystone species. China’s government is now implementing institutional reforms. This includes establishing a National Park Administration to oversee Protected Areas, and hopefully address habitat fragmentation.

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CONSERVATION NEWS

 Live S. vermicularis

with maerl, Merc, 2008

Irish Wildlife Trust Report on Ireland’s Failure to

Protect Marine Natura 2000 Sites

By Regina Classen, Bigger and Better Campaign Project Officer

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CONSERVATION NEWS

Ireland’s marine protected areas (MPA) are not working. The miniscule ‘network’ of marine Natura 2000 sites, meaning Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Special Protection Areas (SPAs) designated under the EU Habitats and Birds Directives, respectively, covers only 2.4% of the Irish marine territory.

This is far below the internationally agreed target of protecting 10% of our waters by 2020 (the Programme for Government even supports the EU Biodiversity Strategy target of 30% protection by 2030, a more than 10-fold increase of current designations).

Though miniscule, the current network would still be a valuable asset in the fight against the climate and biodiversity crises – if it was effectively managed. Unfortunately, MPAs do not automatically exclude harmful human activities from taking place within their borders and in many instances the MPA boundaries seemingly only exist on paper.

The legislation underpinning management of Natura 2000 sites is the Habitats Directive.

It calls for any activity that is classed as having ‘likely significant effects’ on a protected site to be subject to an Appropriate Assessment.

If the assessment concludes that the activity will have adverse impacts on the integrity of the site, the activity should not go ahead. While the provisions of the Habitats Directive are quite clear, EU Member States, including Ireland, have been particularly loose in their interpretation of ‘likely significant effects’. For example, the National Parks and Wildlife Service have adopted a policy whereby an activity may be licensed if it causes continuous disturbance on up to 15% of a protected habitat (if the disturbance is not continuous, even more area may be damaged).

This policy, along with many other mismanagement issues, have actively contributed to Ireland’s failure to effectively protect Natura 2000 sites and bring the MPA network to an overall ‘favourable conservation status’ as required under the Habitats Directive. We have compiled these management issues in a report available from our website. Three case study examples are discussed.

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Irish Wildlife Trust Report on Ireland’s Failure to

Protect Marine Natura 2000 Sites

In Blacksod Bay SAC, County Mayo, a rare and fragile worm reef was destroyed by benthic dredging, most likely by scallop dredgers, at some point between 2008 and 2018. The SAC, first proposed as one in 1999, should have had management measures in place to protect the reef by 2005 at the latest.

A management plan was finally implemented in 2015, ten years after the deadline and potentially too late to save the reef. According to the plan, the location of the reef as well as vulnerable seagrass and maerl beds were closed to scallop fishing. The protected sedimentary habitats in the bay, however, were still allowed to be fished dangerously close to the now damaged reef. Scallop dredgers use heavy metal cages that are dragged across the seafloor. These dredges have very significant,

and well documented, adverse impacts on seabed habitats and should not be allowed in a protected area.

Another case is from Roaringwater Bay SAC where rare and fragile maerl habitat (maerl is a type of hard alga, locally referred to in Ireland as ‘coral’ although it is not technically a coral) is in a poor condition due to exposure to mussel excretions from longline aquaculture. While some mitigation measures are in place, including a 30 m buffer zone between maerl and the longlines, it is questionable whether this is enough of a buffer to truly protect already impacted habitats from further deterioration.

Management has failed here once again. Mussel aquaculture has the potential to be sustainable and absolutely compatible with a marine protected area, but proper site selection is key.

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CONSERVATION NEWS

Blacksod Bay SAC, County Mayo,

Lough Swilly SAC, County Donegal

"The legislation underpinning management of Natura 2000 sites is the Habitats Directive. It calls for any activity that is classed as having ‘likely significant effects’ on a protected site to be subject to an Appropriate Assessment. If the assessment concludes that the activity will have adverse impacts on the integrity of the site, the activity should not go ahead."

Roaringwater Bay SAC, County Cork

In Roaring Water Bay it was found that excrement from the mussels was fouling the maerl reefs.

In Lough Swilly SAC, the now rare native oyster is potentially threatened by licenced aquaculture of an invasive Pacific oyster species. This species was able to escape shellfish farms and form an established population in the bay. Instead of reacting to this threat and halting all aquaculture activity, shellfish farming is ongoing.

The Habitats Directive Article 6 (2) states that ‘Member States shall take appropriate steps to avoid, in the special areas of conservation, the deterioration of natural habitats and the habitats of species as well as disturbance of the species for which the areas have been designated, in so far as such disturbance could be significant

in relation to the objectives of this Directive’.

Far from avoiding significant deterioration, the Irish authorities have considered many damaging activities to be non-significant to the integrity of protected sites and have allowed them to go on mostly unchecked. A crucial mistake, as marine habitats have declined steeply within the past six years.

If we are to designate 30% of the Irish marine territory as marine protected areas by 2030 as a means to avoid further environmental breakdown, we will have to do better than paper parks.

You can read our full report on our website at iwt.ie/what-we-do/campaigns/ bigger-better.

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IWT NEWS

A C T I V I T Y U P D A T E By Kieran Flood, IWT Coordinator Autumn is a time of great change in nature and here at the IWT, we have also been adjusting and changing. This autumn sees us settling into a new office as well as a new way of delivering our programme of work. As you will read in our Campaign News, we have been busy continuing our advocacy work, campaigning for nature protection and restoration in Ireland both on land and in the ocean. A good deal of our campaigning work can continue in a socially distanced manner - raising awareness through our digital media, direct lobbying of public representatives and engaging in consultations on nature law and policy. Our training and educational events are another story however and we have had to adjust to continuing this work in the virtual realm. At the time of writing, our public nature events are still suspended pending review of the Covid-19 situation but our training workshops continue and are being conducted virtually. See a brief report on the ups and downs of virtual training workshops in our People for Bees update.

Our organisation is made up of members, volunteers, branches across the country and the board of directors, all supported by a small staff in our office. In mid-March, our IWT office closed due to the lockdown. This affected our ability to monitor phone calls, run our online shop and post out our members’ magazine, amongst other things. Thankfully, after this unusual period of summer hibernation, the office has re-emerged - but in a new location.

So we would like to inform our members that our new postal address is 8 Cabra Road, Dublin 7, D07T1W2 and our new phone number is 01 445 7259. Our core office hours are Tuesday to Thursday 9 to 5. Our general information email address is info@iwt.ie and for queries about your membership subscription or address changes, you can email membership@iwt.ie.

Photo of the Month update IWT members and followers will be familiar with our Photo of the Month competition through which our members and the public submit an amazing array of Irish wildlife photographs each month. A winner is picked through a very competitive public vote on our Facebook page. From September onward, people will be able to enter their photo by email as well as through Facebook. This will open the competition up to members who may not be familiar with or may not use Facebook. If you wish to take part, you can submit your photo to the following email address: photocomp@iwt.ie. Before entering, please check the full rules of entry on our website at iwt.ie/what-we-do/ communication/iwt-photo-of-the-month/

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People for Bees Update

April to September is normally a busy time for the IWT People for Bees programme – conducting school visits, providing info at summer festivals, running our flagship event at the National Botanic Garden and most importantly, visiting communities across Ireland to deliver training in bee conservation to help people promote and protect their local bee populations. This year, things looked a lot different. With schools closed, summer festivals cancelled and in-person group training workshops not on the cards, we had to adjust.

We focused our efforts on the core of the programme: community workshops. We worked with some of our funders such as Cork and Donegal County Council to develop an online alternative to our much-loved community training days. From midsummer onwards, we delivered virtual People for Bees workshops to communities in counties Cork and Donegal and we are pleased to report it has worked out well. The virtual workshops are delivered using video call software and rather than running large online webinars open to hundreds of people, we instead have focused on small group workshops, working with one community group at a time.

There are many advantages to this new format. The video call format allows the group to get together at a time that suits them. They essentially invite us into their living rooms where they learn about the wonder of Ireland’s bees from the comfort of their couch or discuss their own ideas for bee friendly actions in the village from their kitchen table with a cup of tea. Video call does not lend itself to full day workshops so we have split our workshops into two sessions, which allows groups to digest the first half and then regroup for part two at a later date with new questions and new ideas.

There are of course many disadvantages. Explaining how to identify two rather similar species of bumblebee is much easier (and more enjoyable) when outdoors with the bee in question right in front of you. The same goes for teaching people about habitats. Like everyone, we have been forced to embrace the virtual online world to continue our working and social lives. There are many advantages to the video call format for community training. It reduces travel time and carbon emissions and allows for more regular meet ups with groups. Yet nothing beats meeting communities in person in their local hall for a face to face discussion about the importance of bee conservation and for a cup of tea and a chat about the wildlife of their local area before heading out on foot to go see some bees. As society slowly returns to normal, we will certainly retain a lot of the new virtual components of the programme, combining them with the old format for the best of both worlds.

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IWT NEWS

Members of the Trailblazers Hiking Group (Dublin) who took part in the Fei Sheehy Challenge.

The Fei Sheehy Challenge Fundraiser - Exploring the Uplands for Nature Ireland is lucky to have so many upland areas throughout the country and we have long campaigned for better management of our hills for nature. Restoring the uplands is an important part of the challenge of bringing nature back from the brink in Ireland. Therefore, we were very happy to be one of the charity causes of the Fei Sheehy Challenge this year – a fundraiser all about spending time exploring the uplands.

The Fei Sheehy Challenge is a hike to cross the Comeragh, Galty and Knockmealdown Mountains on three designated, consecutive days.

You can also elect to do one or two days. This year, the three days had a cumulative distance of 95km and cumulative height gain/descent of

4,500m. Those taking part in the challenge raise funds for the charity causes and thanks to the hard work of those brave hikers, this year we will be receiving a donation of €1,237.34. Thanks to the organisers for choosing the IWT as a charity cause for the event this year. To find out how to take part in the Fei Sheehy Challenge visit https://www. feisheehychallenge.net/ If you would like to run your own fundraiser for the IWT, please contact info@iwt.ie or see our online fundraising platform, iDonate https://www.idonate.ie/1208_irish-wildlife-trust.html Irish Wildlife Autumn ‘20

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IWT NEWS

C A M P A I G N U P D A T E By Pádraic Fogarty

Sheep on the hills

TOO MANY SHEEP IN THE WRONG PLACES 12

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IWT NEWS

The 12 Bens SAC, showing the effects of sheep grazing

Nephin Beg SAC where severe erosion has destroyed the peatland habitats

A

fter the lifting of lockdown early in July, I took some time out in the West of Ireland to clear the head. I travelled from Galway City through Connemara and north to Mayo, visiting a few farmers and landowners along the way. My trip coincided with an announcement from the European Commission that they will be referring Ireland to the European Court of Justice for failure to implement management measures for any of the 423 Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) in the state, something an Irish Times editorial decried as an “egregious failure”. This will come as no surprise to readers of Irish Wildlife and while the reasons are various, there is one with four legs and a woolly coat that we really need to talk about. At the top of the 12 Bens Mountains SAC, I saw all around me the devastating impact that sheep grazing has had. The vegetation here was no higher than my ankle when it should be somewhere between my knee and waist. While some habitats (e.g. flower-rich grassland) can benefit from grazing by livestock, alpine

scrub and heath is not among them. Despite the warm sunshine for the length of my 6-7 hour hike, I saw hardly any bees or butterflies.

Where there should be red grouse, ring ouzel and soaring golden eagle, I saw a single raven and a handful of meadow pipets. When the number of dead sheep on a hike outnumbers the diversity of bird species, we know we have a problem. And it’s not confined to this corner of Co. Galway. Drive from Ros a Mhíl in the south to Maam Cross and through the Maumturk Mountains and all you will see is a deadening expanse of degrade – and overgrazed – bogs and hillsides. Another stop on my trip was the Nephin Beg SAC in Mayo, a part of the Ballycroy National Park and here, despite reductions in sheep numbers in recent years, the damage to the peatlands is catastrophic. A report published this year by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) said that 98% of this SAC had been damaged from grazing. That’s pretty much all of it! We also have a separate report from the NPWS showing how increases in sheep numbers in Special Protection Areas in the northwest are leading to a collapse in breeding wading bird populations, such as oystercatcher, dunlin and lapwing. How is it that this is allowed over one year on from declaring a biodiversity and climate emergency in Ireland? While cattle have borne much of the brunt of the debate in terms of climate change, how is it that sheep are getting a free ride, especially where they are contributing to the degradation of peatlands and subsequent loss of greenhouse gases? Even where overgrazing is not so dramatic, we know that the presence of grazers is preventing the emergence of native woodland and so is an enormous loss of ecological potential. The IWT has called for emergency measures to be implemented with the removal of all sheep from the uplands. This must be accompanied with management measures for these so-called protected areas. Farmers should be paid to help restore the land and move to more nature-sensitive ways of farming. With Ireland yet again facing court action, it is hard to see how the sheep in the room continues to be ignored.

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IWT NEWS

C A M P A I G N U P D A T E By Pádraic Fogarty

NEWS ON FORESTS

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here is some good news on the forestry front. For a start, everyone – even the commercial forestry industry – recognises that the current system is broken. Minister for Biodiversity and Land Use, Pippa Hackett, has set herself the task of reforming the system with a new Forestry Programme expected for public consultation shortly. We expect the outcome of this to be strongly influenced by the Green Party motion on forestry from October last year and which was supported by all political parties with the exception of Fine Gael. This called for a nature-based approach to forestry, whether for commercial ends or just for nature. In August, a consultation was published on a new Bill which – if enacted – would severely limit the ability of individuals and environmental organisations to object to forestry proposals. The IWT submission was strongly against any such move; we feel that

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the problems in forestry licencing, which stem not from objectors but a lack of compliance with EU and national law, must be the priority.

Also in August, Minister Hackett announced a scheme for forestry on public land. This is to be warmly welcomed and could see Local Authorities and state agencies apply for grants to establish new native woodlands with no commercial objective. We hope this will see enthusiastic uptake. Another initiative announced this summer is the expansion of Coillte Nature, which last year undertook to transform commercial plantations in the Dublin Mountains as well as Lough Gill in Sligo to native species. This is exactly the type of rewilding that needs to be encouraged. This time they are seeking to restore 2,100 hectares of commercial conifer plantation in the West of Ireland to blanket bog or native woodland.

Despite our opposition to the proposed changes to forestry appeals, my sense is that things are

moving in the right direction. They are certainly moving… there is enormous potential for new native woodlands which will be embraced by local people and which provide multiple benefits. The IWT has met with Minister Hackett, her Green Party colleague Malcolm Noonan (Minister at the Department of Housing) as well as Coillte this summer and will continue to stress this point with them.

Later in August, the IWT met with a local community group in Rathcoole, Co. Dublin. They are fighting to save an extraordinary patch of native woodland from a housing development.

This case is particularly interesting as the land was bought as farmland in the mid-1990s by South Dublin County Council but despite being zoned at the time for housing, it was never developed. In the intervening years, nature has taken the reins and visitors can now walk though tall stands of willow and birch with hazel and mountain ash. There are still some open areas

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of now-species rich meadows with 2m high angelica, willowherbs and hogweed which are buzzing with insect life. There’s a small wetland while a stream running through the site enters the River Camac, which ultimately flows through Dublin City. The complexity and diversity of the Rathcoole Woods is astonishing given that it was a plain corn field only 20 years ago and is a testament to nature’s great healing power. The residents told me about the badgers and foxes that live in the wood, the thriving numbers of nesting birds and the great abundance of bats which emerge on summer evenings. This is exactly the type of rewilding that need to be encouraged. South Dublin County Council is a member of the all-Ireland Pollinator Plan and has a Climate Action Plan which extolls the advantages of ‘nature-based solutions’ like woodlands in addressing multiple issues like carbon storage, amenity, water protection and flood alleviation. How could they just clear it

away for houses? Ireland faces an acute shortage of affordable housing but we nevertheless have a climate and biodiversity emergency along with government targets to encourage public bodies to establish more native woodland. It’s time we joined the dots! A new county development plan is to be opened for public consultation shortly

and we very much stand with the people of Rathcoole in demanding that this site be saved.

They want to see the woods protected as part of a Rathcoole Woods Community Nature Reserve and this kind of idea can make a significant contribution to our climate and biodiversity targets.

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CLIMATE CHANGE

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CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate Action

“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”

James Baldwin

AT A C R O S S R OA D S

by Sadhbh O Neill

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irst, the good news. 2020 has truly been a momentous year for obvious, merely being left of centre by itself the climate movement in Ireland. We have had a general election, does not determine whether a party will an unprecedented political debate about government formation champion ecologically sound policies; with climate policy to the fore and a global pandemic, during environmental outcomes are empirically tied which Friends of the Irish Environment won their climate case to the promises and positions made by political against the government in the Supreme Court. Despite years of parties before they enter government. obfuscation and symbolic gestures towards climate action, 2020 Of course, since the general election, the finally saw a serious political commitment made in the Programme for world has been convulsed by the Covid-19 Government that, if implemented in full and crisis. Whilst no-one would in a timely manner, will transform Irish "Though never a guarantee of have wished for a pandemic climate policy and get Ireland back on track irreversible structural reform, to drive climate policy, the towards meeting our obligations under the research across the OECD precedent of scientific Paris Agreement. consistently shows that having expertise in the form of the The Green Party is now in government parties in government that National Public Health with an increased number of Dáil seats and Emergency Team (NPHET) are pro-environment leads to has control of the energy, climate and guiding government policy transport ministries under its leader Eamon greener policy outputs." in a time of crisis will not Ryan. The decision by the Green Party to be lost on anyone who has form a coalition with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael is hugely significant for the followed the call of Greta Thunberg and the environmental movement. Though never a guarantee of irreversible school strikers to ‘act on the science’. And in structural reform, research across the OECD (a club of mostly rich countries) contrast to the financial crisis of 2008, there is consistently shows that having parties in government that are pro- a clear consensus so far that austerity will not environment leads to greener policy outputs. While that might seem be the remedy for this crisis, unlike the last.

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The lockdown also presented an opportunity for many of us (albeit under conditions of acute crisis) to experiment with green living in ways that were only fanciful before, such as working from home, reclaiming public outdoor spaces and most especially, the drop in traffic volumes almost everywhere. We must not forget what it was like to walk around our own neighbourhoods and hear the birds singing!

However, the climate crisis hasn’t gone away you know. Despite the economic paralysis caused by the pandemic and lockdown, there has barely been a dent in Ireland’s alarming emissions profile. A study by the Cork Institute of Technology for the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the emissions reduction throughout March-May (when the whole country had ground to a halt) will only amount to about 2.5%, which is a tiny fraction of what we need to do and less than half of what the new government has committed to achieving year on year to 2030. What we experienced at the household level as an enormous sacrifice made little difference to our overall energy demand. Ireland still has the third highest emissions of greenhouse gases per capita in the EU, the equivalent of 13.3 tonnes of carbon dioxide per capita, 55% higher than the EU 28 average of 8.6 tonnes. By way of comparison, Sweden had the lowest rate of emissions in 2018 at 5.4 tonnes per capita. If a pandemic-induced economic pause could not bend the emissions curve downwards, clearly words and plans alone will not be enough.

Meaningful climate action is going to require a complete transformation of our energy system and our economic activities. materials in the next 30 years as we did cumulatively in the past 10,000!

There is no easy substitute for fossil fuels which are the main According to ecological economist Nate Hagens, to avoid facing the contributor to climate change, even though renewable consequences of our biophysical reality, we’re now obtaining growth in technologies have never been cheaper or more reliable. Ending increasingly unsustainable ways; the developed world is using finance our reliance on fossil fuels will require a new economic model to enable the extraction of things we couldn’t otherwise afford to extract along with a new energy paradigm powering up our energy to produce things we otherwise couldn’t afford to consume. system with 100% renewable energy which, though theoretically That is why the focus of many campaigning organisations and feasible, is no simple task. coalitions such as Stop Climate Chaos is on ‘system change’ and climate Even a sustained economic crisis will not bring about the governance i.e. addressing the sources and drivers of emissions and reductions in emissions that are needed. The sharp decrease in not just technical abatement. Environmentalists will need to continue global carbon dioxide emissions attributed to the worldwide challenging the economic model driving climate change and ecological financial crisis in 2009 destruction beyond regulatory fixes. However, that is not quickly rebounded in "However, the climate crisis to discount the need for cross-governmental policy 2010, partly because the hasn’t gone away you know. coordination and legally binding long-term goals. The emissions intensity of the Despite the economic paralysis Supreme Court judgment in the Friends of the Irish global economy actually caused by the pandemic and Environment Climate Case highlights the importance of increased as demand lockdown, there has barely even the weak 2015 Climate Action and Low Carbon rebounded. Some analysts Development Act in imposing obligations on the government been a dent in Ireland’s attribute this stubborn to plan emissions reduction policies in a transparent trajectory to the debt- alarming emissions profile." manner. The Programme for Government promised a bill fuelled economic within 100 days of government formation to implement the expansion of the global economy, which is decoupled entirely recommendations of the 2017 citizens’ assembly and the 2019 Joint from any physical limits, but which in turn both drives economic Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action report and strengthen this growth and requires economic growth to sustain itself. The legislation further, by setting a target for net zero emissions by 2050 consequences of exponential growth, no matter how slow the at the latest and establishing a system of five year carbon budgets or rate, are profound. If the global economy continues to grow at emission ceilings across all sectors of the economy to deliver 7% about 3.0% per year, we will consume as much energy and emissions reductions per year on average by 2030. The Climate Case

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"The lockdown also presented an opportunity for many of us to experiment with green living in ways that were only fanciful before, such as working from home, reclaiming public outdoor spaces and most especially, the drop in traffic volumes almost everywhere. We must not forget what it was like to walk around our own neighbourhoods and hear the birds singing!"

Chaffinch by Mike Brown

judgment also requires the government to produce a new climate plan to replace the one that it quashed and crucially, this will require a statutory public consultation and public engagement – which should ideally take the form of a renewed national dialogue on climate action. An opinion poll commissioned by Friends of the Earth in May shows that there is overwhelming public support for actions that prioritise climate change and that the government should be guided by science and expert advice on climate action as they have been on Covid-19. However, Ireland will not get back on track to meeting our Paris Agreement commitments without sustained political leadership from all political parties that transcends electoral cycles and decisive interventions to end the use of peat and coal in electricity generation, an unprecedented ramping up of renewable energy technologies and transformative policies to end our reliance on cars and fossil energy for heating and transport. Where agriculture and land-use policies are concerned, the government will have to intervene decisively with new policies and supports that protect and enhance biodiversity whilst reducing emissions that are mostly driven by intensification and reactive nitrogen inputs. Given the uniquely high contribution of the dairy and beef sectors to Irish greenhouse gas emissions, it would be unthinkable for this sector to get a free pass on climate action, especially as this sector was largely unaffected by the pandemic. The dairy sector even saw a 5% increase in volume exported in 2020.

A socially just recovery must be at the heart of climate policy, especially for sectors and regions where structural change is inevitable (eg the Midlands and Bord na Móna). At all costs, we must try to avoid a ‘K-shaped’ recovery where a staggered resumption of economic activity benefits high income earners in some sectors at the expense of growing income inequality and high

rates of youth unemployment. Such a scenario can only be averted with strong state interventions such as redistributive tax policies and an economic stimulus package that is geographically and demographically fair. Instead of propping up polluting sectors with subsidies and supports, now is the time for investments in green infrastructure and new jobs in areas such as retrofitting, eco-tourism and renewable energy.

Locked down, activists have turned to novel forms of online campaigning using tools such as webinars, call-a-thons and e-actions.

But we are all suffering from some degree of crisis-fatigue and media focus on Covid-19 and we desperately need some successes to celebrate against the grim backdrop of climate science and wave after wave of distressing news. The publication of the climate bill in October will provide a unique opportunity for the climate and environmental movements to unite around the goal of faster and fairer climate action and to solidify in law the State’s climate goals and the duties of government to deliver on the objectives of the Paris Agreement. Bring it on!

Sadhbh O Neill is a PhD candidate at the School of Politics and International Relations at UCD, researching climate ethics and carbon markets. She teaches an undergraduate module in environmental politics and policy at UCD and DCU. She also works as a researcher for the Independents For Change group on the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action. With over 25 years’ experience in environmental advocacy, she was most recently a spokesperson for Climate Case Ireland, a legal action against the Irish government’s climate policies.

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FRONTLINE

Green Shoots

Pippa Hackett, Senator and Super Junior Minister for Land Use and Biodiversity, is a voice for nature in the heart of the new government

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"I was soon aware of the difficulties this decision posed. Some people couldn’t understand how I could be a Green politician and at the same time farm animals for meat while others couldn’t understand why a ‘farmer’ would want anything to do with the Green Party.

And therein lies the problem…that the view of so many is that it is either farming or the environment and that it can never be both."

Pippa (centre) helping at the Abbeyleix Bog project!

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t was with overwhelming surprise, followed by much trepidation, that I was announced as the Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity in the newly formed government at the end of June. I entered politics less than five years ago, after having taken a lengthy career break from academia to rear my four children, now aged 17, 14, 12 and 9. My husband Mark and I have an organic beef and sheep farm in Co Offaly where we also have horses, hens, some forestry and an overgrown vegetable patch, which the insects love.

Farming is central to our lives and I feel privileged to have land to manage, animals to nurture and biodiversity to support in all its forms, above and below the ground. I love to look out across fields and hopefully see a fox or a buzzard and then think of all the thousands of different organisms all working away beneath my feet.

My entry into politics was the result of reading the Green Party election manifesto of 2016. As a farmer who was conscious of the environment and the ecological boundaries within which we must operate, I felt I was well placed to help the Party shake off that anti-rural, anti-farming image, which seems to follow it about like a bad smell. There are enough bad smells in the countryside at times, without adding a political party to that!

I am rural, I am a farmer and I am green, so why not?

I was soon aware of the difficulties this decision posed. Some people couldn’t understand how I could be a Green politician and at the same time farm animals for meat while others couldn’t understand why a ‘farmer’ would want anything to do with the Green Party. And therein lies the problem…that the view of so many is that it is either farming or the environment and that it can never be both. But we need to find a way to make both work together and that in order to make proper progress, we need to work collectively. Ultimately our future and that of our planet depends on being able to do just that. Action on the environment and its biodiversity must be moved to the centre of government policies.

Unfortunately, this is neither quick nor easy. Take forestry for instance.

Decades of a particular type and way of planting have left people and communities feeling robbed and abused, metaphorically, socially and environmentally. These issues have festered away, so much so that the number of appeals against the issuing of forestry licences have grown exponentially and have essentially ground the forestry sector here to a

halt. While some may view this as a victory, that at long last their justifiable concerns have been heard, it is a hollow one, because on the other side of the fence is a timber industry on the brink of collapse, native trees than cannot be planted and landowners and farmers who might never choose to plant trees again – even the right ones in the right places.

As with all aspects of life, balance is needed and some decisions can be painful ones to make. Political balance is perhaps the most difficult thing to achieve, that’s why it took the three coalition parties five weeks of intense negotiations to agree on a programme for government – it’s not perfect, but it is the greenest this country has ever seen. If I learnt anything from the negotiations process, it was that we will not please all of the people all of the time, but that we mustn’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good – otherwise we are going nowhere and will remain in an endless polarised limbo of argument and disagreement.

So while we absolutely need to be ambitious, we may need to have patience also. In order to blend environmental action with economics, both must support each other. That is a difficult message to sell and will be difficult to accomplish, yet we must try. Improving our damaged environment, restoring our biodiversity and cleaning our water and air must be prioritised. If we can produce a valuable carbon-friendly product as a result, then that will be the best of all worlds. Compromise in some form will always be necessary but that is life, that is politics and sometimes, it is the only way forward.

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EXPLORING WILDLIFE

Kerry’s threatened dune system Gordon D'Arcy on the extraordinary flora and fauna to be found at Inch in West Kerry

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est Kerry is a land of west-facing peninsulas. Inch sand spit bucks the trend by sitting at right-angles to the others, virtually cutting off Dingle Bay from the wild Atlantic. The 5km beach, backed by the dune peninsula, harbours Castlemaine’s vast area of mudflats and saltmarsh.

Though unsullied by caravan and mobile home emplacements and spared golf links modification – like so many of our dune systems – Inch is nevertheless a recreational magnet. The beach attracts thousands of bucket-and-spade and bathing enthusiasts; a surf school is in constant demand for would-be devotees; wind and kite surfers and paddle-boarders brave the everchanging Atlantic and resolute walkers and joggers undertake the daily ritual out and back along its length.

The dune hinterland is relatively unvisited save for courting couples and the odd illicit barbecue or pitched tent. However, a few deeply rutted horse trails and cross-country vehicular trackways caused by dune buggies indicate damaging abuse by a few.

Inch’s sand dune system is a mosaic of habitats and a floral paradise. The long dune ridge facing the sea, topographical testimony to the endless battle between accumulation and erosion, is dominated by marram grass. The peninsula owes its survival to the stabilizing effect of this grass and its associate, sand couch grass. Here and there the pink trumpets of sea bindweed, rocket, radish and the wide leaves of coltsfoot add variety. Yellow swathes of the tiny but delightful dune pansy festoon the leeward side of the dunes. In the sheltered hinterland, the marram gives way to a ground cover of mosses and lichens and more than 30 species of flowering plants. Yellow is again predominant in the carpets of lady’s bedstraw, hawkweeds and ragwort. But clusters of clover, vetch, bartsia and self-heal provide pink and purple relief.

Common spotted and pyramidal orchids, like tiny lanterns, illuminate the sward. Speedwell and sheep’s bit add a hint of blue and violet to this watercolour scene.

Two delightful dune species add a magical dimension to the array: sea spurge, with red-

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Inch Beach by Carsten Kreiger

stemmed stalks and canopies of grey-green foliage, emerging in clusters from the sandy substrate like a miniature, exotic forest; and the spiky sprays of sea holly, silver grey with delicate mauve flower-heads, each a floral masterpiece that would not look out of place decorating a regal table.

Dune hollows support dowdier vegetation.

Carpets of silverweed and creeping willow and occasional clumps of rush and willowherb suggest dampness and point to their former state as dune ‘slacks’ - fresh-water hollows. Many of these wet micro-habitats, supporting a specific flora and fauna, are still evident in dune systems around the Irish coast but at Inch they have lost their special significance. At one time they may well have supported west Kerry’s amphibious celebrity, the natterjack toad, whose breeding locations at Inch are now confined to a few soggy ponds at the base of the peninsula.

Inch’s invertebrate world bursts into life with the arrival of the sun. Hoverflies, bees and butterflies dance up from the marram grass and gaudy red and black burnet moths emerge from

their papery cocoons. The ground seems alive with the urgent toing and froing of ground beetles and wolf spiders. Legions of snails, mainly the attractive banded species of the Cepaea genus (particularly abundant due to the availability of calcium for shell building), emerge from their mossy retreats after the rain.

The dunes support plenty of ground-nesting birds including a healthy number of meadow pipits and skylarks. Stonechats call cheerily from fence-posts and flocks of young starlings forage for chafers in the grassy hollows. Wood pigeons, far from their normal habitat, exploiting clumps of seed-plants unseen, leap noisily upwards when disturbed.

People and livestock wandering into the dunes have a deleterious impact, but much less so than rabbits. Thousands inhabit Inch and their warrens are everywhere. It is sad to see the majestic dunes undermined and collapsing and uprooting their rich flora in the process. The stability of the entire dune ecosystem is clearly under threat by the impact of these destructive troglodytes.

Fox spoor and signs of an occasional predator kill indicate that the rabbits do not have it all their own way. However, until large raptors like buzzards return to the region, the ecological balance will remain decidedly out of kilter.

Until relatively recently the problem would have been tackled, inhumanely, by human intervention. Thankfully, myxomatosis no longer holds sway. We are all too aware in these pandemic days, however, that viral disease need not be intentional for it to devastate both human and wildlife populations.

A new viral pandemic, (RHD2), having apparently emanated in east Asia, is currently sweeping through European lagomorph populations. First noted in Ireland in 2019, it affects not only rabbits but also hares. While rabbit concentrations are an undoubted scourge in sensitive habitats like Inch, hares are not and both inhabit Inch. Given the indiscriminate nature of viral pandemics, wouldn’t it be a tragedy if the unintended (yet ecologically advantageous) control of the former species resulted in the elimination of the latter?

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SEASONAL FOCUS

Destruction of nature is creating the perfect conditions for the next pandemic Billy Flynn wonders if urban living is a threat to the wild species around us but also, could they be a threat to us?

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f you live in a city, whatever the size, it is likely that at some stage you’ve taken pleasure – or maybe even delight – in some of the wild species that share this built space with you and the other humans. Finding out what wildlife dwells in the midst of the streets and buildings is one of the things that natural history enthusiasts never seem to tire of. Over years of attending (and occasionally leading) IWT events in Dublin, it was heartening to see the thrill that participants took from finding otter scats near the River Dodder or birds that travel thousands of kilometres to over-winter at a site within the busiest part of the city centre. I have often been asked what it is about certain species that allows them to thrive in these least natural of places when others cannot. A corollary question is: why do they live here? Another question that I have often considered, when looking at our litter, waste and bright street-lighting is, does city living harm the wild species that dwell among us? One question that never occurred to me was whether these new neighbours could be harmful to us. A recent paper in Nature (August, 2020) has examined all these questions with the widest-ranging study of its kind so far and the answers give cause for concern.

The study looked at nearly 7,000 ecological assemblages and 376 species and how our 24

urbanisation has affected them. The results showed that the advances of the urban area and farmland into the wilds disproportionately affects larger species. This leaves the smaller and more adaptable species more likely to survive and to be the ones sharing our built-up spaces. Another key finding is that these species are far more likely to be the ones carrying zoonotic pathogens (diseases-causing organisms that can ‘jump’ from animal to human hosts). The degree to which this occurs is highly significant. Known wildlife hosts of human-shared pathogens and parasites overall

were shown to comprise a greater proportion of local species richness (18–72% higher) and total abundance (21–144% higher) in sites under substantial human use (secondary, agricultural and urban ecosystems) compared with nearby undisturbed habitats. How this effect was found in different animal groups varied but was strongest in rodent, bat and passerine (perching) bird host species. These are the ones that we must focus on. An interesting (and disturbing) aspect of the study was that conversion of wild areas to farmland and not just urbanisation is as significant

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SEASONAL FOCUS

A lone heron on a canal bank with a group of swans in the canal, Portobello Harbour, Royal Canal, Dublin, Ireland.

a driving factor in encouraging the incidence of zoonotic disease in wild species.

The study further shows that mammal species that harbour more pathogens overall (either human shared or non human shared) are more likely to occur in human-managed ecosystems.

So, the mammal species that can carry these diseases are also better adapted to put up with human disturbance and more likely to live among us. Across all these thousands of cases, it is clear that how we are altering or removing wild places is increasing the likelihood that we will come in

contact with these diseases. In light of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, this is chilling stuff but is by no means a recent thing. HIV, Zika, Sars and Nipah virus all ‘got their start’ in human populations in this way. We just haven’t learned yet from our previous mistakes.

In the face of global crises of the scale we are now confronting, addressing the ‘front line’ – where we interface with all these diseases and their hosts – might seem an unsurmountable task. But this is not so. Earlier this year, another study by Princeton University showed how

spending of about $260 billion over 10 years would substantially reduce the risks of another pandemic on the scale of the coronavirus outbreak. To put that in context, it would be only 2% of the estimated $11.5 trillion costs of Covid19 to the world economy. Not only that, but it would also add huge savings to the costs that will be associated with another global necessity – reducing carbon dioxide emissions and fighting climate change. This is an investment that would not only protect wildlife, habitats and climate but would also save lives.

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FIADHÚLRA Common Wasp by Paul Lowen

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FIADHÚLRA

Beacha agus Beacha Gabhair agus a leithéid

G LUA I S

Fiche blian o shoin fuair mé cealg ó bheach gabhair agus thit mé i laige: on am sin ar aghaidh bíonn mé anchúramach faoi bheacha gabhair.

Ach níl an chontúirt ró-mhór: ní minic a chuireann siad cealg.

Ag an trá seo de bhlian, ag deireadh an tsamhraidh, tá beacha gabhair le feiceáil níos minice mar níl a thuilleadh bidh le fáil sa nead acu, agus tagann siad amach ag cuardach siúcra. Cuireann siad ansuim i dtorthaí atá aibidh anois. Ta siad in ann boladh a airiú ó i bhfad i gcéin tagann siad ina sluaite, agus ar ndóigh cuireann siad isteach ar do phicnic agus iad ag bagaiairt ar bhur deochanna milis.

Tugann beach gabhair cealg an-frithir agus ní mor dúinn a bheith in ann iad a aithint as a chéile.

Feiceann tú an créatúirin, feithid donn nó dubh, a cheann sáite i mbláth agus a ruball buí le feiceáil; ach tá gá le beagán oideachais chun iad a ainmniú An Beach gabhair vespula vulgaris ‘Sí seo an ghnáth bheach gabhair (cé go bhfuli a lán speiceas eile) - taithí ag gach páiste ar seo - ta an chliabh (an

tóracs) dubh agus línte buí agus dubh trasna an ruball.

An beach meala; Apis mellifera (agus tá a lán speicis eile freisin) Tá crot cosúil le beach gabhair ar a lán acu, ach de ghnáth bíonn cuma níos foltach orthu; an corp dubh, donn nó buí-dhonn. Más mian leat saghasanna eile a aithint, féach air an leathanach gréasáin seo: https://pollinators.ie/recordpollinators/bees/ An cuil foluaine Laidin: Syrphidae Cosúil le beach gabhair ach nios lú - go minic ar an Feabhrán - ar ndóigh, tá a lán speicis di seo freisin! Ach coinnigh súil amach ar an caoi a eitliíonn siad: ar nós fiarlán, tríd an aer - cúis an ainm Béarla, an “hover-fly”.

Tá súile móra orthu freisin. Ma theastaíonn uait na cuil seo a ainmniú, tá an staidéar sin casta mar tá a lán acu ann, agus tá mórchuid acu an-chosúil le beacha - duaithníocht mhaith!

Agus de ghnáth ní dhéanann siad cronán agus ní chuireann siad cealg ach ta siad an-úsáideach ag scaipeadh pailín.

An cearnamhán Vespa Crabro

Cealg - sting Cearnamhán - a hornet Aiseach - Asian Wasp - beach gabhair, (or Puch) Pailníonn siad na bláthanna - they Pollinate the flowers

(hornets) Tá cearnamhán dúchasach againn in Eireann cé nach bhfuil siad flúirseach. Níos mó ná an beach gabhair, agus le cealg nimhneach. Fan amach uathu seo!

Fá láthair tá droch amhras ar chinne saineolaithe go bhfuil baol ann go bhfuil speicis ionrach ag teacht inár dtreo: an Cearnamhán Aiseach: Tá an cineál seo ionsaitheach agus tá siad ag scaipeadh thar an Eorap go tapaidh.

Téann siad isteach i gcoirceog na mbeacha meala agus maraionn siad an banríon.

Tá sé an-tábhachtach fios a chur ar Ionad Náisiúnta Sonraí Bithéagsúlachta (National Biodiversity Data Centre) má shíleann tú go bhfaca tú ceann acu seo: cé nar tháinig siad ar ár gcladaigh go dtí seo, ní mór dúinn a bheith aireach i gconaí maidir le speicis ionracha.

Má fheiceann tú cearnamhán mór atá cosa buí aige, cuir fios ar https://www.biodiversityireland.ie/ record-biodiversity/

Feithidí - Insects Coirceog - A hive Foluain - hovering Fiarlán - zigzag Duaithníocht - Camouflage

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CITIZEN SCIENCE

Biological Recording Moth Trapping – How to Get Started

by Ricky Whelan

 Early Thorn by Chris Uys

Elephant Hawk Moth - Ricky Whelan Map -winged Swift by Chris Uys Silver Y by Chris Uys

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CITIZEN SCIENCE

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ith the whole country on lockdown for several months and confined close to home, many of us took the opportunity to record the flora and fauna within our localities. As a result, the National Biodiversity Data Centre has been having a bumper year with biodiversity records in 2020 through the roof. Moths too have seen a spike in recording, with mothtrapping enjoying new recruits and increased effort from veteran trappers with some extra time on their hands in 2020. With around 1,400 species of moth in Ireland, this group offers rewards and challenges to those who take the time to explore the group in detail.

This short article offers some tips and encouragement to those who might be ready to take the plunge.

If you are deliberately trapping moths, you will require a licence from the National Parks and Wildlife Service. This is both free and necessary as you are trapping wild animals after all! You can download the application form from the department's website, or you can request to have your name added to the Moths Ireland Group (group) licence via their Facebook page.

Next, you will need a trap. A trap is a very loose term, but the core part of a moth trap is a light source to attract flying moths nocturnally. Once attracted, you need a vessel to hold them and keep them safe, dry and undamaged overnight. A box with a funnel is ideal. Inside, the common practice is to place cardboard egg trays to provide shelter for the moths overnight. Moths with nowhere to shelter will continue to thrash around in the light and either escape or damage themselves significantly. There is a range of traps available commercially, with the “Skinner” trap a popular choice for those starting out. You can also buy the electric components separately to put your own trap together. Most set-ups are mains powered but battery powered setups allow for some off-piste trapping in remote spots, with LED traps now becoming popular, offering a lightweight, low energy and very portable solution.

The method is simple; turn on the light at dusk and run during hours of darkness. The main trapping period is between early spring and mid-autumn. Trap on calm, warm and moonless nights for best catches. Trapping on blustery, wet and moonlit nights can be a wasted effort. Getting started early in spring and trapping regularly is advised; this will allow you to learn to identify manageable

 Improvised LED Moth Trap by Chris Uys

numbers of species gradually, as and when the adults are “on the wing”. In the morning before opening the trap, check the area immediately around it for moths that may not have made it inside; often the night’s best catch is to be found sheltering close by. Open the trap in a cool, shaded spot. When moths warm up, they will begin to take flight and you will lose your catch before you have them identified. Examine each moth, paying particular attention to its size and shape as these features will often lead you to the family in question. Next, look carefully at the colour and pattern displayed on the forewings. Close consideration of these patterns will clinch your ID by matching it to its likeness in your field guide. Using an identification aide (book/ website), identify the contents of the trap, make a list and tally numbers as you go. Take a photo of each species so you can confirm the ID with experienced recorders later if necessary. Once complete, free your catch near the cover of some bushes where they can shelter from birds until nightfall. Add value to your own efforts by contributing to the national database and submit your records online at www. biodiversityireland.ie.

Luckily not all moths are active during the same period, with individual species having discreet generations and flight seasons.

While many overlap, it is this feature of their ecology that can help narrow down or rule out species when making a difficult species determination. The moth families are also distinctive in general size, shape and impression so familiarising yourself with the features of the larger families such as the Geometridae and Noctuidae is a useful tip and will help narrow the field significantly when searching the books and online resources for answers. Rarity, habitat and known distribution are also very good indicators of a correct or incorrect ID. If your suspect is deemed rare, take a closer look, cross-reference with additional images of the species online and do more homework before confirming the ID. Nine times out of 10 you will have the more common form - it’s just the

Other than a trap of some description and your licence, you will need some reference material. The easiest thing to do is invest in one or two top field guides, of which there are many on the topic of moth identification. I recommend the following: British Moths: Second Edition: A Photographic Guide to the Moths of Britain and Ireland, by C Manley*.

It includes both macro and micro moth groups, making it a one stop shop. *The third edition of the Manly photographic guide is available on pre-order ,with a publishing date in early May 2021.

In addition to field guides, Irish moth trappers are very well served by some excellent online resources.

• irishmoths.net: Provides a fantastic photo reference library of many of the moths species found in Ireland.

• mothireand.com: Has a great photo library and the most up-to-date distribution maps available.

• Facebook/MothsIreland: Moths Ireland also have a very active Facebook group, moderated by the country's most active and experienced trappers who are always happy to offer advice, suggest identifications and confirm or correct your own attempts.

So if you are looking for a new wildlife related challenge, do consider having a go at trapping and recording moths in your area. It’s a rewarding and worthwhile activity that will add to your own knowledge of an amazing species group and contribute important records to the national database. With the dark evenings approaching, you have plenty of time to prepare and get a trap put together ahead of next spring and you can ask for a few related field guides for Christmas perhaps. Happy trapping!

way it is! Habitat preferences of species are also important, with many species restricted to the coast or reedbed specialists, for example. That rules out many options for me here in my little garden in Laois! Lastly, distribution; a species that has not been found in south west Ireland until now is unlikely to show up in your west Kerry garden tomorrow so reference the Moths Ireland web maps. These are kept up-to-date and are a useful resources for all moth’ers!

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WILD IDEAS

Dr Jenni Roche Woodland Ecologist, National Parks and Wildlife Service

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WILD IDEAS

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orests challenge us to think in the long-term. The long lives of trees inspire us to look beyond our own lifetimes and into the future, while the history of Ireland’s present tree cover stretches back over 11 millennia to the period after the last Ice Age. This was a time of rapid ecological change. The first tree species to colonise Ireland was low-growing juniper, followed by birch, hazel and the taller 'canopy' trees. One of the first of these to arrive was Scots pine Pinus sylvestris. The history of Scots pine has long intrigued those with an interest in Ireland’s trees. It became widespread in Ireland and remained so for thousands of years. It was an important component of certain habitats such as raised bogs, river valleys and the uplands. The many pine timbers and stumps preserved beneath our raised and blanket bogs provide evidence of the species’ former abundance. Scots pine entered a massive decline about 4,500 years ago, apparently due to climate change, competition from other species, expansion of the blanket bogs and human activity. The species was widely believed to have become extinct in Ireland around AD 400. Scots pine was reintroduced to Ireland in the mid-seventeenth century and has been widely planted. However, a nagging question remained: did native Scots pine survive in some unknown refuge? It persisted in the Scottish Highlands, where it forms the internationally important Caledonian forest habitat.

The complex history of Scots pine in Ireland has resulted in inconsistencies in the management of the species. For example, the Forest Service included Scots pine in its Native Woodland Scheme, while others regarded it as an invasive alien species. With Professors Fraser Mitchell and Steve Waldren, I embarked on a Ph.D. research project at Trinity College’s Department of Botany, aiming to describe the vegetation of Irish pinewoods, compare them with their Scottish counterparts and clarify the native status of Scots pine in Ireland.

In the Burren in County Clare, in 2006, we surveyed an area known as Rockforest. Scots pine occurs here on limestone pavement, scattered through hazel scrub. Though mature, the pines are small and gnarled in appearance. An examination of the available historical maps and records indicated a long history of woodland cover at Rockforest. We chose to investigate the environmental history of Rockforest further using the techniques of palaeoecology, which is the ecological study of ancient environments.

We extracted a tube of sediment from Rockforest Lough nearby. Lake beds accumulate sediment containing pollen from plants growing in the surrounding area. In this wet, low-oxygen environment, microbial activity is low. Pollen grains are not broken down but are almost perfectly preserved. As sediment builds up over time, an archive of fossil pollen develops. By examining pollen grains under a microscope, it is possible to identify the type of plant they come from. By identifying and counting thousands of pollen grains from different depths, we discovered which plants grew in the area in the past, allowing us to describe vegetation change over time.

Radiocarbon dating showed that the sediment record extends from AD 350 to the present. Usually, Irish pollen records show an absence of pine during this time, with pine pollen increasing following the species’ reintroduction. Unusually, we found continuously high levels of pine pollen throughout, as well as a preserved pine needle dating from AD 840. Further research by Dr Alwynne McGeever (TCD) at nearby Aughrim Swamp in 2016 also showed a continuous pine signal. These studies indicate that native Scots pine has survived at Rockforest, challenging the view that the species became extinct in Ireland.

Rockforest Bog Pine, Glenveagh

Our research suggests that Scots pine should be considered native to Ireland, at least at Rockforest. As Ireland’s only known potentially native Scots pine population, it is unique. However, its rarity increases its extinction risk. The site is protected due to its location within a Special Area of Conservation and the state-owned Burren National Park. Seed collection has been carried out (under permit by a registered seed collector) and seedlings are being used to establish off-site populations of Rockforest Scots pine at Ballycroy National Park, Glenveagh National Park and the National Botanic Gardens. However, the scarcity of young Scots pine trees at Rockforest is a concern. Any further seed collection must be compatible with the long-term viability of the population at Rockforest itself. Research by Dr Colin Kelleher (National Botanic Gardens) on the genetics of the population is ongoing and these results are eagerly awaited. Looking to the future and to the long-term future, careful management and monitoring will be needed to ensure the continued survival of these fascinating trees.

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15/09/2020 12:14

GLUE TAPPING

Temporary ban on glue trapping in France

by Marion Jammett

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GLUE TAPPING Photo credit: Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux

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n August, France announced that the quota for hunting thrushes and blackbirds with glue traps will be set to zero this year, compared with 42,000 in 2019. The suspension follows a warning from the European Commission that France could face legal action if it persisted in endorsing the practice.

Glue-trapping has been banned in the EU since 1979 and the first Birds Directive, but member states may derogate from certain provisions of the Directive under strict conditions. In its warning, the Commission states that these conditions are not fulfilled in this case, especially because most of the species captured are not in a good conservation status.

Glue-trapping consists of placing sticks covered in glue on trees to catch songbirds that will later be caged and used as callers to lure more birds to be killed by hunters. France allows glue-trapping in five south-east departments on the grounds of “tradition”, as long as it is “selective, controlled and in limited quantity”. Under French legislation, birds caught on glue sticks must be immediately unstuck and either caged or released (non-targeted species).

But the practice has long been criticised as non-selective and damaging to wildlife. Evidence gathered by LPO (the biggest bird conservation NGO in France) shows that many protected species, including robins, blue tits and other warblers, struggle and die on glue sticks. Although the legislation requires the removal and release of non-targeted birds, many are simply pulled off and discarded. A report by the National Center for Veterinary Toxicological Information highlights that even if these birds are released, lesions of the feathers and musculoskeletal system and the toxicity of petrol or acetone used to remove them, may impact in the short term on the survival of these birds.

The decision not to apply a derogation this year, for the first time ever, is welcome. But it stops short of banning the practice. France is suspending it and is awaiting a response from the European Court of Justice. Just as controversial is the announcement made the following day to disregard international requests and to allow the hunting of 17,460 European Turtle Doves this autumn, a species which has been subject to dramatic declines over the past 30 years and is considered as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

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CONSERVATION NEWS

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Congratulations to the winners of our marinethemed competition which we held over the summer

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CONSERVATION NEWS

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1. Andrea Whelan, Caves and Waves 2. Dominik Bulicz, Skerries 3. Dominik Bulicz, Inishmore Island 4. Dominik Bulicz, Rosroe Pier-Killar y Harbour-Connemara 5. Michael Leavy, Flying Red Gurnard 6. Jack Dolan, Black-headed Gull 7. John Holden, Puffin 8. Kieran Boyce, Jellyfish 9. Jonathan Mitchell, Fulmar 10. Kieran Boyce, Diver in Horse Mackerel

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COMPETITION

COMPETITION In this issue of Irish Wildlife, members have a chance to win a copy of An Irish Nature Year

by Jane Powers, with illustrations

by Robert Vaughan.

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all it a daily meditation on the world around us for naturelovers and nature newbies alike.

An ‘Irish Nature Year’ gleefully explores the small mysteries of the seasons as they unfold – Who’s cutting perfect circles in your roses? Which birds wear feathery trousers? And what, exactly, is an amethyst deceiver?

An ‘Irish Nature Year’ is an illustrated day book filled with plants, animals, birds and creepycrawlies from all over the island of Ireland. With

one short entry for every day of the year, nature columnist Jane Powers serves up five minutes’ worth of wonderment to enjoy on your coffee break, on your commute, or to relax with at bedtime. From ‘weeds’ in the pavement cracks and surprising inhabitants of vacant lots, to unusual finds along our shoreline and hedgerows, you’ll find more of the natural world to admire right under your nose and relish the little things that mark the passing of the seasons across the ever-changing Irish landscape.

We have three copies to give away. To be in with a chance of winning, just answer the following question:

Who is the new Minister for Biodiversity and Land Use? Send your answer, name and address to magazinecomp@iwt.ie by October 31st.

Summer Issue In our summer issue, we gave away a copy of Gordon D’Arcy’s ‘Breathing Burren’. Congratulations to Claire Crowley from Co. Kildare for correctly answering our question. Thanks to all who entered!

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