Irish Wildlife Winter 2019 by Ashville Media Group

ISSN - 1649 - 5705 • WINTER ‘19

IRISH MAGAZINE OF THE IRISH WILDLIFE TRUST

S AND’ IREL

TE S BIE F LDLI E W

AZIN MAG

winter wonderland BY LINDSAY HODGES AND CHRISTINE CASSIDY

SPOTTED IN IRELAND:

• EDIBLE CRAB • BARNACLE GEESE • GREAT CRESTED GREBE

WHALE SHARKS

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40 YEARS OF IWT

EXPANDING YOUR WILDLIFE SKILLS

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WELCOME

Chairman’s Comment

A Cover credits: Fionn O’Donoghue Contents page credits: Yellow stags-horn fungus - H. Krisp, Wiki Yew Wood, Killarney National Park - Nigel Cox, Wiki Hedera hibernica (ivy) - Michael Maggs, Wiki Great-spotted woodpecker - Gerry Zambonini, Wiki Long-eared owl - Ran Silberman, Wiki

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All articles © 2019. No part of this publication including the images used may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the publisher. Opinions and comments expressed herein are not necessarily those of the publisher. While every effort has been made to ensure that all information contained in this publication is factual and correct at time of going to press, Ashville Media Group and the Irish Wildlife Trust

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s we reach the end of yet another year, writing this comment provides me with an opportunity to reflect back on what has been a busy and important year for IWT. 2019 was of course our 40th Anniversary and presented us and our members the chance to celebrate and mark this occasion and of course to reflect on the achievements of our volunteers and members, past and present. In September, we marked this milestone with a gathering of people who over the years have made, and continue to make, their mark on IWT and whose encouragement and support helps the organisation to keep moving forward. One of the great things about anniversaries is reflection. The story of how the IWT came about and the individual experiences of those early pioneers is fascinating, and our celebratory gathering provided plenty of stories and laughs about those early days. In 1979, environmental science and wildlife conservation was very much in its infancy and a new, almost exotic concept, to the public and indeed out elected representatives. Indeed, it was only three years after Ireland passed our first significant wildlife protection legislation; the Wildlife Acts of 1976 so the establishment of the IWT, or Irish Wildlife Federation as it was then, was very much a leap in the dark. In this edition, Fergus O’ Gorman, one of our founding members, has put together an article that chronicles the key events and developments of IWT’s early years through to the 1990s. From reading his article and hearing some of the stories about the lengths people went to in order to get things off the ground, these early years certainly were ‘the good old days’. Throughout 2019, IWT has continued to work hard to ensure environmental issues are to the fore and remain in the public domain. An important project that we have been involved with throughout this year, in conjunction with Coastwatch and Seas at Risk (SAR), is ‘Making Marine Protected Areas work in Europe’. As our seas continue to suffer from the onslaught of over fishing, marine plastic, fossil fuel extraction, effects of climate change etc the marine biodiversity crisis worsens. This project aims to ensure that greater areas of our marine habitat are designated under the Habitats Directive

and the necessary protection and conservation measures implemented. Our work on this project will continue through 2020. 2019 has been a yet another challenging and at times frightening year for our planet. The Amazon fires made international news for days and the images of vast areas of rainforest, the lungs of our planet, burning uncontrollably, brought home the undeniable truth that the earth is in trouble. Closer to home, a recent EPA report confirmed that the quality of Ireland’s rivers has degraded to the point that a mere twenty, an all-time low, remain in a pristine condition. This is serious plummet from a corresponding figure of five hundred such rivers in the 1980s. These stark statistics highlight the ongoing threats from agriculture, commercial coniferous forestry and dealing with wastewater. Apart from the possible legal consequences for Ireland for breaching the requirements and obligations as per the EU Water Directive, the implications on biodiversity and our own health are worrying. I want to finish my comment on a more positive note. In light of the ongoing swathe of issues and challenges, positives are emerging. The biodiversity crisis, the plastic crisis, the climate crisis; awareness of these issues has become mainstream and the public are beginning to realise that yes there is a problem. People are more wiling to adopt less harmful and wasteful lifestyles, sound environmental polices are no longer seen as fringe and are beginning to find their way into political manifestos. While the cynic may brush these developments aside as publicity stunts etc, it is a step in the right direction. Change is coming and IWT will continue to campaign and work tirelessly throughout 2020 to ensure the momentum keeps going. On behalf of IWT, I would like to wish you all a happy new year and thank you for your ongoing 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.

Irish Wildlife Winter ‘19

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FIELD REPORT

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CONTENTS

Contents 4.

ABOUT US

CONSERVATION NEWS

10.

IWT NEWS

18.

20.

Discover more about the work of the IWT and how you can get involved. Tim Clabon compiles the latest conservation news and Ricky Whelan advises on how you can expand your wildlife ID skills. Read all about our recent successful activities.

E DUCATION

Jenny Quinn shares some interesting facts about Christmas trees.

NOTES FROM THE NORTH WEST

Lindsay Hodges and Christine Cassidy on the wondrous birds found this time of year.

22.

WILD IDEAS

25.

FIADHÚLRA

26.

30.

Regina Classen on the importance of reducing greenhouse gases and giving marine life space to thrive. Ag cur in aithne Cuileann agus Eidhneán, réaltaí an tséasúir lena bhfeileacán gorm. Author: Cáit Nic Lochlain

FEATURE

As we celebrate 40 years of the IWT, Fergus O’Gorman and Seán Meehan look back on the early years.

EXPLORING WILDLIFE

Gordon D’Arcy on the spiral- formed marine fossil Phanerotinus unveiled in Tuam Library.

32.. SEASONAL FOCUS

Billy Flynn looks back on 2019 as the year young people led the mission for climate action.

34.

COMPETITION

We’re offering our readers the opportunity to win a copy of Conor O’Brien’s new book.

35.. OVER TO YOU

A selection of photos and messages sent in by Irish Wildlife Trust members.

36.

ON LOCATION

Volunteers come together to clear rhododendron at Abbeyleix Bog.

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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: Barnacle Geese ABOVE: Dragonfly

The IWT encourages action at a local level and has a number of branches around the country: Dublin: Barbara, 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.

HAVE COMMENTS? Magazine queries, general wildlife questions or observations email: editor@iwt.ie Information on campaigning and policies email: irishwildlife@iwt.ie Phone: (01) 860 2839 Snail mail: The Irish Wildlife Trust, Sigmund Business Centre, 93A Lagan Road, Glasnevin, Dublin 11 Web: www.iwt.ie Social media: facebook.com/IrishWildlifeTrust twitter.com/Irishwildlife

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 in different ways. There are lots of ways to get involved, from work experience in specialist areas to getting your hands dirty at our sites or helping us increase membership at 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

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

IRISH NEWS

Remember the ozone layer If some of the arguments against human activities’ effect on climate change sound familiar, you may be remembering the hole in the ozone layer. Back in 1974, scientists expressed concern about the impact that CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) and other ozone-depleting chemicals were having on the ozone layer. The discovery led to the scientists Paul Crutzen, Mario Molina and F Sherwood Rowland winning a Nobel Prize. The gases that caused what became known as the ozone hole were found in everyday items such as propellants for aerosols and refrigeration gases. At the time, CFCs were a major product of the chemical industry. Suffice to say the chemical industry was not welcoming when calls were made to ban or restrict the use of CFCs. The Chairman of DuPont stated that the ozone depletion hypothesis was “a science fiction tale… a load of rubbish… utter nonsense.” The chemical industry continued to dispute the claims that CFCs were damaging the ozone layer, despite mounting evidence, enlisting PR firms and scientists to argue that the claims made

were scaremongering, just theories, the ozone hole was a natural process and that the atmosphere was far too robust to be affected by CFCs. The industry also claimed that regulating CFC manufacture would have dire consequences, resulting in revenue loss, unemployment and even the loss of products that people were now dependent on, such as air conditioning. As it turns out, history has shown us that there was a problem, quite a big problem. In 1987, the Montreal Protocol was signed to regulate and eventually outlaw CFCs. Today, the ozone hole is still present, but the good news is that it is closing – all thanks to actions taken on a global scale. The dire consequences warned of by the chemical industry never happened; they adapted and introduced safer products… and we still have air conditioning, spray-on deodorant and refrigeration. The response of the industry to the ozone layer can be likened to the denial of climate change by industry with a vested interest in carbon-based fuels – even some of the arguments are essentially the same.

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CONSERVATION NEWS

The Common Agricultural Policy is in the news again... In November 2019, the European Parliament received a letter signed by over 2,500 scientists, outlining the catastrophic decline in biodiversity due to agricultural practices within Europe, and calling for an urgent reform of the Common Agricultural Policy. Under CAP, agriculture has intensified through practices such as increases in the use of pesticides and mowing frequency, irrigation expansion, and the destruction of pasture lands. The science shows that intensification of farming practices has led to the decline of European farmland bird populations of more than 55% between 1980 and 2015, and a decline of insect population abundance of more than 76% in a study of 63 nature reserves in Germany between 1989 and 2016. Current practices are increasing pressure on the remaining populations and exposing populations to additional threats such as the illegal killing of migrating birds. Under CAP, rural areas are being turned into green deserts, where the main focus is to maximise food production across the EU, which results in the loss of habitats, to make way for monocultures to increase maximum yield. Measures within CAP are ineffective at retaining or restoring biodiversity, and the current environmental schemes are under-funded, and poorly targeted to meet the scale of damage to farmland

biodiversity. Current proposals by the Commission post-2020 is unambitious and fails to offer real reform. The letter also outlined that the reform of CAP must deliver sustainable and diversified agriculture through spatiallytargeted measures, such as supporting smaller farms which carry out sustainable farming and maintain high nature value farmland. If implemented correctly, such measures could contribute to the recovery of biodiversity and rural human populations. This could be reached by aligning CAP with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. For example, specific funding for biodiversity on farms can make extensive grazing a viable and competitive option for livestock farmers. The letter finished by stating that “the scientific evidence is clear that climate change and biodiversity loss need to be tackled as an utmost priority if the EU is to uphold the main goal of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development. The EU must be a pioneer in responding to these challenges, and the CAP must be part of that response, rather than continuing being the cause of greater environmental degradation.” It can only be hoped that the European Government take heed of the letter, and create a policy that reflects the urgent need in protecting our natural environment.

Louise Overy and Maria Foley onboard the flight with Mara

Loggerhead turtle rescued after Storm Lorenzo An endangered loggerhead turtle was found washed up on Dolan’s Beach, Co Galway, after being washed ashore by Storm Lorenzo. The turtle, named Mara, was found to be suffering from hypothermia and dehydration. She was taken to Western Veterinary in Clifden, where her temperature was brought up before being transferred to the careful care of staff in Dingle Oceanworld. She spent the last seven weeks under the watchful eye of Louise Overy, animal curator, recuperating after her ordeal, and nursed back to health. Mara is a young female loggerhead turtle, aged around five years old. Loggerhead turtles found on Irish coasts are a long way from their natural habitats and need help. Their home is the more temperate seas such as the Mediterranean and off the south-east coasts of the United States. They get their name from their large head that supports powerful jaws, used to feed on shellfish such as clams, and other invertebrates such as sea urchins. Listed as a “Vulnerable” species by the IUCN, they are threatened by overdevelopment of nesting beaches and disturbance by human activities, and are frequently caught in fishing gear, where they can become entangled and drown. Mara is one of over ten loggerhead turtles successfully rehabilitated by Dingle Oceanworld. Many hitch a ride south with the Irish Navy. However, on this occasion, no voyages were scheduled, so early on Monday, November 4th, Mara began her trip home onboard a Ryanair flight to Gran Canaria, accompanied by Louise Overy and aquarist Maria Foley. They were met in Las Palmas by staff of the Turtle Rehabilitation Centre, where Mara will stay before being released back to the wild. Dingle Oceanworld has one resident loggerhead turtle called Molly, who due to the extent of the injuries she sustained in the wild, is not able to be released back to the wild.

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CONSERVATION NEWS

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

In the mouth of a shark Despite most of this planet being explored, new species are still being discovered. Some are found in less explored regions of the planet, some just go unnoticed, but some occur in places we may not think would provide a home for a creature. Amphipods are a shrimp-like species of crustaceans found globally in freshwater and marine environments. They are characterised by laterally compressed bodies. Amphipod means different feet, in reference to the two different legs they possess. They are omnivores, but are mostly scavengers, feeding on plant material. To us, the species are represented by sandhoppers on the beach, and freshwater shrimp (Gammarus sp.) found in rivers and lakes. Several species of amphipod are known to have associations with other species of invertebrates. A few have an association with vertebrates, such as loggerhead turtles, and some have been found living on the surfaces of fish. Recently, a new species of amphipod, Podocerus jinb e, has been found living within the gill rakers of the whale shark. This

is the first time an amphipod has been associated with whale sharks. Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) are the largest fish in the world, found around the South Pacific. Despite their size, they are harmless, being filter feeders, hunting planktonic fish and shrimp. Ko Tomikawa from Hiroshima University, and other colleagues, first encountered this species when Makio Yanagisawa from Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium found numerous amphipods crawling on the gill rakers of a whale shark. Further investigations and samples were taken from the gill rakers of another female whale shark, while held in open water using a vacuum pump. The amphipods were carefully examined under a microscope and DNA sequencing was performed. It was found that the amphipods were a previously undescribed species of the genus Podocerus. Over a thousand individuals were collected from the whale shark. The whale shark itself was found to be weak with no appetite and died three months later.

While the amphipods are not thought to feed directly on the shark, it is believed that the large numbers on the gills caused breathing difficulties. The swarming behaviour of amphipods is well known and has been observed off the Gold Coast in Australia, where over a thousand individuals of another species of Podocerus crawled onto a scuba diver within five minutes. The gills of the whale shark are ideal for filter feeding, due to the strong currents caused by the breathing and feeding of the whale shark. While it is tempting to call this and other similar species “parasites”, they are not parasites, as they have no direct impact on the host, using the host species as a home rather than a food source. Unlike a parasite that may feed on the blood or tissue of its host, species of Podocerus are filter feeders, using plumose hairs on their antennae to trap food particles. Who knows what other species may be found living in this type of environment, or what new discoveries will be made to better understand how complex and diverse biodiversity can be?

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PRACTICAL CONSERVATION

When it comes to identifying wildlife, Ricky Whelan suggests you start small, do your research, and be sure to get the right advice. Once you take those steps, Ireland offers a host of various species to discover.

Expanding your wildlife ID skills 8

We are all familiar with the most commonly encountered and conspicuous wildlife species, be it your garden robin, neighbourhood hedgehog or favourite hedgerow wildflower. Most people are happy to rely on specialist social media pages, websites or expert friends to correctly ID the critters they have captured by photo on their smartphone. This piece offers some tips on how you can improve you wildlife ID and impress your mates whilst out on your next ramble in the woods.

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CONSERVATION NEWS

DON’T BITE OFF MORE THAN YOU CAN CHEW Taking a structured approach is sensible; choose species groups which have a relatively low number of species to master at first. Species groups such as vascular plants number into the thousands, and the task of mastering all the wildflowers can be intimidating and off-putting. The same could be said for moths, which is too vast a group and not the first I’d recommend jumping into with both feet. There are a few groups that have less daunting numbers of species to wrap the head around, and they’re also very widespread and conspicuous. Of the regularly occurring species in Ireland, there are 35 butterfly species, 28 dragonflies (17) and damselflies (11), 21 bumblebees, and 20 ladybirds, for example, manageable figures when compared to vascular plants, moths or even bird species. THE CORRECT GUIDES ARE ESSENTIAL We all love a good online shopping splurge, but ordering the wrong reference material is a common mistake. The key is to ensure you are using the most regionally relevant guide. British guides often include most if not all species found in Ireland, but they are also full of species that may have never existed on the island of Ireland, giving rise to unnecessary confusion. There are many guides written in an Irish context – for example, the National Biodiversity Data Centre (NBDC) has a range of species ID swatches written specifically with an Irish focus. Birds too are well served with a range of Irish bird guides available. Failing that, choosing the relevant “British and Irish Guide to...” is the way to go, but be sure to double check distribution maps to confirm the animal in question is indeed found in Ireland. ATTEND EVENTS There is no substitute for getting out into the field with experienced and expert guides. There are myriad biodiversity-themed events hosted around the country, from our branch events to the annual NBDC workshops programme. In addition, the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre hosts an annual calendar of biodiversity events; there are a number of great naturalist field clubs throughout the country, including in Dublin, Wexford and Offaly; and lots of other ENGOs hosting wildlife events all the time, so have a Google, search the Facebook pages, and sign up for the relevant email newsletters. IF ALL ELSE FAILS... Go through the steps, grab a photo of the species if possible; if not, scribble a quick description, noting its characteristic features

– size, shape, colour(s), habitat observed – then reference your field guide. Some IDs will be obvious and some won’t. For insects and plants, it’s important to check flight/flowering seasons, as this can narrow down the field quite a lot. Distribution maps are commonly published in wildlife ID guides – these can help you figure out if the species in question has indeed ever been found in your county (or country); birds are often misidentified for species that don’t even occur here in Ireland. Hastily posting photos up online is a common rookie mistake – these posts are often met with replies like “actually, that’s a buzzard, not a golden eagle” and sometimes less kind replies too. Do your best to make the correct ID yourself – you won’t learn if you keep asking online, but when you’re stuck or just need that confirmation on a tricky species, do check with the experts. Social media has its issues, but it is handy to get you out of an ID pickle – there are many wildlife/species group-specific pages on Facebook for checking IDs and sharing information. ADDING VALUE Make your records count. Citizen science is massively important to track the distribution and density of our native flora and fauna. Do make sure to share your records online with the Biodiversity Data Centre, which has lots of specific recording schemes, but is also a portal for your casual sightings. Researchers and universities, as well as ENGO groups, are constantly putting out asks for records too, so keep an eye out for those and submit to them as relevant. IN DEFENCE OF MOTHS, WILDFLOWERS AND BIRDS These are large species groups when compared to the others mentioned earlier, but they are easily accessible and invaluable to learn as a budding naturalist. Try at first to ID the moths that end up in the house or that are attracted to porch lights; moths are one of the less frequently recorded groups in Ireland, so all the records you submit are premium. Specialist equipment (a moth trap) and a licence to operate is needed to bring your moth recording to the next level, so see how you go with the moths on the porch first! Wildflowers are everywhere and will take years to master the group, but they can’t crawl, run, fly or swim away, so they are ID-friendly in that sense. Start looking and identifying early in spring, when the first wildflowers emerge, and build your repertoire as the months and years go by. Focus on your neighbourhood and local patch first, spreading to other areas and habitats as your knowledge grows. Birds are ubiquitous and conspicuous, so are easily observed in that regard. There are 200 or so resident/regularly occurring species in Ireland, with hundreds more vagrants on the Irish

list. Start off identifying birds in your garden. Put out feeders in winter to help them, but also to get good views so you have plenty of time to nail that ID. Get an Irish-specific bird ID guide – this will be invaluable and save you considering species that don’t occur here. Learn the 20 most common “garden birds” – that’s your robins, your wrens, your blackbirds – and add to your list from there.

SUGGESTED READING Birds • The Birds of Ireland, A Field Guide by Jim Wilson • Collins Bird Guide by K Mullarney, L Svensson et al Butterflies • The Butterflies of Britain & Ireland by Jeremy Thomas & Richard Lewington • Ireland’s Biodiversity Swatch – Butterflies by The National Biodiversity Data Centre Bumblebees • Ireland’s Biodiversity Swatch – Bumblebees by The National Biodiversity Data Centre Dragonflies/Damselflies (Odonata) • Identification Guide to Ireland’s Dragonflies and Damselflies (Swatch) by The National Biodiversity Data Centre • Field Guide to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of Great Britain and Ireland by SJ Brooks Ladybirds • Ladybirds of Ireland Identification Sheet by Gill Weyman (free download) • Identification Guide to Ireland’s Ladybirds (Swatch) by The National Biodiversity Data Centre Moths • Field Guide to the Moths of Great Britain and Ireland by P Waring, M Townsend and R Lewington • Field Guide to the Micro Moths of Great Britain and Ireland by P Sterling, M Parsons and R Lewington Wildflowers • The Wildflowers of Ireland by Zoë Devlin • The Wildflower Key by Francis Rose

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IWT NEWS

IWT NEWS ACTIVITY UPDATE  Red squirrel

SUCCESS FINALLY

for Newcastle Lake Nature Reserve By Pádraic Fogarty, IWT Campaigns Officer All photos by Ben Whitley

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IWT NEWS

Shortly after I became chairman of the IWT, back in 2008, I was contacted by Peter and Margaret Britain from Newcastle, a short distance from Nobber, in Co Meath. Peter and Margaret live in an idyllic setting, in countryside lush with tall trees and dense hedges. The River Dee flows through their land, where the family farm pedigree Hampshire Down sheep, and drains into Newcastle Lake in the hollow at the foot of low hills. They told us about the flocks of whooper swans which descended on the lake in winter, the great crested grebes which nested in summer, and how they could watch salmon and trout spawn in the shallow gravels of the River Dee. But they had a problem

"POACHERS WERE TRESPASSING ON THEIR LAND AND ILLEGALLY TAKING THE FISH. THEY CAME TO THE IWT LOOKING FOR HELP."

 Jay. A colourful

members of the crow family.

– poachers were trespassing on their land and illegally taking the fish. They came to the IWT looking for help. We agreed that Newcastle Lake would become an IWT nature reserve, and following the installation of some signs to that effect, their poaching problem disappeared overnight. But that was just the start of it. The Britains do not just love the nature on their land, they want it protected for the future wildlife. At the time when we first met, they were gathering hard data on the wildlife around the lake and the surrounding woodland so they could convince the authorities to designate the area as a Natural Heritage Area (NHA). NHAs were first introduced in the 1980s to form the backbone of a protected area network for

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IWT NEWS

Ireland, but only very few sites ever managed to win full legal protection. Even today, the prefix “proposed” NHA has left hundreds of sites once identified as of national importance to biodiversity in a legal limbo. There are no published criteria for what qualifies as an NHA and no mechanism for a private landowner to apply for this protection for their land. The chronically under-resourced National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS) struggles to maintain the higher priority

 Great crested grebe

"WHEN PLANNERS ROLLED OUT THEIR MAPS TO PLAN THESE PROJECTS, THE LAKE AND ITS VALUE TO WILDLIFE WAS SIMPLY INVISIBLE" “Natura 2000” sites, and so held out no hope for the Britains that they might designate their land as an NHA. Yet the Britains persisted. They continued to gather survey data, inviting experts in moths, lichens and mosses to examine the habitats while holding events for IWT members and the Tree Council –

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IWT NEWS

constantly pleading their case for greater protection. Proposals for a waste incinerator, electricity infrastructure and an amenity greenway through or near their land highlighted why this was important. When planners rolled out their maps to plan these projects, the lake and its value to wildlife was simply invisible. We often decry how our protected areas are little more than lines on maps, but in fact even the lines on maps are better than nothing, as it makes these special places visible for planners. The Britains found an ally in a solicitor friend, Tim Smyth, and when it became apparent that the lake would never become an NHA, they followed a new route. They discovered that deep within the Wildlife Act, there is a clause that allows for private land to be designated as a Statutory Nature Reserve (SNR). Private landowners have not generally been clamouring to have their lands designated for nature conservation, so when the NPWS was approached, there

"THE BRITAINS FOUND AN ALLY IN A SOLICITOR FRIEND, TIM SMYTH, AND WHEN IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE LAKE WOULD NEVER BECOME AN NHA, THEY FOLLOWED A NEW ROUTE."

 The great spotted woodpecker

 A mute swan family

was no one familiar with the clause – it seems it has not been used for some time! All that was needed was the minister’s signature. In 2014, the IWT wrote to thenminister Jimmy Deenihan, asking him to assess Newcastle Lake as an SNR. Yet, the wheels of bureaucracy turn slowly. In 2014, the Britains recorded pine martens in their woodland, the first for many decades in Co Meath. In 2018, they spotted the first great spotted woodpecker in the county. Finally, earlier this year, they received in the post the official statutory notice, signed by Minister Josepha Madigan. Thanks to the incredible passion and tenacity of Peter and Margaret, their dream of seeing the lake fully protected has come to pass.

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IWT NEWS

ACTIVITY UPDATE

Dragonfly Boora Nature Resrve

[credit Kieran Flood]

A YEAR OFat A ACTIVITY the

Irish Wildlife Trust by Kieran Flood, IWT Coordinator.

s alluded to by Billy Flynn in our Season Focus article on page 32 of this issue, 2019 has brought further bad news for biodiversity, globally and in Ireland. It seems the situation for wildlife today is worse than it was when the Irish Wildlife Trust set off on its mission 40 years ago this year. Amidst the constant barrage of bad news, it is worth pausing to consider what our mission is, and what role the Irish Wildlife Trust can play in a world where nature is disappearing before our eyes due to complex threats. The Irish Wildlife Trust works to create a better future for Ireland’s biodiversity by motivating and supporting people to take action to protect nature. To save our wildlife, we have to create change at many levels. We need to change how people value wildlife. We need to strengthen our public institutions responsible for protecting nature. We need

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our local and national government to wake up to the urgency of nature protection, and we need the institutions of the European Union to lead the way in making new laws to protect nature while pressuring our own government to enforce the existing legislation. This is no easy task. Thanks to our fantastic volunteers and our small staff, we at the IWT are acting to bring change at all these levels. A lot of our work takes place through public engagement. We the people have the power to help in many ways – how we manage our gardens and community spaces, how we shop and eat, how we vote and how we engage with our politicians and local representative. IWT’s public engagement work involves wildlife walks and talks, citizen science projects, community and school education, and practical conservation activities. We complement this work with biodiversity campaigning and advocacy at a national government and EU policy level. Here is a quick review of some of these actions from 2019. Thanks to all of you who have made this work possible over the last 12 months. We kicked off the year with the Together for Biodiversity Awards, which we ran as part of the National Biodiversity Conference, an event organised by Natural Capital Ireland, the National Parks & Wildlife Service and the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. These awards saw community groups, schools, farmers, individuals and businesses receive recognition and prizes for their work on biodiversity projects around the country. The standard of project was very high, and it was amazing and uplifting to see all the work being done in communities around the country by those who care for nature. Some of the most valuable work of our own charity also takes place at community level in the form of free public wildlife events. This year, we ran almost 100 of these around the country, delivered by our staff and in particular by our local branches. At these events, people get the chance to spend time in nature, and to learn about wildlife, participate in practical conservation, or receive free species identification training. The highlight of our events calendar is National Biodiversity Week; however, our events run right through the year. The core of this activity is delivered by our voluntary local branches found in Galway, Laois, Offaly, Dublin, Kerry and Waterford. This year saw a new Galway Branch committee take the reins and they have already started running great events,

River Barrow

free waterways for wildife walk

Marsh Fritilliar

Butterfly Boora Nature Resrve [credit Kieran Flood]

such as free biodiversity survey training. As people all over Ireland are waking up to the fascinating world of nature, we cannot help but realise the threats it now faces. This can be a troubling feeling, which has now been termed “eco-anxiety”. The power of local events is that one need not suffer alone. Sharing your interest and your concerns for nature with others at an event or through a branch is empowering and can help relieve the powerlessness and anxiety we feel in the face of ecological collapse. It is through this coming together that we find power. For this reason, we would like to expand our branch

network in 2020. If you feel you would like to help organise wildlife walks or other events in your county as part of a local branch, please get in touch at kieran.flood@iwt.ie. To complement the locally led public engagement of our branches, we also ran our flagship engagement projects such as Waterways for Wildlife and People for Bees with great success. Public awareness on the issue of bee conservation is on the rise. People for Bees sees us visiting communities around the country, from Kerry to Donegal, delivering training on bee monitoring and habitat creation. This project is seizing the current

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Karin Dubskey of Coastwatch leadinfg our Conference field trip [credit Kiean Flood]

heightened public awareness of pollinator importance to engage communities in pollinator protection while also educating about the importance of the conservation tools of species monitoring and habitat creation. While we were busy engaging people around this island of ours with the nature found on our doorstep, we also had the opportunity to focus on the wealth of wildlife found at sea, in our vast territorial waters. 2019 saw the launch of the Bigger & Better Campaign, run by the IWT and our partners in Coastwatch Ireland. This campaign is advocating for better management of our current undersized network of Marine Protected Areas, while also calling for the creation of new MPAs in Irish waters. Marine Protected Areas are reserves where protection of the marine ecosystem is the primary goal, and they have been shown to be hugely beneficial in halting marine biodiversity loss. Marine protection is a complex issue due to EU fishing rights. Thankfully, this project is being run in collaboration with French and Portuguese NGOs as well as a Brussels based organisation Seas at Risk, who have experience in creating change at an EU level. Together we aim to improve Marine Protected Areas in Europe. One standout moment of our campaign in 2019 was our MPA conference in September, where community groups, marine scientists and even politicians gathered

 Kilminchy Biodiversity Week Event

to discuss MPA issues. A first for IWT this year was the discovery of the marsh fritillary butterfly (Euphydryas aurinia) on our Lough Boora nature reserve. The marsh fritillary is a beautiful medium sized butterfly that is listed as “vulnerable” in Ireland and is protected by EU law due to a serious population decline in many parts of Europe, including Ireland. We are delighted that our Boora nature reserve is now home to this rare invertebrate. Another protected species joining the marsh fritillary on site this year was the pine marten; our camera traps picked up two playing in the native woodland found on site. The discovery of two protected species, one declining and one bouncing back,

on our reserve brings some welcome hope. (For more positive reserves news, see our article on Newcastle Lake, and for more campaigns news, see Pádraic Fogarty’s campaigns update.) While 2019 has been a challenging year with much bad news for biodiversity, we must not become despondent and we must continue to act to protect our natural world. In 2020, we plan to continue our People for Bees project and marine protected areas advocacy as well as growing our membership and branch network in order to engage more people in Ireland with the wonders of wildlife and to bring more people together to fight for its protection. See you all in 2020.

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CAMPAIGN UPDATE Rewilding/native

woodland generation at a cut over bog in County Tipperary.

REWILDING

proves to be a hit By Pádraic Fogarty, IWT Campaigns Officer In November, the IWT held a public discussion on rewilding in County Galway. It was a great success if judged only by the number of people who turned out, with a packed auditorium and people even sitting on the steps down both aisles. Clearly, there is great interest in the idea, its origins, its definition and – most importantly – its potential to address our climate and biodiversity emergency. I was very happy to welcome some farmers who came from Connemara for the talk. While I expect a lot of rewilding to take place on public land, there is also great scope for the idea to take hold on private land across the country.

Specifically, the IWT is campaigning for new measures in the Common Agricultural Policy (currently under review in Brussels) to pay farmers for taking farm animals off land in certain places. I think that with a coherent approach, we could envisage a return of “wild” land to 30-40% of Ireland without appreciably affecting food production. There are some people who see rewilding as equivalent to land abandonment (something which is affecting large areas in the West of Ireland under the current system); however, it is likely that new job opportunities will arise in converting plantations to native woodlands, blocking

drains in peatlands, tackling alien invasive species, or generally assisting with habitat creation. When we look at rewilding as one prong in an approach that includes “high nature value farming”, then a picture emerges of thriving communities with diverse income streams. And it’s not just for rural areas – rewilding can be applied in cities and towns to bring more wildlife into people’s lives no matter where they live. Yes, there are some who will argue that rewilding is only true to its name if it is applied to large areas of land which are connected to each other along with the reintroduction of large carnivores. While there is great value in this definition, I don’t see any harm in taking the bits which will work for now and which can be applied to an Irish context in the short to medium term. For me, the kernel of the concept is that it is harnessing the power of nature to heal itself without a defined end goal imposed on it by people. After all, we already have a government-funded “Native Woodland Scheme” (giving payments to farmers for replacing their animals with native trees) and even a sub-section in that which recognises that scrub (generally speaking – thorny bushes) is an important precursor of mature woodland (i.e. harnessing the natural ability of trees to plant themselves). So, the ideas are already out there and not being opposed by any organisation that I’m aware of on the basis that it’s driving people off the land or killing off rural Ireland. The problem with the Native Woodland Scheme is that it is far too limited, failing to meet even the modest targets set for it by the government, and lacking any kind of a joined up vision in terms of how it will help meet goals for greenhouse gas reductions, water quality or restoration of wildlife. I have even thought about ditching the term “rewilding” in favour of talking about “woodland regeneration” or some other less contentious phrase. But every time, I come back to it because the word contains so much scope for hope that we will once again see an island that is thriving with nature. I don’t think a public talk under a different name would have had people packing the auditorium. [Thanks to Lenny Antonelli and Michelle Carey of the EnviroSoc in NUI Galway for their help and participation.

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, h O mas t s i r h C . . . e Tre EDUCATION

Jenny Quinn shares some facts about festive firs.

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EDUCATION

Adorned with fairy lights, baubles, tinsel and an array of other sparkly decorations, the Christmas tree has become one of the most prominent symbols of Christmas. But how much do we know about the festive fir tree that stands tall in our homes every year? Here are some interesting facts…

THE MOST ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY WAY TO ENGAGE IN THE CHRISTMAS TREE TRADITION IS TO KEEP A CHRISTMAS TREE ALIVE AND BREATHING – YOU CAN GET A POTTED TREE, WHICH CAN BE REPLANTED AFTER THE FESTIVE SEASON AND RE-USED YEAR AFTER YEAR.

WHERE DID THE TRADITION OF HAVING A TREE IN OUR HOUSE AT CHRISTMASTIME ORIGINATE? • Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition we recognise today. In the 16th century, German Christians brought trees into their homes, and many believe it was a 16th century German Protestant reformer who first added lights to a tree in the form of candles, after being inspired by stars twinkling among the evergreens one winter evening. • Long before the Germans, the Celtic Druids in Northern Europe decorated their temples with evergreen boughs as a symbol of everlasting life, and the Vikings in Scandinavia thought that evergreens were the special plant of the sun god, Balder. • If we look back in time even further, we find that the ancients Egyptians took part in a somewhat similar practice: during the solstice, when their god Ra began to recover from illness, they filled their homes with green palms. This symbolised the triumph of life over death. ARE THERE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHRISTMAS TREE? There are several types of conifer that can be brought indoors for decorating at Christmas, including… • The Norway spruce: This is a traditional Christmas tree with a nice scent, but its needles drop off easily. • The Nordmann fir: This tree has dark green needles that are very slow to drop off, but it is more expensive than the Norway spruce. • The blue spruce: This tree has particularly prickly needles, but holds onto its needles better than the Norway spruce. • The Korean fir: This tree has dark green, slightly curling needles with an excellent needle-holding quality. • The Fraser fir: This tree has good needle-holding properties, a lovely pine fragrance and has the same shape of a Norway spruce. Christmas trees can be very large. They can reach a height of about 60 feet in 20 years, and eventually possibly 130 feet! WHAT IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF HAVING A CHRISTMAS TREE IN OUR HOME EVERY YEAR? • Disposing of a Christmas tree by composting produces two greenhouse gases – carbon dioxide and methane. • An artificial tree has a higher carbon footprint than a natural one because of the energy-intensive production processes involved.

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AROUND IRELAND

winter wonderland Notes from the North West, by Lindsay Hodges and Christine Cassidy.

e are graced at the moment with a dazzling array of migrant birds in Ireland’s North West. Whooper swans jet in from Iceland to fields around Inch Levels and on towards the Foyle. Brent geese stream from Canada to the fertile basins of Lough Swilly and Lough Foyle. Barnacle geese surge from Greenland to the most northerly point of Ireland, the rugged coast of Inishowen. Their knowledge of our habitat is seemingly passed down from generation to generation and learned as they fly in their distinctive “V” shape. They will use familiar landscape markers to map their way, such as the coastline and rivers, and will steer a course from memory and experience using geography as their guide. The incredible journey of whoopers, an t-eala ghlórach, cannot be underestimated; 20

the longest flight distance of any swan, some 800-1,400km between Iceland and Ireland in family groups. On arrival, the sound is phenomenal, these sociable swans greeting and acknowledging each other with noisy whoops that explain their name. They may also display a little of their courtship ritual, including repeated bobbing of their heads as they call. They are celebrating – happy to have survived the crossing and excited that their friends and neighbours have also touched down safely. For the juvenile whoopers, this will have been their first migration and a significant test to pass. They feed mostly on grassland, but will switch to the remnants of an arable crop, especially after hard frosts, where cold conditions can cause some starchy vegetables to convert their existing starches to sugars and make for a sweeter meal.

While Strangford Lough represents the most significant destination for brent geese, Gé dhubh, encompassing some 80% of the population, the estuaries of the North West are still important wintering and feeding grounds for this iconic goose, and many remain in these locations for some time. Their collective sound is both comforting and completely distinctive, and quite magical to experience. Staying to feed on eelgrass-rich mudflats, they will rest, recuperate and feed up before beginning their travels home in late spring. Their journey from Ireland over the 2,700-metrehigh vast Greenland ice cap represents one of the most perilous migration routes for any species. Reading and then reporting the rings of any tagged brent to the Irish Brent Goose Research Group is always rewarding as well as vital in discovering where and when the geese were first ringed

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 Barnacle Geese

by Christine Cassidy

AROUND IRELAND

Snow Bunting by Christine Cassidy

and where they have been observed before. numbers of white-rumped sandpipers, some "THIS YEAR ALREADY HAS SEEN One of the most astonishing moments from American plovers and hopefully one or two GOOD NUMBERS OF WHITEDavid Attenborough’s Life Story series some surprises in store. In addition, huge flocks of RUMPED SANDPIPERS, SOME years back featured the base-jumping chicks redwing and fieldfare have arrived en masse AMERICAN PLOVERS AND of the barnacle goose, Gé ghiúrainn. Almost to the berry-laden trees, and shorebirds such HOPEFULLY ONE OR TWO within a day of hatching, the tiny goslings as purple sandpipers and sanderling are SURPRISES IN STORE." must make the most incredible leap of faith building up in numbers. If the recent to feed on grass and reach the water. appearance of the stunning nighthawk at for Africa when the snow bunting come Their nests are the ultimate Galgorm is anything to go by, the winging in to many of the same spots to feed. high-rise locations on cliff rule is “expect the unexpected”! Like the wheatear, for us the snow bunting faces to protect them But for all the dazzle and is a bird that the term “confiding” embodies, from predators. But thrill of a rarity, our eyes are as they can allow wonderfully close since their parents do always on the lookout for interaction and create a bond that only not feed them, the one of the most welcome deepens with time. jump is a must. Those of winter invaders to It is usually on the bleakest and windiest who survive and also Ireland, the snow bunting, of days when we first start checking regular withstand the very an gealóg shneachta. ports of call, but to catch sight of even one hazardous early weeks While known affectionately bird always feels miraculous. After that, if Whooper Swans and months will ultimately as “snowflakes”, describing the weather is more benign, it is impossible then form part of the the flocks in white and black to resist the opportunity to just sit and watch numbers who make their winter summer Arctic breeding plumage, these birds along the cliff-tops, as they home in Inishowen, found in fields they come to us in the colours of harvest, in parachute down to better feeding areas close to Malin Head and at Trawbreaga Bay, amber, gold and cream, with bright yellow within the boulders one minute and then roosting mainly on the outcrop of Glashedy. bills. As finches, and with a cousinly gloriously reappear just feet away. It is Smaller than the brent, barnacle geese have connection to the only two remaining always a special moment, as they inch closer a rounded black head, short black bill, black breeding members of the bunting conclave and closer to where we are crouched down, neck and breast with a mostly white face. in Ireland, the reed bunting and the feeding contentedly on heather tips, seeds Their white underparts, blue-grey barred back yellowhammer, the snowier version never on grassy verges, or in other locations, and black tail make for clear identification fails to lift the spirits. Breeding mainly in rifling through seaweed on the now peoplecompared to other geese and their calls are northern Alaska, Greenland and Iceland, their empty stretches of sand. noisy barks. initial touchdown on our highest coastal While hard to choose between all of these The unsettled winter weather and strong outcrops signifies the changing seasons, just special guests for Christmas, the snow winds also send many a stranger to our as the wheatear does for us in spring. Often bunting might just edge it over the whooper shores. This year already has seen good it seems that the latter have only just departed or the geese. But the more, the merrier! Irish Wildlife Winter ‘19

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WILD IDEAS

EARTH’S BIGGEST CARBON SINK Regina Classen, IWT Project Officer, Bigger and Better Marine Protected Areas, on the importance of reducing greenhouse gases already in our atmosphere, and giving nature space to thrive again.

M Single cell of a

coccolithophore, a phytoplankton species with a calcium carbonate shell. Deposits of dead coccolithophores are also known as chalk. Credit: Alison R. Taylor (University of North Carolina Wilmington Microscopy Facility) [CC BY 2.5 (https://creativecommons. org/licenses/by/2.5)]

ost people are aware by now that rising greenhouse gas emissions are causing an increase in the average global temperature. The recent remark by our Taoiseach about the positive effects of warmer winters, however, shows that many people are still not aware of the complexity of climate change and fail to grasp the severity of the situation. Higher densities of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are causing a rapid global change unlike any that humans have ever witnessed before. We are already seeing increases in extreme weather events like heat waves, cold snaps, floods and droughts. In the future, our seas will experience large changes in acidity, oxygen levels, salinity and temperature, causing mobile species to move towards the poles, while others will inevitably face extinction. The oceans have absorbed over 90% of the excess heat that humans have produced and soaked up a third of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions. Without the climate regulating capacity of the seas, our planet would be a very different place. In this article, we will take a closer look at the biological processes involved in capturing carbon and what we can do to increase the amount of carbon captured and stored in Irish waters.

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WILD IDEAS  A grey seal (Halichoerus

grypus) pup rests on a bed of seaweed. (scotlandbigpicture.com)

 Example of a healthy

seagrass (Zostera marina) bed mixed with the coralline algae maerl. (scotlandbigpicture.com)

THE PELAGIC OCEAN A large part of this story has to do with phytoplankton – unicellular plants which float in the top layer of the water column, performing photosynthesis. This process uses carbon in the form of CO2 and sunlight as the energy source to produce sugar and oxygen. Phytoplankton is at the very bottom of the ocean food web, providing food for bivalves, corals and small crustaceans called zooplankton or krill. Krill in turn feed a great number of species from small fish to large whales. The circle is complete when the faeces of large whales provide the essential fertiliser for the continued growth and reproduction of phytoplankton. Plankton that does not get eaten dies and sinks to the bottom of the ocean, where the carbon is stored for many years. This is a very simplified description of the world’s biggest ecosystem – the pelagic ocean. COASTAL ZONES Moving closer to shore, large marine plants are also immensely important when it comes to locking in carbon – coastal ecosystems can sequester 20 times more carbon per acre than terrestrial forests. One often cited example of natural marine carbon stores are

'THE MOST IMPORTANT MARINE ECOSYSTEMS FOR CARBON CAPTURE HERE ARE KELP FORESTS, SEAGRASS BEDS AND SALTMARSHES."

mangrove forests, which occur in tropical regions around the globe. While we may not have mangroves in Ireland, we have many other habitats worth mentioning. The most important marine ecosystems for carbon capture here are kelp forests, seagrass beds and saltmarshes. Just like phytoplankton, these plants draw down carbon through photosynthesis and, if left undisturbed, will grow into mature plants, reproduce and eventually die. When this happens, some of the leaves, branches, roots and stems get buried in the soil, and due to low oxygen concentrations in the water, the plant matter can stay buried for decades or longer before breaking down and releasing the carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere. Some other important habitats of note are those created by animals, which can contribute both directly and indirectly to carbon storage. Oyster reefs which were once abundant along Ireland’s coastline

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WILD IDEAS

ď&#x20AC;´ Incredibly diverse

horse mussel bed (Modiolus modiolus) with brittle stars and edible crab. Credit: scotlandbigpicture.com

are now mostly facing functional extinction with the exception of reclamation, overfishing, pollution and climate change. One simple some populations on the west coast. These animals store carbon way of increasing the amount of carbon stored in our seas is through in their calcium carbonate shells and their dense aggregations form rewilding and targeted restoration of these habitats inside well three-dimensional habitats, which can stabilise the coast by protected areas. This would allow these ecosystems to expand, protecting it from storm surge. This stabilisation locking in excess CO 2 for allows an expansion of saltmarsh habitat, which many years through simple would otherwise be exposed and prone to "UNFORTUNATELY, NATURAL biological processes.The erosion. Furthermore, filter feeders like oysters WAYS OF COMBATING CLIMATE wider ecosystem service of and mussels filter phytoplankton out of the CHANGE HAVE SO FAR BEEN increased fisheries yield and water column, which can increase water quality WIDELY OVERLOOKED. WHILE WE improved water quality are in polluted estuaries and provide a better habitat DESPERATELY NEED TO FIND WAYS additional valuable benefits for seagrass to thrive. provided by restoring our TO REDUCE OUR FUTURE EMISSIONS, Unfortunately, because the habitats listed here WE ALSO NEED TO REDUCE THE coastal ecosystems. occur in shallow waters and close to shore, they GREENHOUSE GASES ALREADY IN Unfortunately, natural ways are easily damaged by storms, fishing gear or THE ATMOSPHERE IF WE WANT TO of combating climate change other human activities, which releases the AVOID THE WORST IMPACTS.". have so far been widely carbon dioxide into the atmosphere sooner than overlooked. While we it otherwise would have. desperately need to find ways to reduce our future emissions, we also need to reduce the HOW CAN WE INCREASE THE CARBON STORED greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere if we want to avoid IN IRISH SEAS? the worst impacts. Giving nature back the space it needs to draw The ecosystems mentioned in this article cover a relatively small down CO2 naturally is one very simple and effective solution to area on a global scale and are facing further declines due to land both the climate and biodiversity crises.

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FIADHÚLRA

Cuileann agus Eidhneán agus Feileacán Gorm By Cáit Nic Lochlainn

g an am seo den bhliain tá ár súile tuirseach den fhásra marbh, den dorchadas agus den taisleacht. Má tá tú cosúil liomsa, agus is maith leat na bláthanna fiáin a fheiceált, beidh tú ag coinneáil súil amach do rianta na bhfás. Nil morán le feiscint, creid uaim é! Ach tá an biolar go glas agus go h-úr sna srutháin i gcónaí. Agus, ar ndóigh, tá na crainn agus na tomacha síorghlas linn i ngach séasúr. Deir an amhrán - “The holly and the ivy when they are both full grown” ach ni chríochnaíonn sé an líne mar a d’fhéadfach sé: nuair atá na plandaí seo fásta go h-iomlán is féidir leo a bheith ina bhfadhb don gharraíodóir! Creidimse gur cheart go mbéadh an Cuileann agus an Eidhneán curtha in ngach gáirdín. Ta rogha mór ar fáil. Is feidir gach saghas Cuileann a cheannach, ta flúirse cineálacha ar fáil: roinnt le caora buí, corcra no bán-dearg in ionad an ghnáthdhearg geal. Ach is é an foirm traidisiúnta Ilex Aquifoliumis an ceann a n-aithníonn éin na h-Éireann. Nuair atá an planda nua ceannaithe agat, ni foláir a áit curtha sa talamh a romhadh go cúramach, mar is gá tom baininn a chur gar go leor le planda firinn ionas go scaipfear pailin uirthi: agus smaoinigh, freisin, go gcaithfidh si scáil domhain nuair a bheidh si fásta. Fásann an tom seo go mall ar dtús, ach tar éis tamall sroicheann sé áirde mhór. Beidh na géaga cnuasaithe go dlúth agus na duilleoga dorcha síorghlas; agus ta foscadh iontach mhaith anseo mar shuíomh neadaithe: as radarc san earrach, agus teolai sa gheimhreadh..

Nuair a thagann na caora, beidh cogadh beag idir an gharaíodóir agus na h-éin - tá an londubh, an smólach, sacáin agus deargáin sneachta ana-cheanúil ar na caora seo! Mas mian leat iad a chruinniu mar mhaisiúcháin Nollag, ní mór duit cúpla géaga a roghnaigh go luath sa mhí. Nóta slainte agus sábháileachta: tá gach cuid de phlanda an Chuillean nimhneach: na duilleoga, an choirt, na caora - fiú amháin an deatach má dóitear e - mar sin deirtear. Ar an taobh eile, ní thógann an Eidhneán morán spás. Ach rithfidh sé suas falla na tí nó aon stumpa crann. Is breá le beacha gabhair an planda seo: agus nuair a éiríonn na caora aibidh i mí Eanair/Feabhra, tiocfaidh colúir chun iad a ithe go gasta: ag tráth bliana nach bhfuil morán bia eile ar fail. Nóta eile: féadann an eidhneán a chuid méaranna mín a bhrú isteach in ngach scoilt agus scáine; bí aireach nach ndéanann sé dochar do adhmaid na bhfuinneóg nó sclátai an dín. Agus iad seo i bhfeidhm, beidh tú in ann taitneamh a bhaint as radharc álainn an fhéileacáin dúchasach, an Gormán cuilinn (Holly Blue). Faightear an fheithid álainn seo pé áit a bhfásann cuileann agus eidhneán le chéile, cosúil le seanchoillearnacha (agus i do ghairdín) I ndeisceart Bhaile Átha Cliath, d'fhéadfadh go mbeadh dhá ghlúin in aghaidh na bliana den fheithid bheag dhúchasach seo lena sciatháin glasghoirm. Tabhair aire mhaith do thoranna an gháirdín agus beidh cuid mhór fiadhúlra le feiscint i rith na bliana. Irish Wildlife Winter ‘19

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FEATURE

The Irish Wildlife Federation and Trust:

THE EARLY YEARS By Fergus O’Gorman, former Chairman and President, and Seán Meehan, current IWT Chairman

2019

is a milestone year for the IWT, and our Winter edition would not be complete without an article to reflect back on the big events and issues that have shaped the organisation over four decades. Trying to summarise 40 years of conservation effort into three pages of text is not an easy task, so with the help and input from one of our founding members and former Chairman and President, Fergus O’Gorman, we decided to focus on the important developments, highlights and achievements that moulded the early years of IWT’s formation. In doing so, we are aware that we are “brushing over” the daily and weekly efforts that countless volunteers have made over the years; this is, of course, purely unintentional, and it is because of the very efforts made by these volunteers and members that our organisation grew and flourished, leaving a strong and highly regarded legacy that the IWT enjoys today. We take our hats off to them all. The genesis for the development of nature conservation in Ireland hails back to the early 1960s when An Taisce was vitalised by the first Planning Act of 1963 and the development of its branch structure, which Fergus O’Gorman started in Cork. This was followed by the creation of the Irish Wildfowl Committee, which quickly developed into the Irish Wildbird Conservancy (IWC).

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FEATURE

 Left: Our inflatable whale "Flo" resting outsite the

Zoology Building at Trinity College Dublin. Right: Our spokesman for the day, Spike Milligan greets Charles Haughey at the St Patrick Days Parade

The catalyst for the IWF to go it alone without an association with the WWF came about in 1981, following a barbaric and shameful However, by the early 1970s, following the signing of the Ramsar crime against wildlife that shocked much of Ireland – the slaughter Convention, the pressure to conserve wetlands receded somewhat of over 100 seals at Inishkea in Co Mayo. This illegal act was carried due to their newly acquired conservation status, and the need to out by local fishermen, using shotguns and clubs, who wrongfully increase conservation efforts to protect other habitats and species blamed the seals for declining fish stocks. When Fergus O’Gorman in Ireland became a primary focus and aim. reached the scene, courtesy of the Sunday Tribune’s helicopter, Regrettably, neither the IWC and An Taisce were able to or wished he was met with the horrific sight of orphaned pups trying to suckle to pursue these new objectives, so another body was created in from dead and eviscerated mothers. The furore amongst the public 1979: the Irish Wildlife Federation (IWF). generated by the photos in the Initially, the idea was to operate the IWF as 'IRELAND WOULD NOT RAISE Tribune generated funds and an Irish chapter of the World Wildlife Fund ENOUGH MONEY FOR WORLDWIDE attracted volunteers, and so the Irish (WWF), but ultimately this ambition was CONSERVATION' WAS THE BLUNT Wildlife Federation was born. The thwarted by WWF headquarters in REBUTTAL RECEIVED BACK FROM IWF was fortunate that two of the Switzerland – “Ireland would not raise WWF HEADQUARTERS. original committee members were enough money for worldwide conservation” Éamon de Buitléar and Gerrit Van was the blunt rebuttal received back. Gelderan, whose TV series, Amuigh A sombre response that starkly reminds us how Irish nature Faoin Spéir, had been going for more than 15 years. Gerrit, whose conservation, both at a voluntary and government level, was skills as a graphic artist were second to none, designed our quarterly practically non-existent and held in low esteem in the late 1970s. newsletter, The Badger, and Fergus’ wildlife slot on Saturday At around this time, the emerging IWF secured a noteworthy coup morning on Radio One led to a radio series, Sound Natural, and a in their early days: two lectures in the RDS delivered by none other TV series, Breathing Space (which won a prize in Berlin). Gerrit than David Attenborough, raising nearly £2,000 (approximately and Éamon were dedicated conservationists, and plugs flowed €9,500 at today’s value). It was an impressive feat and highlighted galore. Membership rose to 2,400 within the first couple of years. the interest in Ireland at the time in wildlife conservation. Things were beginning to move in the right direction.

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FEATURE

 Mrs. Hillery, President Hillery, David Attenborough,

Aideen Rice and Fergus O'Gorman at the RDS lectures

Our next effort was to get “Flo”, an 80-foot inflatable whale, to Another important milestone was the publication of the first ever popular book on Irish wildlife – The Irish Wildlife Book. All the Dublin for the St Patrick’s Day parade, where it caused much Irish publishers said it would never sell more than 500 copies. excitement, especially as the IWF had Spike Milligan on the front So, Fergus and Gerrit defied these negative responses and of the float commenting on everything under the sun for the undertook to put the book together themselves. Gerrit put it all nearly-three hours of the parade. However, the real coup was together on the floor of Fergus’ sitting room, working night in and holding a press conference inside the belly of the whale – the night out, pasting in the text and providing instant elegant drawings media loved it; we even made the front page of The Irish Times! to fill gaps. The book sold thousands of copies. The appetite for Still, the Department refused to act and join the IWC despite the material and information about Irish wildlife was certainly there. international publicity which we generated. Finally, it was time to go political and go directly to the IWC Another one of IWF’s early successes was (International Whaling Commission), a waterproof brochure on Irish whales, “ALL THE IRISH PUBLISHERS SAID also known as the Washington drawn and put together by Ciaran O’Keefe, IT WOULD NEVER SELL MORE Convention, as it was signed there in to accompany IWF’s appeal to the fishing THAN 500 COPIES. SO, FERGUS 1946, with the USA being responsible and sailing community to report whales from AND GERRIT DEFIED THESE for its operation. Fergus headed for around the coast, which produced a plethora NEGATIVE RESPONSES AND Washington DC in 1981, just before the of records. This led naturally into their first UNDERTOOK TO PUT THE BOOK St Patrick’s Day celebrations, to attend big campaign to save our whales following TOGETHER THEMSELVES." meetings with Greenpeace and IWC the admission by a Norwegian skipper that representatives. Feeling emboldened, his ship caught minke whales off the west coast. Despite the first comprehensive wildlife legislation being passed Fergus asked Tip O’Neill, the then speaker of the United States in 1976, protecting all whales, Ireland still had no sanctuaries around House of Representatives, to write a personal letter to the the coast, nor signed the International Whaling Convention. When Taoiseach, Charles J Haughey (which Fergus dictated!). Tip Fergus first approached the Government Minister responsible at the instructed, “Put it into his hands – don’t give it to anyone else!” time to set up a sanctuary to prevent such hunting, the wildlife branch Charlie’s comments when Fergus asked him afterwards what he within his department replied that there were no whales in Irish waters! would do are unprintable, but Ireland did join the IWC. From the very start, the IWF was committed to environmental A few weeks later, a tenant of Eileen Cooper’s (IWF’s fantastic Hon Sec for many years) reported that there was a Russian ship in Dunmore education as a long-term approach to increasing awareness, East with a harpoon gun on the front. Fergus contacted the Tribune, understanding and concern for Ireland’s wildlife and habitats; who sent Deirdre Purcell (not yet a bestselling author) to Dunmore indeed, it is one of the three primary objectives in our Articles East, and she was invited on board and shown the slabs of minke of Association, and this ethos continues to this day. Throughout the 1980s, the IWF delivered various educational projects, funded whale in the freezer! But still, the IWF got nowhere. 28

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FEATURE

 Above: John Rochford, Gerrit van Gelderen, Fergus O'Gorman with

the just published 'The Irish Wildlife' book

 Below: Front covers of some of the first IWT membership

by the PETRA programme in Brussels and FÁS and its predecessors. John Rochford, Bill Dallas and Eamonn Duke were stalwart volunteers during this time, and continue today with the management of the Conservation Education Trust, set up by the IWF to run the educational programme. In 1990, the IWF persuaded Noreen O’Keefe, the then Principal Officer in charge of the Wildlife Service, to support the development of the Knocksink Wood Education Centre at Enniskerry, Co Wicklow. Thousands of children of all ages participated in workshops and classes at this centre in the 1990s, ably run by the IWT’s Hon Sec Billy Flynn. The “Train the Trainers” course started in Knocksink in 1993, funded with an EC grant, and became the “Conservation Management Diploma” accredited by UCD. This led directly to the development of the two-year master’s programme in World Heritage Management launched last year with UCD and UNESCO – the first such course anywhere in the world! It’s now a one-year course and is still going strong. Unfortunately, today we no longer have a role to play at Knocksink; however, it is an ambition of ours that we will once again get an education centre up and running to bring environmental education to people of all ages. Finally, our campaign to develop co-operation with all the conservation bodies in Northern Ireland from the mid-1980s until the IRA ceasefire in 1994 resulted in us changing our name to the IWT, in solidarity with our Northern friends – but that is, as Fergus says, another, even longer story! I hope you have enjoyed this brief but informative account of the major milestones and achievements that shaped the early evolution of the IWT. Here’s to the next 40 years.

magazines

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FEATURE

Phanerotinus - a fossil for our time? Credit: Brendan Arrigan,

permission granted by Galway County Council

Gordon D’Arcy describes the spiral-formed fossil unveiled in Tuam Library in September, and suggests we can all learn so much from this extinct marine creature.

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FEATURE

A walk along the Burren’s Flaggy Shore, immortalised by the poet Seamus Heaney in his poem ‘‘Postscript’’, is a walk along an ancient seabed. The 340 million-year-old Carboniferous limestone lies in horizontal terraces, solidified rock surfaces that were once limy sediments at the bottom of a tropical sea. Despite the adjacent drama of breaking waves, this walk is an “eyes-down’’ experience. The white-on-grey patterning of countless fossil corals, branched and solitary, fragmented and exposed by the action of glaciers and coastal erosion, is mesmerising. It’s a natural wonder, and one used frequently by teachers of geology to demonstrate abstract concepts such as plate tectonics and geological time. It was another walk that led to a remarkable illumination of marine life from that era. An observant chartered surveyor (Brendan Arrigan), strolling along a street in Tuam, noticed a strange curved shape in a limestone wall. A marine fossil, no doubt, but not one of the usual Carboniferous suite of corals, brachiopods and goniatites. In a subsequent investigation, its identity was confirmed as Phanerotinus cristatus, a giant snaillike marine gastropod. Traces of this extinct creature are extremely rare: a mere 15 examples are known; only four others from Ireland. Using features evident in the fossil, palaeontologists have managed to faithfully reconstruct the animal, and by way of educated opinion and comparison with other gastropods, provide us with some idea of how it lived. Spiral-formed, Phanerotinus was radically different from the other, familiar spiral-formed gastropods of the era – the goniatites and early ammonites – with their tight Catherine-wheel shape. It was, in fact, open, like an unwound pretzel. But the row of swept-back, flange spikes – like so many sharks’ teeth – along the outer curve, strikingly distinguishes it from all the others. Phanerotinus has a decidedly exotic appearance, adding greatly to its mystique. The reconstructed impression suggests something trawled up from the depths of a weird sci-fi imagination.

Presumably, the “teeth” acted as a protection against the myriad predators (such as early sharks) that inhabited the Carboniferous seas. They also indicate that the animal sat upright in the seabed rather than in the prone form of the fossil in its limestone sarcophagus. Naturally, all the soft parts of the creature were long gone before the process of fossilisation began, so it is difficult to be sure of its internal anatomy. It may have sported tentacles like many of its contemporaries, and like the nautilus of our seas today, been able to propel itself swiftly through the water when the need arose. The fossil only came to light as a result of the thoughtful action of the council wall builders some 40 years ago; sensitive to the aesthetic appeal of the strange shape (though unaware of its significance), they erected the wall with the fossil traces – on both sides of the split slab – facing outwards. "Naturally, all the In a commendable exercise of soft parts of the community engagement, Phanerotinus creature were was unveiled at a special ceremony in long gone before Tuam Library on September 30th. The the process of impressive assemblage of dignitaries and contributors included the Minister of fossilisation State, a county councillor, the Galway began, so it is County Heritage Officer, representatives difficult to be from the geological fraternity, the fossil sure of its internal finder, the wall builders, even the land anatomy." owner concerned. The public turnout for such an ostensibly arcane event was extraordinary and included many children. It was most heartening to see the children being invited to inspect and touch the fossil at the gathering. One little girl, having made and painted a model of Phanerotinus, became the centre of attraction for photographers and reporters. Fossils are often the subject of an unfortunate irony. Having been locked up unseen in their sedimentary beds for eons, they often end up in a new incarceration – in a drawer in the recesses of a museum. Not so Tuam’s Phanerotinus. The plan is for the fossil to remain on permanent display in the Tuam Library, within a short distance of where it was found on the Ballygaddy Road. Who knows how many eyes and imaginations, old and young, might be opened to the world around them by exposure to this fossil? An object of inspiration, a window into the past, a real (as distinct from virtual) educational tool, it is impossible to overstate its enduring relevance. It also represents a timely, sobering touchstone for us all. Extinct for hundreds of millions of years, Phanerotinus may well have disappeared as a result of the Permian extinction episode which affected the entire planet around 250 million years ago. Such evolutionary dead-ends, evident in the fossil record, point to recurring natural cataclysmic events, the causes of which remain mysterious. Is the planet on the verge of another cataclysmic event – this time human-induced?

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SEASONAL FOCUS

“AND THESE CHILDREN THAT YOU SPIT ON AS THEY TRY TO CHANGE THEIR WORLDS ARE IMMUNE TO YOUR CONSULTATIONS.” – DAVID BOWIE

CHANGE IS COMING 2019 may well be remembered as the year the public finally stood up and took notice of the climate emergency we find ourselves in. But if we’re serious about making a real change, we’d better act fast, writes Billy Flynn.

his article is being written on the weekend that marks the start of Advent, one of the most important seasons of the Christian calendar. It’s fair to say that it has largely been overshadowed by a bigger event that also takes place on this weekend – the so-called Black Friday. This has become a seasonal event in itself, with retailers and manufacturers pushing cut-price consumer goods with a near-religious zeal themselves. Despite our awareness that our desire to consume comes with great environmental costs, millions avail themselves of the purported bargains to be had, and billions of euro’s worth is shipped around the planet. Given the year we have just had, it’s an ignominious way to start the final month. Should we be surprised by this apparent lack of concern, though? Not if we’ve been paying attention to the latest report (November) of the UN’s World Meteorological 32

Organization that tells us we have failed to curb carbon dioxide emissions over the last decade. In fact, these levels have increased. There is not even evidence of a slow-down in the rate of increase, let alone any falls in emissions. We in Ireland, along with just about all of the other developed world signatories of the Paris Agreement, have failed to meet our international obligations. Last year might be remembered as the year of plastic. Not that we made or threw away any less or more plastic in 2018 than any other year, but perhaps this was when we finally woke up to the sheer scale of the plastic problem and realised that something has to happen if we are not to drown in the self-inflicted flood of neverdegradable waste. 2019 might well become known as the year of fires. This was the year that the southern hemisphere’s summer began with burning and continues to burn. Shocking but fascinating footage of the

Amazonian rainforest ablaze was viewed around the world. There was the realisation that this was worse than ever amid reports that most of these fires in Brazil had been started deliberately, with the tacit approval of the country’s ruler. Elsewhere, other fires rage on. Huge areas of California have been razed, including famous wine-growing districts, towns and villages. In Australia, the state of Victoria has suffered from the worst fires in its history. From Borneo to Siberian tundra, over 10,000 forest fires are ablaze on any given day. However, this year might possibly be remembered in a positive way – as the year that public opinion finally turned and faced the crisis. There are many actors in the global drama that has defined 2019, but no single person can have had a greater influence than a Swedish teenager who decided to go on a strike from school every Friday. Greta Thunberg has now come to

symbolise the fight against climate chaos, and in particular the fight that has been taken up by young people across the globe. Earlier this year, Greta addressed an assembly of the United Nations, having made good on her promise not to fly, instead crossing the Atlantic under sail. Her address made news worldwide. It was moving, impassioned and occasionally angry. “How dare you?” she asked the assembled world leaders on their treatment of the world that her generation will inherit. A generation, she promised, that would never forgive world leaders if they fail to act now. September 2019 saw global protest that has never been seen before. Thousands of events across the globe saw millions of people, in many cases led by the young, take to the streets and strike from school and work in order to make their voices heard. And people listened. A number of governments, including our

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SEASONAL FOCUS

own, have declared that we are in a Climate Emergency. How this might translate into positive action has yet to be seen. However, in an unprecedented piece of parliamentary procedure, on the 15th of November, our Dáil hosted the first ever Youth Assembly on Climate Action. Our upper house of the Oireachtas was given over to 157 young people representing all 26 counties to discuss and debate environmental issues critical to climate change. The two youth assembly sessions that sat that day culminated in the ratification of a climate proclamation. A series of demands was agreed and issued to our adult leaders by the end of the day. Their formal declaration states: “We are not experts... we offer ideas, but we do not have all the answers. It is a starting point for adults and particularly for those elected to protect and progress our society. We call on you to listen to the science, to take on board our

recommendations, and to work on our behalf to ensure that we – and you – have a future.” Like no other year, 2019 has been a year of environmental protest. The Extinction Rebellion movement has brought cities to a standstill over several days of protest this year; Dublin and Cork are among dozens of cities where streets have been taken over and normal traffic and commerce disrupted. These protests have not won universal approval – indeed, they have been condemned by many in media and industry – but they have seized attention in an unprecedented way. The protests continue. In the week before this article was written, another Friday protest came to the capital. These were part of a global event that saw Friday strikes for climate action ahead of the upcoming UN Climate Conference in Madrid. Students led these most recent protests, and their demands included the cessation of the

development of liquefied natural gas ports at Cork and Shannon. They pointed to the list of demands that arose from the Youth Assembly in calling for an end to the use of gas produced through hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and the huge investments that will be required in alternative energy sources, including solar power. In a very challenging but doable demand, the movement calls on the government to have 100% of Ireland’s electricity supplied by renewables by 2030, while the government’s own target is for 70% by that date. Most of our state’s emissions derive from agricultural sources, and the movement is calling for these to be addressed. They also call for all fossil fuel supplies to be left in the ground, something that our government appears to have no inclination to yet do. But have these protests changed anything? At the time of writing, the Wildlife Amendment Bill is

going back before the Dáil for voting. This bill has the potential to introduce legislation allowing for the de-listing of protected sites. This would basically undo the designations that have protected Natural Heritage Areas thus far. This could remove protection for nearly 150 bogs that have for decades been kept from damaging activities. Ireland’s boglands are our own Amazon, being critical for carbon storage as well as biodiversity. Allowing some of these protected sites to be opened up for extraction would be an incredibly retrograde step. For all its small size, Ireland has a huge proportion of the world’s active bogs. These are highly effective carbon sinks that could form a crucial part of our state’s contribution to the global climate solution. The Irish Wildlife Trust is actively campaigning for this bill to be voted down; you can find our press release on the matter in the news section of our website (https://iwt.ie/category/ all-news/). There are glimmers of hope, though. Last month, RTÉ had a weeklong focus on climate and environmental issues, another unprecedented event. Our government is facing renewed pressure from the EU to up its game, including its “climate ambition” in terms of meeting the 2030 targets set by the bloc. It is true that there has never been a greater threat to biodiversity and indeed to our human civilisations than that which we face now. As we approach the end of another year, we move closer to the dates by which scientists say that we must act or entirely lose the ability to control our planet’s future. We might well be looking back at 2019 as the year when – people mostly led by younger people – finally took notice and stood up to say that it is time to act. Irish Wildlife Winter ‘19

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COMPETITION

Competition We’re offering Irish Wildlife readers the chance to win this fantastic book! Irish Ireland Through Birds Journeys in Search of a Wild Nation

Book Awards 2019 Shortlisted for Best Irish Published Book

by Conor O’Brien Twelve birds. One country. A wild Ireland waiting to be discovered. In 2016, Conor O’Brien had a notion that would ultimately take him all over Ireland, visiting the four provinces, a journey that would take two years to complete. His idea was to seek out 12 of our rarest or most elusive birds, species that had eluded him on all his previous forays across Ireland. It was a quest that would test and try him – while also opening his eyes and ears to the beauty, variety and history of our island. Hopping on buses and trains to the four corners of Ireland, O’Brien endured all weathers from the warmest days of summer to driving winter rains in search of his subjects. Some are highly localised, some extremely shy. They include top predators of day and night; migrants who cross continents to be here; seagoing pirates; underhanded nest parasites; songsters of the high mountains; and ingenious forest dwellers. Ireland Through Birds takes the reader on an ornithological adventure around Ireland in search of twelve of our rarest and

most elusive birds. Along the journey, the author explores every kind of landscape and habitat our island has to offer across all four seasons, from the remote isles of Donegal to the rugged mountains of Kerry and urban parks of Dublin. Through it all, O’Brien is enchanted by calling corncrakes, mesmerised by hunting harriers, and chased by angry skuas. It’s a journey through a staggering array of landscapes that’ll bring the reader face to face with the rich history and stunning wildlife to be savoured on our doorstep. It explores the stories of the remarkable birds that live here: the genius of the jay, the sublime mimicry of the cuckoo, the nocturnal prowess of the barn owl, while paying a moving, poetic tribute to our natural heritage – and warning about the threats that face it. Ireland Through Birds is a unique blend of natural history and travelogue, making it a great read for anyone with an interest in Ireland’s natural world.

To be in with a chance to win a copy of Ireland Through Birds by Conor O’Brien, just answer the following question:

What was the IWT formerly known as? Please send your answer along with your name and address to editor@iwt.ie by the 28th February 2020.

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OVER TO YOU

Over to you Hi IWT, I’m attaching a couple of images, one of a flower cart and one of my son, who helped me form our pollinator awareness fundraiser, where we raised €152, and had a lot of conversations about flowers, pollinators, pesticides, hedgerows, etc. I learnt a lot myself. I’m planning to do it again next year on World Bee Day in May and hope to have appropriate native wildflower seeds for sale and information on planting them.

Zoe in Dingle Thank you so much Zoe for holding the pollinator awareness event and fundraiser. We will certainly put the funds to good use.

Facebook photo of the month

Congratulations to Lesley Barker, winner of our November photo of the month competition with this amazing photo of the mute swan.

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ON LOCATION

On location at Abbeyleix Bog IWT Co-ordinator Kieran Flood reports from a day working on invasive species clearance at Abbeyleix Bog.

"ON A SUNNY NOVEMBER MORNING, AN ENTHUSIASTIC GROUP OF 20 PEOPLE FROM NEAR AND FAR GATHERED TO SPEND THE DAY CUTTING AND CLEARING THE DENSE EVERGREEN RHODODENDRON AS WELL AS DOING SOME POLLINATOR VEGETATION MANAGEMENT.” Our group of 20 people spent a November

day cutting and clearing the dense evergreen rhododendron at Abbeyleix Bog

eaders may well be aware of the Abbeyleix Bog Project, as it has featured in this magazine before as well as drawing national attention through a Presidential visit in 2017 and its recent success in the National Lottery Good Causes Awards. For this issue’s On Location article, we visited the site to help out with one of their practical conservation days. The Abbeyleix Bog Project started as a community local action group, which formed to save a local raised bog from destruction for peat moss. Since then, the project has not only protected the bog, but has carried out habitat restoration and invasive species control as well as added popular recreational facilities such as a bog boardwalk. This allows locals and visitors to get right out onto the bog without treading on its ecologically sensitive, and very wet, surface. Along the way, the Abbeyleix Bog Project has engaged with other NGOs to gain and share skills and expertise, one such group is our very own Laois Offaly IWT Branch. Our Laois Offaly Branch has supported the project in a number of different ways over the years, but on this occasion, we teamed up with the Abbeyleix gang to work on clearing rhododendron infestation from the beautiful bog 36

 Our group rewarding themselves

after a hard day’s work

woodland found onsite. The group was also joined by the conservation organisation Groundwork. The people at Groundwork have great skills and experience in rhododendron clearance from woodlands, which they have honed over 30 years of fighting the rhododendron infestation within Killarney National Park. They have been kind enough to share these skills with the Abbeyleix Bog Project. On a sunny november morning, an enthusiastic group of 20 people from near and far gathered to spend the day cutting and clearing the dense evergreen rhododendron as well as doing some pollinator vegetation management.. Nothing feels better on a crisp winter’s morning than warming up with some outdoor exercise amongst nature. Under the thin canopy of birch trees as I cut and dragged the twisting stems of this invasive plant, it felt good to know that all those calories I was burning

were going toward restoring a native habitat. Rhododendron is an invasive species of plant that was introduced to the great houses of Ireland and escaped into the wild, where it will choke a woodland in a dense labyrinth of stems, blocking light and preventing all native plant regeneration. An unchecked infestation will be the death knell of any native woodland. Removal is very hard work, but it is worthwhile and necessary if we are to protect our remaining native woodlands. With help from local volunteers, Groundwork and our Laois Offaly Branch, the Abbeyleix Bog Project is making great progress in clearing its patch of woods from this invasive plant. To see volunteers and multiple NGOs come together to fix this problem was truly uplifting. This model of community and national NGOs working together to protect our woodland from rhododendron is a model for success, which we hope to see replicated across the country. The Irish Wildlife Trust has long been associated with Groundwork, and we will do our best to support them in their goal of saving Irish native woodland from a gradual and sad decline under a blanket of rhododendron. Abbeyleix Bog is located just south of Abbeyleix town with access from the back of the Manor Hotel car park. The site has pathways, boardwalks and educational signage and is well worth a visit. For more information on future practical volunteering events, see the Abbeyleix Bog and IWT Laois Offaly Branch Facebook pages.

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Ag Méadú Eolas Muirí Ag Soláthair Seirbhísí Mara Building Ocean Knowledge Delivering Ocean Services

www.marine.ie

Introducing the new Irish Wildlife Trust membership card. Please fill in your name, cut out and keep your new membership card to present at talks and other events. Cards valid until end of 2020. Your 2021 card will be printed in our 2020 winter issue.

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Membership Card 2020

Individual members, please fill in your full name. Family members, please fill in your family name. Card valid until end of 2020. Your 2021 card will be printed in our 2020 winter issue. © Irish Wildlife Trust 2019.

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