Irish Wildlife Trust Autumn 2014

issn - 1649 - 5705 • AUTUMN ‘14

Irish Magazine of the Irish Wildlife Trust

Ireland’s

sit bie ldl fe w

magazine

Natural Capital Dublin’s UNESCO Biosphere Reserve

Spotted in Ireland:

•Ladybirds •Starlings •Spotted Orchids

Starfish

Common ragwort

Ireland’s Uplands

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lte

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HERITAGE IN SCHOOLS SCHEME

A VISION FOR EDUCATION A FOCUS FOR PUPILS Heritage in Schools Scheme: How it works

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Log on to the dedicated website www.heritageinschools.ie for full details of specialists and online booking system

We are delighted to announce that the Heritage in Schools scheme has re-opened under the direct administration of the Heritage Council.

• • •

The Heritage in School scheme is unique in Ireland and provides a panel of over 165 diverse Heritage Specialists who work directly with children in primary schools throughout the country, at the request of the school. In 2013 just over 1,334 visits were made with over 74,941 children enjoying and benefitting from these visits, experiencing the cultural, natural and social heritage that is all around them.

Heritage Experts offer a variety of expertise including birds and their habitats, tapestry, work horses, bees, flowers and pollination, biodiversity, capturing heritage using film and podcasting technology, creating school gardens, Ireland in the 1950s, our built environment, marine habitats, weaving and many more.

Experts usually conduct their visits in or close to their own county, although many are prepared to travel.

If you have never used the scheme and would like to find out more, go to our website at

www.heritageinschools.ie

A visit can be a half day or a full day duration A small fee is paid by the school for the visit Teachers are always present during a visit

Heritage in Schools Administrator The Heritage Council, Church Lane, Kilkenny Email: heritageinschools@heritagecouncil.ie Tel: 056 7770777

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Sustainability

by Coillte

18/8/14 15:50:45

Coillte’s stewardship of Irish landscapes and ancient treasures is invaluable. We preserve and promote our shared natural heritage such as the newly opened Cavan Burren Park.

Nature, Biodiversity and Cultural Heritage, delivered by Coillte have a combined Public Goods value of over €500 million.

Innovation

Coillte. Treesby areCoillte just the start of it.

Exports

by Coillte

Cherishing the invaluable. Protecting the irreplaceable.

Delivering for everyone.

The Calf House The Cavan Burren – A Prehistoric Park Blacklion, Country Cavan.

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OBC_IWT ADVERT.indd 1

20/8/14 09:47:29

2/9/14 09:55:04

Welcome

Chairperson’s Comment The great naturalist and conservationist Gerald Durrell once said that “a naturalist is lucky in two respects. First, he enjoys every bit of the world about him and has a much more enriched life than someone who is not interested in nature. Second, he can indulge his hobby in any place at any time, for a naturalist will be fascinated to watch nature struggling to exist in the midst of a great city as well as observe its riotous splendour in a tropical forest. He can be equally interested and moved by the great herds on the African plains or by earwigs in his back garden.” It is a sentiment that we in the IWT share (apart from his exclusion of the female gender in his statement!), that nature is everywhere for us to be enjoyed, cherished and protected. I recently witnessed both the tenacity and pioneering spirit of nature when sitting on the upper level of a double decker bus in Dublin. My route went past two vacant lots in the city centre where buildings had been demolished and had been left alone and hidden by timber barriers during the recession. The first lot had become a large pond, fringed by buddleia, fire weed, sycamore and red valerian complete with a family of mallard ducks, while the second site had become a large area of rough grassland, again fringed by buddleia but also with some willow and an area of greater reed mace in the damper areas. I would have loved to climb into these sites to carry out a full biological survey, and also wondered how they would develop over time if left alone (an unlikely scenario as the economic wheel kicks into gear again).

Cover credit: Sparrowhawk by Andrew Kelly.

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.

Editor: Pádraic Fogarty, IWT Published by Ashville Media Group www.ashville.com

All articles © 2014. 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 cannot be held responsible for any inadvertent errors or omissions contained herein.

However, despite nature’s tenacity, humanity is certainly testing its limits! Scientists now warn that our current trajectory of economic activity and population growth could lead us into the world’s sixth mass extinction event. Time is running out for us to steer away from this catastrophe but we can help make a difference at a local level by protecting our local areas of wildlife habitat.

These areas are going to come under increasing pressure in the future with government targets to increase agricultural productivity, climate change and the introduction of alien species, which is leading to the homogenisation of ecosystems. The IWT needs your support to help combat these issues in Ireland through membership, volunteering and donations.

In this issue of Irish Wildlife I have the pleasure of introducing our new Development Officer, Lorraine Bull. Lorraine has a wealth of experience behind her through her work with the conservation organisation ‘Operation Wallacea’ which carries out research and conservation projects in tropical regions. We very much look forward to working with her to develop the IWT into an organisation that can be effective at international, national and local levels. Mike Rendle writes about an exciting all-Ireland initiative to unite environmental and animal welfare groups under the ‘Team Broc’ banner to try to stop the government badger cull. Barry Kavanagh from our Cavan branch talks about his award-winning wildlife garden displayed at Bloom, and Elaine Dromey tackles the prickly issue of ragwort control. So enjoy the read and remember to pass the magazine on to a friend who might want to join us!

Dr Daniel Buckley Chairperson, Irish Wildlife Trust

contriiButors

Printed on

Ella McSweeney is a broadcaster

Please recycle this copy of Irish Wildlife

on radio and television who works in the area of food, farming and the environment. With a background in zoology, she is currently a postgraduate student in food policy and divides her time between Ireland and New York.

Dr Laila Higgins recently attained her Ph.D. on starfish adhesion from UCD after gaining her primary degree in zoology there. She has always had a keen interest in the natural world, particularly intertidal ecology, and is now looking forward to dedicating her career to the study of our environment.

Irish Wildlife Autumn ‘14

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Contents

Contents 4.

About Us Find out more about the work of IWT and how to get involved.

5. Conservation News All the latest Irish and international conservation news.

8. IWT News What’s been keeping us busy over the summer.

12. EDUCATION

Jenny Quinn outlines the benefits of simply being closer to the earth.

13. Branch Focus The Kerry branch of the IWT paid an interesting visit to Kerry’s Blasket Islands.

14. Wild Ideas Common ragwort can pose a threat to farm animals. However, we should practise caution when discussing its eradication, writes Elaine Dromey.

17. Competition In this issue we have two great new book titles on woodlands and insects to give away.

18. Feature – bUll island biosphere Bull Island is home to myriad species of flora and fauna throughout the year, and is well worth the visit for any nature enthusiast, writes Pat Corrigan, manager of the nature reserve.

22. La Brenne Wetland Haven Gordon D’Arcy examines the La Brenne Natural Regional Park in France and asks if it is a fitting model to protect landscapes and wildlife in Ireland.

24. autumn Focus Changes in the European agri-environment scheme could have a knock-on effect on Irish upland landscapes and wildlife, writes Billy Flynn.

26. Field Report Ella McSweeney ponders Ireland’s eco-attitudes.

28. Over to You A selection of photos and queries from the IWT mailbag.

30. IWT Events Dates for your diary.

32. On Location Dr Laila Higgins on the hidden mysteries of Ireland’s starfish.

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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.

Irish Wildlife is published quarterly by the IWT. Images this page: (above top) a starling New Zealand flax plant on Omey Island, photo by Brendan Fitzpatrick; (above) comon seal, photo by A. Kelly.

Have comments?

Magazine queries, general wildlife questions or observations email: irishwildlife@iwt.ie All other queries email: enquiries@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

The IWT encourages action at a local level and has a number of branches around the country: Cork: Gill, corkbranch@gmail.com Facebook: search for ‘Irish Wildlife Trust – Cork Branch’ Dublin: Roisin, dublinbranch@iwt.ie facebook.com/DublinBranchIrishWildlife Trustdubliniwt.blogspot.ie Waterford: Ray, iwtwaterford@gmail.com irishwildlifetrust.blogspot.ie Cavan: Barry, cavanbranch@iwt.ie www.facebook.com/irishwildlifetrust. branch Sligo: Dolores, iwtsligo@gmail.com Kerry: Pat, iwtkerry@gmail.com www.facebook.com/KerryIWT www.iwtkerry.blogspot.ie Sign up to their monthly newsletter!

Galway: Tom, iwtgalway@gmail.com www.facebook.com/IWTgalwaybranch Longford/Westmeath: Noreen, iwtlongfordwestmeath@gmail.com Facebook: search for ‘Longford/ Westmeath Irish Wildlife Trust Branch’ Laois/Offaly: Ricky, iwtlaoisoffaly@gmail.com www.facebook.com/IWTlaoisoffalybranch

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: •M ake a one-off donation to the IWT. •G ive IWT membership as a gift.

•V olunteer – 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.

•D o 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

Irish Wildlife Autumn ‘14

conservation news

conservation

NEWS Dr Daniel Buckley keeps us up-to-date on conservation news from Ireland and across the globe. irish news

Death of thirteen pilot whales on Donegal beach In July, 13 long-finned pilot whales became beached in Falcarragh, Co. Donegal. Despite attempts to refloat some of them, all of the animals eventually died. The episode garnered a lot of publicity and witnesses to it were quite distressed, re-igniting the debate about what is to be done about whale and dolphin strandings.

Should we leave them alone or intervene? The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group has called for the State to have a cohesive strategy for strandings and for the National Parks and Wildlife Service to have responsibility for acting on these events.

Bumblebee species seen for the first time in Ireland for 88 years

5White-tailed eagle. Photo: Valerie O’Sullivan.

Mountshannon eagle chick fledges Following the tragic news that one of the first white-tailed sea eagle chicks to be born in Ireland in over 100 years was shot dead in Co. Tipperary, it is heartening to hear that the same eagle pair on Lough Derg successfully raised a female chick in 2014. The Mountshannon couple was the only pair to successfully raise any young among a small number of eagle pairs in the founding Irish population. The Golden Eagle Trust has placed a satellite tag on the chick to keep track of its movements over the coming months and hopefully she will avoid the perils of her late elder brother. The tourism potential of white-tailed eagles (they already bring in big bucks in Scotland) has begun to be realised in Mountshannon, where a viewing and information point has been set up by the Golden Eagle Trust and the local community, and is already seeing a lot of traffic.

The southern cuckoo bumblebee was last recorded near Bagenalstown, Co. Carlow, in 1926 by Arthur Wilson Stelfox, a renowned entomologist working in the National Museum in Dublin at the time. After that it was never seen again until this year when Eddie Hill, a gardener at St Enda’s Park, photographed them while taking part in the National Bumblebee Monitoring Scheme coordinated by the National Biodiversity Data Centre. Like their namesake this bee invades a host bee’s nest, kills the queen, then uses the host workforce to rear its young. Why the species has suddenly made a reappearance after being apparently absent for nearly a century is a mystery but it may be that the scarcity of naturalists able to identify bees and other difficult taxonomic groups may mean that the species is more widespread and is simply being overlooked.

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conservation news

irish news

Archaeologists and wildlife experts have expressed concern over the filming of scenes for the new Star Wars Episode VII film on Skellig Kerry Michael; 5 Skelligs, Co. one of two islands in the Atlantic Ocean, 11.6 km west of the Iveragh Peninsula in Co. Kerry. The island is one of only two UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Ireland (the other being Newgrange, Co. Meath) and is important for its early Christian monastic structures. It supports some of the biggest breeding populations of Manx shearwater and storm petrel in the world. Other seabird species breeding on Skellig Michael include fulmar, kittiwake, guillemot and puffin. BirdWatch Ireland has expressed concern over potential disturbance to the breeding birds. The Irish Film Board stated that permission was granted for the filming by the National Parks and Wildlife Service. However, there is potential for conflict of interest given that both bodies are under the responsibility of the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (formerly Jimmy Deenihan and now Heather Humphries). UNESCO have expressed concern over the issue and have requested further information on the filming activities.

Irish hedgerows could help in the fight against human mediated climate change Modern light detection and ranging technology has quantified the hedgerow network in Ireland and has also calculated the carbon storing potential of this vital habitat. Hedgerows are a man-made habitat and often act as linear woodland in an island where native woodland covers only one per cent of the land mass. It is currently estimated that Ireland has in the region of 428,000 hectares of hedgerow woodland and scrub throughout the country. A new report by the Environment Protection Agency estimates that hedgerows and non-forest woodlands have the potential to take up to 3.3 tonnes of carbon dioxide per hectare out of Ireland’s atmosphere each year.

New study demonstrates the benefits of deer in Irish forests

5 Red deer.

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Long seen as a negative influence on native Irish woodland, due to apparent over-population in some parts of Ireland, a decades-long research project in protected woodlands in Kerry and Wicklow has shown that no deer grazing is as bad as too much for the biodiversity of Irish woodlands. Research started by Professor Daniel Kelly of Trinity College Dublin and now published in the journal of Forest Ecology and Management involved the setting up of ‘exclosures’ (i.e. areas where deer were excluded) within woodlands. The floral diversity was then monitored both inside and outside the fence for the next 40 years. The research found that plant diversity declined over time within the exclosures as certain plants such as holly became dominant. The study highlights the important role that grazers have in ecosystems but also highlights the conservation challenge of managing them in an environment where their predators are extinct.

conservation news

international news

5 Hen harrier. Photo: M. Brown.

Shooting Industry in England calls for hen harrier recovery plan The habitat is there, the food is there and yet the birds aren’t there. England’s hen harriers have not been doing well and there were just two failed breeding attempts in 2013. This year has been more successful with eleven chicks fledged, but the population should be much larger than this. Conservationists have suspected for years that the grouse shooting industry has hampered a population recovery due to illegal persecution. Things have become so bad that a former conservation director of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has started an e-petition calling on a ban of driven grouse shooting. In response to this negative publicity, a number of game and shooting organisations have called on the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in the UK (DEFRA) to publish their hen harrier recovery plan that they claim will allow hen harriers and grouse shooting to co-exist.

New species of dolphin discovered in Australia It is always surprising when new species are discovered in large and charismatic animal groups. Only a few years ago the African elephant was split into two species; the savannah and forest elephant. Now scientists conducting a review of humpbacked dolphins have identified a new species located between Australia and New Guinea and has been named Sousa sahulensis. The new species is closely related to the Atlantic humpback dolphin (S. teuszii), the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (S. chinensis), and the Indian Ocean humpback dolphin (S. plumbea). Now that conservationists know how many species of humpbacked dolphin are out there, detailed conservation plans need to be developed for each species.

“Humpback dolphins throughout their range are threatened with fisheries interactions, vessel impacts, and development in their coastal habitats.

Efforts to protect humpback dolphins and other coastal dolphins, and their most important habitats, are essential for the survival of these species,” stated Dr. Rosenbaum, Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Ocean Giants programme.

Conservation gets controversial in efforts to halt biodiversity loss Scientists currently warn that given our current trajectory, human activities are leading towards the sixth mass extinction on our planet. Scientists at the Univeristy of Otago in New Zealand have stated that conservation will need to become increasingly radical if this is to be avoided. Professor Philip Seddon stated: “having self-sustaining wildlife populations within pristine landscapes untouched by human influence is increasingly unobtainable.” They instead suggest that creating ‘wildness’ rather

than restoring ‘wilderness’ is the most practical way forward. This involves interventionist activities such as the reintroduction of extinct species into their former range (a common practice) but also the assisted movement of species to areas outside their natural range. This is a common conservation tool in Australia and New Zealand where endangered birds and mammals are translocated to off-shore islands, out of the reach of introduced predators and competitors. But the most controversial

proposal is the introduction of exotic species into ecosystems to act as surrogates for an extinct species that carried out a certain ecological role. This has been done in Hawaii where a nonnative tortoise was introduced to carry out a similar grazing regime of an extinct bird. Scientists in Europe are currently trying to back-breed domestic cattle to create a breed that fulfils the ecological function of the extinct aurochs.

Keep up-to-date on all the latest news from the Irish Wildlife Trust on www.iwt.ie Irish Wildlife Autumn ‘14

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IWT News

NEWS

Irish Wildlife Trust Bloom Garden 2014:

Our Natural Heritage’ A

quote, people’s blindness to nature and a small space. These are the three things that inspired me to enter this year’s Irish Wildlife Trust awardwinning Bloom garden, entitled ‘Our Natural Heritage’. The quote: “There are always flowers for those who want to see them,” by the famous French artist Henri Matisse.

It rings true when you observe people’s blinkered disengagement from the natural fabric of our island’s floral heritage, and by including rather that removing these plants, our gardens’ environment could be so much richer.

The small space – 2m x 3m – allowed me to showcase the possibility that no matter what size your space might be, you can still have a multitude of life-filled habitats, brimming with colour, movement and

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interest that can awaken even the most subdued of senses.

The subject matter was a patchwork of natural habitats that blended seamlessly together as they would in the wild. They consisted of a pond with our native flag iris iris pseudacorus; a wetland meadow using flora such as water avens Geum rivale, marsh marigold Caltha palustris and ragged robin Silene (formerly Lychnis) flos-cuculi; a woodland with a beautiful and very feminine weeping birch Betula pendula, under-planted with native ferns. There was a species-rich meadow which included a very old and exquisitely beautiful quaking grass Briza media and yellow rattle Rhinanthus minor, and a path with planting that reflected the limestone habitats throughout Ireland. The combination worked effortlessly with visitors disbelieving that we

By Barry Kavanagh

were allocated just one day to create a garden that looked as if it were there an age.

This is a reflection of the time and sweat our volunteers gave to the garden, with special mention to Ray Hardie, Eilish McGowan, Ken Taaffe, AnneMarie Browne, to Carmel O’Callaghan for her artistry and Trevor Sweeney for his beautiful woodcarving.

I would further like to mention that the garden has a life post-Bloom as we have teamed up with our local Rehab centre to relocate the garden for the use of their service users which they were absolutely delighted to receive! Finally, such a success was the garden – winning best postcard garden in show – that the show organisers have since personally requested that we partake in Bloom 2015.

IWT News

Team Broc

campaigning for an evidence-led bovine TB strategy in Ireland

By Mike Rendle

L

ast month, several leading Irish wildlife conservation and animal protection groups met in Dublin to discuss the continuing cull of badgers in Ireland. The badger cull, administered by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and funded wholly by the Irish tax-payer, has been responsible for the snaring and death of around 100,000 badgers to-date. The DAFM states that it “believes” that the culling of badgers has contributed to control of TB. At a staggering annual cost of €3.4 million (2012 figure), Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney claims that this

substantial expenditure is “cost-effective”.

These assertions may seem plausible, if indeed there was evidence to support the government’s case. There isn’t.

It is against this background that groups from all over Ireland, including the Irish Wildlife Trust, met to discuss their concerns about the badger cull – and there are many.

Not least is why the government is persisting with a discredited culling strategy against the most reliable scientific evidence available.

Such is the resolve of the groups that they will now be working together as Team Broc to oppose the badger cull. The name may

//Team Broc plans to challenge the current failed badger culling policy through constructive engagement with bovine TB strategy stakeholders. //

be new, but the groups that make up Team Broc have decades of combined experience protecting Ireland’s wildlife and heritage.

Team Broc plans to challenge the current failed badger culling policy through constructive engagement with bovine TB strategy stakeholders. There is a lot of common ground. We all want to eradicate bovine TB in Ireland and we all recognise the hardship that bovine TB brings to farming families and communities. In the coming weeks and months, Team Broc will be advancing its arguments against badger culling. Our case is not based on opinion or belief; it’s backed by hard evidence and the work of some of the most eminent experts in their fields.

Team Broc’s goal is to bring an end to badger culling and to support an informed and effective strategy to eradicate bovine TB in Ireland. The clock is ticking. Each night, wire snares are set to catch and kill our native badgers – even during the breeding season.

This is happening despite the considerable body of evidence that underpins the Team Broc message: that Ireland’s badgers are “Not Guilty”.

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IWT News

IWT makes submission on

wild boar risk assessment

By Dr Daniel Buckley

T

he controversy over the status of wild boar in Ireland rumbles on, with the latest development being the publication of a risk assessment for the species by Inland Fisheries Ireland and the National Biodiversity Data Centre. This was done as part of a larger review of a number of non-native species by both organisations for the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Commentary on the reviews was invited from the public and interested parties and the IWT submitted a detailed critique of the risk assessment for wild boar and their hybrids.

We took issue with the fact that pure wild boar were selected for review in the first place given its former occurrence here in historical times. The fact that the species may have been an ancient introduction should not be used as justification for invasiveness as any introduction would have occurred very early on in Ireland’s post glacial history and many of our current ‘native’ mammals also share this colonisation history, including species protected under the Wildlife Act. We criticised the use of data from Australia, New Zealand and the USA, where the species was never native, to predict the impact of the species on the Irish environment. The IWT feels that any assessment of the environmental impacts of wild boar in Ireland should only use data from Europe as Ireland lies within this biogeographical region.

We also feel that the continued classification of pure wild boar as an invasive species would hinder or prevent any future official reintroductions. The IWT is against the illegal release of wild boar hybrids/feral pigs. Any reintroduction of wild boar would have to be preceded by a detailed feasibility study and consultation process and only genetically pure wild boar should be selected for release.

The reintroduction of wild boar could have a positive impact on Irish forests by restoring the natural disturbance regime caused by wild boar rooting. However, given the length

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5Wildboar, ink on paper, by G. Gelderen.

of time that boar have been extinct here, studies should be conducted in a controlled situation to investigate the impacts this species would have on Irish ecosystems, particularly their interactions with woodland flora and invasive species, before a reintroduction is even considered. We also accept that wild

boar can have negative economic impacts on human activities through crop damage, rooting of amenity areas, diseases and road traffic accidents and that management of a reintroduced population would be required to minimise these impacts.

IWT News

NEW Recruit We hear from the IWT’s new Development Officer.

Hi, I’m Lorraine and I’ll be starting as the Irish Wildlife Trust’s Development Officer this September. I joined the IWT from working with Operation Wallacea – a conservation research organisation – where I’ve helped secure funding for a research project and worked on conservation projects in Mexico this summer.

Last summer I also worked in Mauritius with the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, learning about the management and development of conservation projects and the dynamics of island conservation. While I’ve gained a lot from my experiences abroad, I’m really looking forward to returning to Ireland and working to raise essential funds for the IWT so that more Irish conservation projects can be developed.

Having worked as Development Officer for the Irish Museum of Modern Art and as a project and financial administrator for environmental and heritage projects in Ireland, I hope to combine my conservation and business skills to develop new funding opportunities with Irish businesses whilst encouraging more members of the public to get involved with our programmes. As a former volunteer with conservation NGOs such as the Irish Seal Sanctuary, Irish Whale and Dolphin Group and IWT, I can appreciate the essential role that volunteers have in conserving our native wildlife. In fact, it was volunteering that inspired me to complete a BA in Natural Science (Zoology) from Trinity College, Dublin and begin working on conservation programmes full time. If you have any ideas or queries on getting involved in the IWT programmes or events you may wish to run, please do get in touch. I look forward to meeting IWT members at our various events soon.

Lorraine

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Education

What on Earth?

Jenny Quinn outlines the benefits of simply being closer to the earth.

T

he first time I heard about the concept of ‘Earthing’ I was practising yoga outdoors, on grass.

After firstly describing the concept and outlining its merits briefly, the yoga teacher mentioned it sporadically throughout the practice. She explained that Earthing refers to being physically connected to the Earth.

This physical connection allows the Earth’s natural electrical energy to be directly transferred to our bodies, which results in great health benefits. So, by simply being barefoot on the grass, we were benefiting from Earthing. She stressed how beneficial it is to practise yoga outdoors whenever possible for this reason.

Although I thought it to be a nice idea, I thought it was just that – a nice idea – and didn’t think much more about it.

However a recent wet and muddy walk in the woods, which forced me to abandon my flimsy footwear, caused me to revisit the concept and research it. I have come to realise that it is much more than a nice idea and is certainly not confined to the realm of yoga. Research shows that when we

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practise Earthing (or Grounding as it’s also known) negatively charged free electrons, which are constantly being supplied on the Earth’s surface, are transferred into the body. Maintaining contact with the ground via bare feet allows your body to naturally receive and become charged with these electrons. This transfer of electrons from the ground neutralises positively charged free radicals in the body that would otherwise steal electrons from healthy tissue, resulting in tissue damage and chronic inflammation (the basis of many common and serious diseases today). In other words, the electrons are the source of powerful antioxidants. Of course antioxidants can be found elsewhere, most notably in foods such as berries, many vegetables, herbs and some oils. It is unsurprising that the concept of Earthing has gained widespread credibility among health professionals.

Obviously it is not a new concept; people have been walking barefoot and benefiting from the Earth’s energy (more than likely unwittingly) for thousands of years. However, in modern times people have become

disconnected from the Earth, mainly by wearing shoes with soles made of nonconductive materials such as plastic and rubber. So Earthing has become something that is being actively researched and promoted as opposed to something that just naturally happened. Of course, the idea of attempting to go back to sleeping on furs on cave floors and abandoning shoes altogether seems a bit ludicrous in this day and age.

However, to benefit from Earthing, we need only take our shoes off every so often, when we go for a walk on a sandy beach or on the dewy grass in the park. Also, it is not only our feet that can absorb the Earth’s nourishing energy – getting our hands dirty with soil while planting, for example, can also connect us.

The most recent research goes as far as suggesting that reconnecting to the Earth may be the missing link in achieving a truly healthy existence for people of all ages, when combined with a balanced diet, sunshine, physical activity, and the minimisation of stress. The key to a truly healthy lifestyle could be right at our feet and fingertips!

Branch focus

Beautiful Blasket This summer the Kerry Branch of IWT paid a visit to Kerry’s Blasket Islands.

By David McCormack

T

he Blasket Islands are the most westerly part of Ireland, lying just off the coast of Kerry and a few kilometres from the picturesque village of Dunquin on the Dingle Peninsula. The islands occupy a special place in Ireland’s heritage, both for their rich literary and cultural history and also for the unparalleled natural heritage and biodiversity present.

Uninhabited since the last of the islanders relocated to the mainland in 1953, the islands now play host to an astonishing diversity of plant and animal species, and are of particular importance to breeding seabirds, which can remain in their colonies largely undisturbed by human or animal predators.

Despite their tiny size and population, the Blaskets produced three Irish writers of note: Tomás Ó Criomhthain, Peig Sayers and Muiris Ó Súilleabháin. Writing in the 1920s and 1930s in their native Irish, they brought their stories on these remote islands on the edge of Europe to life in their work, which has since been translated into many languages. After the population had dwindled through emigration down to only 22 people, the government decided to evacuate the remaining population on November 17, 1953.

Wildlife The rich waters around the Blaskets are home to a wide variety of marine creatures.

Bottlenose dolphins, minke whales and harbour porpoises are not uncommon sights during the summer, and the spring plankton blooms bring great numbers of basking sharks to the area in April and May. The islands are a mecca for grey seals – up to 1,000 can be found hauled up on the beach on Great Blasket island and in late summer and early autumn seals come from all over the British Isles to breed on the gravel beaches of Beginish. The islands are particularly known as breeding colonies for several ocean-going avian species, particularly the Manx shearwater, European storm petrel and northern fulmar, birds which spend their entire lives far out in the ocean, only returning to land to breed. Inishvickillaun, Inisnabro and Tearaght have summer breeding populations of puffins, razorbills and guillemots on their steep cliffs, and Beginish is home to a small population of breeding Arctic tern. Thankfully there are very few mammalian predators such as rats to be found here; although small numbers of invasive mink have been trapped here in the past, thus far the bird colonies seem to

be safe from disturbance. As a precautionary measure, most boats which come to the Blaskets do not berth on the islands; rather they offload their cargo and passengers into small inflatable tenders which come ashore, reducing the risk of accidentally bringing unwanted visitors to these beautiful and fragile ecosystems.

To visit The Blasket Princess runs whale, dolphin and seabird watching tours around the islands as well as a walk across Great Blasket Island departing from Ventry daily. Skipper Mick Sheeran is a native of the Blasket area, and together with wildlife guide Britta Wilkens provided us with a wealth of knowledge about the islands and their inhabitants during our hugely enjoyable outing in July. For further information visit www.marinetours.ie

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Wild Ideas

The great ragwort debate Common ragwort can pose a threat to farm animals, however we should practice caution when discussing its eradication, writes Elaine Dromey.

T

he Irish Wildlife Trust posted an article published by Buglife (a UK organisation dedicated to the conservation of invertebrates) entitled ‘Think before you pull Ragwort’ on their Facebook page in July of this year. The article generated 100 shares and some rather robust debate!

Common Ragwort Ragwort is the name given to a group of yellow-flowered plants belonging to the Asteraceae or daisy family which includes the common ragwort. Common ragwort is found throughout Ireland in a range of habitats including agricultural pasture. Other ragwort

species found in Ireland are marsh ragwort (Senecio aquaticus), hoary ragwort (Senecio erucifolius) and Oxford ragwort (Senecio squalidus).

Common ragwort is the only one listed as a noxious weed.

Common ragwort is a plant feared by farmers and horse owners in particular as it is considered to be toxic to grazing animals such as cattle, sheep and horses. The plant contains toxins called pyrrolizidine alkaloids which can cause liver poisoning. However in most cases it is unlikely the animals will eat it when growing, unless they are particularly short of food, as the plant is bitter tasting and unpleasant. The real danger to such animals comes when hay or

//The real danger to such animals comes when hay or silage is cut from fields containing ragwort, as the drying out process removes the bitter taste but not the poison.// 14

Irish Wildlife Autumn ‘14

Wild Ideas

6Photo: Allan Hopkins.

silage is cut from fields containing ragwort, as the drying out process removes the bitter taste but not the poison. There is also a commonly held fear that the wind-dispersed seeds of common ragwort spread to adjacent lands that may be used for grazing. However, Buglife cite a study that showed only 0.5 per cent became airborne and that only a tiny fraction reached 40m from the parent plant.

Insect Importance It is most important to highlight the importance of common ragwort to insects. 77 insect species have been recorded eating common ragwort leaves in the UK with at least 30 species of insect entirely reliant on common ragwort, about a third of these insects are scarce or rare. Here the National Roads Authority (NRA) in their 2010 publication ‘Management of Noxious Weeds and Non-Native Invasive Plant Species on National Road Schemes’ also highlights that, as a native species, noxious weeds are part of our natural biodiversity and are utilised by a range of invertebrate and bird species. The NRA rather sensibly points out that the management objective

//Common ragwort is a plant feared by farmers and horse owners in particular as it is considered to be toxic to grazing animals such as cattle, sheep and horses.// for these native species should be control and not complete eradication in order to prevent them from dominating road verges and thus becoming major reservoirs from which surrounding land may become infested. The UK-based charity Plantlife in their 2011 ‘Position Statement On Ragwort Control In The UK’ broadly reflects the stance taken

by Buglife and also suggests that

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Wild Ideas

5 Common blue butterfly on ragwort.

investing in the prevention of infestations through good pasture management rather than widespread herbicide application is the desired way to manage common ragwort.

At least 15 of the UK insect species listed as reliant on common ragwort occur in Ireland. This would indicate that there are somewhere between 25 and 40 insects that rely on, or feed on, common ragwort in Ireland. The most commonly recognised of these is probably the cinnabar moth caterpillar which is easily recognisable through its jet black and orange-yellow striped colouring. This species

16

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lays its eggs in large batches on common ragwort and the larvae feed on the underneath of the ragwort leaves, absorbing the toxic and bitter tasting alkaloid substances from the food plant, making them unpalatable to predators. The bright colours of the larvae and the moths act as warning signs, so they are seldom eaten by predators. If we were to apply the Noxious Weeds Act as it is written, the cinnabar moth, along with other species using common ragwort as a food source, would also be eradicated.

This Act of 1936 clearly needs review as does the

5Common ragworth growing wild on Cape Clear

Island, Co Cork. Photo: Peter Gorman via Flickr.

approach taken by those using the land for grazing animals.

Common ragwort is a native plant species and plays an important part in supporting insect populations, and perhaps it would indeed be worth people ‘thinking before pulling’. The appropriate approach to management of common ragwort seems to be limited. However, appropriate control of the plant would involve reducing or removing the risk to animals in areas which are used for grazing while allowing it to flourish on roadside verges and areas of land where it does not pose a risk to livestock.

More information is available at: www.plantlife.org.uk/ uploads/documents/ Ragwort_Position_ statement_FINAL_ PUBLIC_July07.pdf www.buglife.org.uk/sites/ default/files/Ragwort.pdf www.teagasc.ie/ horticulture/advisory/ vegetable/ragwort.asp

n o i t i t e p m Co

competition

The wildlife fan in Ireland has had a lot to be cheerful about over the past few years with a plethora of books and television programmes celebrating our natural heritage. Lucky for us the bonanza continues! In this issue we have two great new book titles just for you, our beloved readers.

The Woods of Ireland: A History, 700–1800 by Nigel Everett.

The accepted view of Irish woodlands is that Ireland was covered in trees until the English came and chopped them down. While admirable in its brevity, this interpretation is inadequate regarding the actual management of Irish forests from the later Gaelic era to the close of the 18th century. The author focuses on the fundamentally pragmatic and commercial view of trees adopted by much of Gaelic civilization, and the attempts of the various Anglo-Irish administrations to introduce more conservative woodland practices. By the late 17th century, the re-afforestation of Ireland had become a paramount badge of respectability for Irish landowners, and gave rise to a distinctive body of landscape design and painting, exemplified by the works of Thomas Roberts and William Ashford.

Nigel Everett is an independent historian specialising in English and Irish landscapes.

Available now! Hardback. 352pp; with colour illustrations.

Retail Price: €50 www.fourcourtspress.ie

Insects of Ireland: An Illustrated Introduction to Ireland’s Common Insect Groups by Stephen McCormack and Eugenie Regan. Illustrations

by Chris Shields.

This colourful and compact guide is laid out in a user-friendly fashion enabling novice entomologists and anyone interested in Irish wildlife to recognise these miniature marvels. It includes up-to-date information, with distribution maps and notes on life history, habitat and season, on all Irish species of butterflies, bumblebees, dragonflies, ladybirds, grasshoppers and shield bugs. The authors have also included a glossary and some very useful tips on gardening for insects, such as ‘create a bug hotel’, ‘create a mini wildflower meadow’ and ‘avoid insecticides and pesticides’.

To be in with a chance to win one of these prizes, just answer the following question:

How many species of ragwort can be found in Ireland?

Send your answer, name and address and the prize you would prefer to irishwildlife@iwt.ie before November 1st.

Summer Issue Winners:

In our summer issue we gave our members the chance to win a copy of the beautiful and handily sized Dragonflies and Damselflies of Ireland or an original painting from the innovative Endangered Dave (see his Facebook page or follow him on Twitter).

Our lucky winners correctly told us that the IWT launched a citizen science survey of ladybirds earlier this year. The Dragonfly book is going to Letizia Cocchiglia, Bray, Co. Wicklow; the image of the humpback whale is going to David Devins, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim; and the image of the barn owl is on its way to Mairi Caughey, Navan, Co. Meath.

Congratulations and thanks to all who entered for your support of the IWT!

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Feature

18

Irish Wildlife Autumn ‘14

Feature

Natural Capital Dublin’s UNESCO biosphere reserve on Bull Island remains a wildlife paradise.

By Pat Corrigan

T

he North Bull Island is only 200 years old and appeared when the North Bull wall was built to create a scour to deepen the navigation channel to Dublin Port. At present the island is 5km long by 1km wide and is still growing in a seaward direction. Owned by Dublin City Council, the island is managed by our parks department as the first UNESCO biosphere reserve in Ireland. The island is protected by legislation both nationally and internationally. Designations include: State Nature Reserve, Scientific Area of Conservation, RAMSAR site, CORINE, Flora Protection Order and Special Protected Area, while there is also a Special Amenity Area Order in place.

Exploration and Identification Once, when asked by a visitor to the Interpretive Centre “How long will it take to see all the island has to offer?” I mused for a moment and answered “a lifetime and more”. That is the wondrous study of ecology! Before you set out to explore the island you would be well advised to pay a visit to the Visitor and Interpretive Centre which operates free of charge. Information on the various habitats is available at the centre and changes by the season. In the

winter – when the flora rests in the sand dunes and tries to hold on for dear life against the winter storms – our migratory birds magically appear on the mudflats, the

//Start by identifying some of the easier species such as the brent geese, shelduck, wigeon, teal and pintail as these are the more colourful birds.// first officially designated bird sanctuary in Ireland, dating back as far as 1931. They arrive in their thousands from countries such as Arctic Canada, Norway, Iceland and Greenland.

Start by identifying some of the easier species such as the brent geese, shelduck, wigeon, teal and pintail as these are the more colourful birds. Then try to identify some Irish Wildlife Autumn ‘14

19

Feature

species of waders which number as many as 30,000. The easiest ones to identify are redshank, greenshank, oystercatcher, golden plover and the knot which, although they are a bit more difficult to identify while on land, cannot be mistaken as they fly in large flocks

5 Common seal. Photo: A. Kelly.

Above: Marsh helleborine

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Irish Wildlife Autumn ‘14

over the mudflats in synchronised formation.

The brent goose has to be the most iconic bird of the Bull with as many as 3,000 overwintering on the island. They begin to arrive in October each year from Polar Bear Pass, which is approximately 1,000 km inside the Arctic Circle, and they stay until the following May. When they arrive they are usually in family groups of seven; two adults and five goslings. As the goslings are so similar in size to the adults, they can only be identified by the bars on their wings. As soon as they alight they waste no time in settling down to feed as they must eat a third of their own body weight for survival each day and even more to build up ‘brown’ or stored fat for their long migration north. When brent geese mate they are faithful to one another for life. Ringing the geese has shown that they can live up to 25 years and the goslings remain with their parents for the first long migration south.

Keep an eye out for the pure white little egret, this bird is a sure benchmark of climate change, arriving in the south of Ireland from southern Europe and North Africa approximately 30 years ago. They have slowly moved northwards and are now successfully breeding on the North Bull Island. Another interesting bird to study on

//The most northern tip of the island is a great place to visit in October/ November. This is the time when the grey seals have their pups and ‘white coats’ can be seen basking in the watery winter sun.// the mudflats is the shelduck with its broad chestnut band present in both male and female. The shelduck is a partial migrant however some remain on the island and nest in disused rabbit burrows. When the chicks hatch out the parents operate a crèche system and it is not unusual to see a shelduck with up to forty chicks waddling behind.

Feature

Sustaining Life Before we leave the mudflats we must look deeper at the ecology of the area and ask ourselves why so many birds come here and what sustains them. Firstly Ireland has a very mild winter climate compared to the birds’ northern range and a mudflat or estuary is the most productive ecosystem on the planet. For instance, some algal mats on the mudflats grow in multiples every twenty minutes and hydrobia, a tiny mud snail, can occur in numbers of 25,000 per square metre. In fact most nutrients produced on the mudflats are carried on the ebbing tide to be used in other coastal habitats along the coast.

The most northern tip of the island is a great place to visit in October/November.

This is the time when the grey seals have their pups and ‘white coats’ can be seen basking in the watery winter sun. The lactation period of a grey seal is about 18-20 days as the fat content of a seal’s milk is approximately 50 per cent, the highest in the animal kingdom. This means the pups can build up the blubber they need for life at sea very quickly. As soon as the pups are weaned the seals mate again. The dominant male or ‘beachmaster’ can have as many as 40 females in his harem and once mating is complete the female will hold a fertilised egg in suspension for approximately three months. This is because the gestation period of a grey seal is nine months, which means they come ashore the following October to

give birth and mate in a tight time frame. Female grey seals live for approximately 45 years and the males for 20 years.

In early spring watch out for the Irish mountain hare or blue hare. Although their numbers have 5Brent declined on the island Geese. they can still be seen early in the morning standing tall on their hind legs boxing each other, hence the saying ‘mad March hare’. This behaviour was thought to be males competing for a mate but recent studies suggest that the aggressor is the female who is fighting off unfit suitors.

Island Flora Now is the time to begin exploring the sand dunes. The plants have survived the harsh winter storms, emerging slowly at first, building to a crescendo by mid-summer using different strategies in the fight for survival. Vetches and clovers which grow in the sand dunes are legumes. Legumes are species of plants which fix atmospheric nitrogen into the soil. Nitrogen is the element used by plants to create green growth for photosynthesis so, in other words, the legumes are enriching the soil that surrounds them, helping to sustain other plant species.

Some of the most stunning flowers in the sand dunes are the orchids. Early purple,

pyramidal, bee, marsh helleborine continuing right up to late summer with autumn lady’s tresses in bloom. Orchids have a different strategy.

They have a symbiotic relationship with fungus present in the soil. The fungus infects the orchid and helps the plant to obtain mineral salts. In turn the orchid provides the fungus with nutrients that it needs to survive.

Another interesting group are the parasitic plants; these include the eye bright with its tiny white flower which feeds on clover and plantain, yellow rattle which is a parasite of grass and broomrape which feeds on gorse and clover. These are just some of the ecological wonders that are to be found on the North Bull Island.

As for all that grass you passed on your journey, was it? If you look a little closer: “Sedges have edges and rushes are round, and grasses have knobbly bits down to the ground!”

DUBLIN UNESCO BIOSPHERE REVIEW AT NORTH BULL ISLAND

by Niall MacCoitir of the IWT’s Dublin Branch The North Bull Island is Dublin’s only biosphere, recognised by UNESCO since 1981 as a site of world importance for its outstanding landscape and biodiversity value. The island is home to a wide variety of wildlife, and is particularly famous for its birdlife and for a wide range of flora including orchids. Dublin City Council manages the island, and as part of that responsibility it is undertaking a review of the biosphere, a process which is done every ten years. As part of the process the City Council has asked a range of NGOs, including the IWT, for their opinions on the management of the island. The consultation had three main aspects: conservation, development and logistics. Conservation is obviously about ensuring that the unique landscape of the island is maintained into the future. Development is about recognising that the island is an amenity for Dubliners that attracts large numbers of visitors, and how best to reconcile this with its natural habitat. Logistics is about the City Council using the island as a resource to provide support for research and education. For example, Bull Island is used at the moment by seven universities and is a national Discover Primary Science Centre for schools.

The consultation with the IWT involved carrying out a survey on our experiences in using the island for our activities, such as walks and bird watching, and how facilities could be improved. Our response was to state our appreciation of the wonderful resource that the island is, and to stress that any new developments, such as refurbishing the rather run down visitors’ centre, would not impact negatively on the wildlife of the island. We also said some bike racks at the centre would be welcome, and might tempt a few visitors away from their cars!

The review is due to be completed in September 2014, and queries on the process can be made to ailsa.doyle@dublincity.ie.

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Exploring Wildlife

La Brenne –

a Wetland Haven Gordon D’Arcy examines France’s La Brenne Natural Regional Park, and the lessons which Ireland’s midlands region can take.

P

eople like the notion of wildness, sacrosanct places beyond the destructive hand of humanity. There is a tendency to consider a man-modified habitat as a ‘lesser place’, less important than a ‘natural’ habitat, thus less worthy of conservation. The reality, of course, is that humanity is an integral part of the picture and man – for good or bad – has left his mark on every habitat type on the planet. We are all too aware of cumulative exploitative damage and often feel powerless to counter it.

Restoring balance Enter habitat restoration: this widespread movement is resolute in its determination to renew abandoned, man-modified, habitats for nature. A striking example is the hundreds of kilometres long ‘Green Belt’, a former ‘nogo’ strip of land that separated East Germany from the West during the Cold War and now a celebrated species-rich linear habitat supporting scarce orchids, myriad raptors and even wolves. As nature gradually takes over in such a place, the resulting biodiversity may be every bit as rich as its unmodified equivalent.

Sometimes nature carries out an amazing rehabilitation job without intervention. One such example is La Brenne, almost in the centre of France. This extraordinary wetland 22

Irish Wildlife Autumn ‘14

was originally created 800 years ago by monks, as a complex of fish ponds for carp. It is thus a site of heritage importance in its own right. Subsequent depopulation and gradual abandonment over the centuries resulted in a natural takeover. Though still used for fish-farming it has developed into a haven for all kinds of wetland wildlife. Now protected under the Ramsar Wetlands Convention and Natura 2000 Habitats Directive, its future looks assured. Most encouraging has been the success of the Parc Naturel Regional designation which has successfully harmonised a remarkably disparate cohort of interests, from fish farming, agriculture, tourism, recreation, education to conservation and even hunting.

This ‘Land of a thousand Lakes’ is in fact a mosaic of disparate ecosystems enclosing an area of more than 1,500sq km – about the size of an Irish county. It encompasses not only the ‘Etangs’ themselves but two major rivers, tracts of deciduous woodland, dry heath, agricultural land of various kinds and dozens of small village communities.

Sanctuary While various species of lizards and snakes can be found if sought, and the rare European terrapin and marsh frogs make their presence known regardless, it is the

wetland birds that are La Brenne’s celebrities.

Unfamiliar and exotic species such as whiskered terns, black-necked grebes, purple herons and greater and little egrets cavort in the open water, while a dozen different warblers sing unseen from surrounding undergrowth and buzzards and black kites soar overhead. The extensive oak and chestnut woods have many species not found in Ireland such as nuthatches and green woodpeckers. Mammals such as wild boar, roe and red deer shelter in the woodland, while myriad rabbits inhabit the outcrops or ‘buttons’ as they are known locally. The marshes provide an important sanctuary for three of Ireland’s lost birds – the bittern (up to 15 booming males), marsh harrier (15-20

Exploring Wildlife

5Lough Boora.

pairs) and cranes. This latter species, though not a breeder, visits La Brenne, often in their thousands, on migration.

Harmony France’s Natural Regional Parks are not national parks in the universally accepted sense. While they cover extensive, topographical entities and are largely rural, they are multi-functional and ‘human inclusive’. The emphasis is on harmonising human activities and enterprise in its nondestructive forms with nature. Naturally this requires serious on-going negotiation and compromise and is clearly not all plain sailing in La Brenne. For example, the increasing population of carp-eating

cormorants, combined with the accidental introduction of colonial molluscs from North America seriously threaten the ancient fishfarming industry and is a live issue in the Etangs. Nevertheless, eco-tourism and an accommodating attitude to nature’s agenda is an integral part of the park’s package.

The network of trails, boardwalks, bird hides and visitor centres is designed with the eco-tourist in mind. Overall, the ecologicallyorientated way of life of La Brenne’s population impressively demonstrates what can be achieved by informed community togetherness.

The harmonisation of the many interests represented in the Burren – agriculture (including ancient winterage practice),

tourism, recreation, conservation and education – reflects the Natural Regional Park ethos. Organisations such as Burren Beo and Burren Connect facilitate this by helping to focus power and responsibility locally. As with La Brenne there are problems in the Burren – landscape takeover by hazel scrub, for instance – but there is also a collective determination to get the balance right in the long term.

Surely our vast midlands region with its man-modified bogland, esker hills and river callows is an obvious candidate for a park styled on the French Natural Regional model. Designation would be the first step but given the chance, nature would do most of the work itself.

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Autumn Focus

Trouble in

The Hills Changes in the European agri-environment scheme could have a knock-on effect on Irish upland landscapes and wildlife, writes Billy Flynn.

T

here’s trouble in the hills. Some of the country’s most iconic landscapes are once again becoming a source of controversy over attitudes to farming and its supports.

Our upland areas, many of which are held in commonage, have long been important refuges for some of our most endangered species.

They have become more important still to red-listed wading species like curlew and golden plover as the lowland habitats, once more commonly associated with them, have declined or disappeared.

Often poorer, less productive lands for farming, our uplands have become vital strongholds for species such as the hen harrier which only a few years ago teetered on the brink of extinction, but are now hanging on. More recently still, the reintroduced raptors depend on these ‘marginal’ lands for foraging, feeding and breeding. Golden and white-tailed eagles and kites may be seen in Irish skies, their offspring disproving the label of ‘unproductive lands’. Without these areas, we would probably never have undertaken the reintroduction programmes, which have proved to be extremely positive overall.

More trouble might be coming their way, though this time the threat is if the management of these lands was to be drastically altered or even abandoned altogether.

GLAS – the Difficulties and Consequences New difficulties in making a living from upland farming hit the agricultural press last month when a group of Irish Farmers Association (IFA) hill farmers wrote an open letter decrying what they saw as a sell-out in the terms of the new agricultural environmental 24

Irish Wildlife Autumn ‘14

subsidy scheme. The Green, Low-carbon, Agri-Environment Scheme (GLAS) was recently (July 2014) announced in detail (it’s the successor to the Rural Environment Protection Scheme, REPS). GLAS will see payments of a maximum of €5,000 made to 50,000 farmers. While there will also be payments of up to €3,400 to farmers in ‘Areas of Natural Constraint’ (ANCs), there are some difficulties with the implementation of the GLAS programme within commonage areas.

These have deep roots, going all the way back to 1998, in fact, with the establishment of the first commonage framework. Arising from this, de-stocking was forced on upland farmers and many lands went under-grazed. The process was reviewed in 2012 and yet more division was caused when minimum and maximum stocking rates were imposed. Now, in order to participate in the GLAS scheme, 50 per cent of the active shareholders on a commonage, or shareholders holding over 50 per cent of the land must sign a collective agreement.

Effectively, this will mean that a farmer’s participation in the scheme will depend on the agreement of his neighbours on stocking rates. It is this that has hill-farmers so exercised. With some larger commonages having over 100 active shareholders, its easy to see why. This will make participation in GLAS impossible for many hill farmers according to Margaret Donnelly, editor at Agriland.ie.

Many commonage and hill farmers will see a cut in their farm payments with the end of REPS. Although up to €2,000 will be made available for farmers undertaking difficult environmental measures, it’s not yet clear who’ll be eligible and what will be required. Many hill farmers believe that what was already a precarious living is about to

Autumn Focus

5 Sligo uplands, a Special Area of Conservation. Photo: P. Fogarty.

get harder. They feel that the government and their own IFA has not properly considered this.

A possible consequence might be an end to the farming of many of these areas of marginal land entirely. According to Lorcán O’Toole of the Golden Eagle Trust, the removal of these areas from farming might result in the an abandonment of the commonage and the management practices which are currently so favourable to many species. In addition to the reintroduced raptors, other redlisters (species of high conservation concern) such as the red grouse and hen harrier could be very adversely affected. What then for the hillsides and mountaintops? While wind-turbines may be seen by some as a blight on the landscape, they might be nothing when compared to afforestation of unfarmed lands.

Along with the depopulation of more remote rural areas come a number of social and economic problems. These include ageing communities more vulnerable to crime, closure of local businesses and a diminution of rural transport facilities. Surely there must be a way that agricultural supports can allow communities to be viable while maintaining protected areas. Lorcán O’Toole believes so. “Are we trying to create bigger ‘people-free zones’ or can we envisage a future for wildlife within our current human settlement patterns? There are several disturbing perceptions amongst some stakeholders that need to be challenged. However, such exemplary projects as Burren LIFE have a national profile that ably demonstrates the role of small marginal farmers in delivering wildlife benefits and natural capital.”

Real Value We don’t depend on hill farms for sheep but we do depend on wellmanaged hillsides and mountains for a range of ‘services’ of which we may rarely think. These include flood management, carbon sequestration and biodiversity. While it is difficult (and some may argue undesirable) to put an economic value on the benefits provided by the landscape in its currently managed form, Fáilte Ireland are emphatic about the significance of the landscape to our overseas tourism numbers.

Should we not, therefore, value our hills and mountains as amenity and biodiversity areas as well as lands for farming? While readers of Irish Wildlife might place a priority on protected species, should we be seeking protected landscapes too? While farmed areas are assigned a fixed monetary value, can payments be coupled to their biodiversity or landscape value? O’Toole wonders whether we could also focus on the state-owned lands (15 per cent of the country) and the role they can play in recreating small pockets of ‘wilderness’, and the real economic role they could play in weaker tourism locations.

Past attempts to maximise output from marginal lands have proved to be challenging, in part because of a narrow focus on economics.

Unless our future policies reflect the value we place on biodiversity we could face a future in which abandonment of our hill farms precipitates some very undesirable consequences. Our uplands could be put to alternative uses that might offer some narrow economic advantage, but could be disastrous for the species which they currently support.

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Field report

Ireland’s

Environmental

ETHOS

By Ella McSweeney

A

few years ago, I presented a radio series on the environment called ‘The Green Light’ which took me to all parts of Ireland. On my journey home from Kerry after a long day recording, I paid a quick visit to a friend. I told him I spent the day in Cascade Wood, an ancient woodland outside Ballyvourney. A proposed 26

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(and much-requested) bypass had been re-routed to ensure that the woodland and its inhabitants, including the rare Kerry slug, were spared from damage. My friend rolled his eyes. “That was a crazy decision.

Environmentalists are always whinging, telling us we shouldn’t do this, or that.

Stopping a vital road because of a slug? It’s

just mad.”

He had a point. The row over Cascade Wood was an example of how to turn the public against the environmental cause. Instead of making a strong, positive argument in favour of keeping one of the rare ancient woodlands left in the country – and linking this with our own

Field report

5 Autumn leaves and (inset) the Kerry slug, by P. Fogarty.

well-being, along with that of the wood itself – environmentalists focused on the negative: the road will kill slugs, and they’re protected, so don’t do it. Up close, the Kerry slug is a mighty sight, and its protected status helped save the day. But assuming that the best way to get support for a rare woodland was to talk about a littleknown slimy mollusc was a misjudgement.

The mocking headlines wrote themselves.

Why don’t we have a strong national environmental ethos? Ecologist Dr Eanna Ni Lamhna argues that it’s because of our

history. Until 1971, environmental studies were not part of the school curriculum and the legacy is a generation of politicians, civil servants (and journalists) who know very little about the environment. The consequence is that today, we’re the bad boys of the class when it comes to implementing and complying with European environmental law (we’ve been taken to court by the European Commission many times) and climate change is rarely, if ever, on the agenda.

Maybe we take too literally the squeaky

clean, green image we use to sell Ireland abroad. To a certain extent, I can understand this. I spend quite a bit of time in rural, upstate New York and within a week of being away from home, I indulge the dream of small, green fields, clean waterways and rich biodiversity, partly because compared to some parts of America, it feels true. But the facts are clear: in recent times, our environment – specifically, decreasing levels of biodiversity – is under threat.

At the local level, there are countless groups around the country involved in using, enhancing and valuing their environment. People are quick to galvanise when their immediate area is threatened, as the Shell to Sea and anti-pylon campaigns demonstrated. Small groups who use Twitter and other social media apps to spread their message can have a strong impact – as can be seen by the anti-fracking protests today – and it releases them from any dependencies they may have had on the national media to report their concerns.

Yet local activity – so vibrant in Ireland – rarely translates into actions on a national level. The farming lobby could provide inspiration. Since 1922, the Irish State has always attached significance and importance to agriculture and farmers have long held political clout, particularly since the establishment of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association in 1950 and the National Farmers Union (now the IFA) five years later. Successive governments are – understandably – receptive to their interests. Everyone knows how effective the IFA is at getting its opinions heard in Dublin and Brussels, and although in recent times disenchanted voices within the ranks have become more vocal, it has a discipline and focus that is unrivalled. In contrast, environmental lobby groups are more often than not at the periphery of policy influence.

Significant hope may lie with the international treaty known as the Aarhus Convention, which Ireland ratified a few years ago. This inspiring document gives us all a range of environmental rights, such as access to environmental information held by public bodies, public participation in environmental decision-making and access to justice to enforce environmental law.

In realising these rights, Irish people may be able to take an active involvement in the future of our island, for the benefit of everyone, and everything. And that includes the Kerry slug.

Irish Wildlife Autumn ‘14

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MEMBERS’ LETTERS

Over to you It’s been a long, hot summer and our avid readers have been busy spotting wildlife all over the country. We love to get your photos, questions and stories and here are just a few of the dozens that came into us over the past few months.

Cream Spots

Great Find!

Hi, I saw your post on Facebook about how the ‘Killer Ladybirds’ attack our native ladybirds. While picking my son up from soccer camp today (Swords, Co. Dublin), I noticed the below ladybird crawling on my arm. It was slightly smaller than the usual ladybirds. I don’t know too much about ladybirds in general but I thought you might be interested in the picture I took of it.

Kind regards, Suzanne

Hi Suzanne, Yes it is a cream spot ladybird and thankfully not the invasive harlequin. It can be found in deciduous trees and feeds on both aphids and psyllids. It overwinters close to the ground often in leaf litter. It produces one generation per year. It is 4-5mm in size, and has 14 spots.

All the best, IWT

Wonderful Wildflowers Hi IWT, I I thought I’d send you these photos of some wildflower orchids that really They right? that is rare, quite have in my garden. I gather they’re are beautiful and I thought you might like to have a look.

I really enjoy your updates on Facebook. Keep up the good work.

Regards, Fiona Frankland Hi Fiona, many thanks for getting in touch. These are spotted orchids and are not really rare but you won’t find them on intensively farmed land. .

Typically they will be on roadsides or wetlands or low intensity farmland very you’re and ular spectac not That of course doesn’t mean they’re lucky to have them in your garden!

All the best, IWT

28

Irish Wildlife Autumn ‘14

Members’ Letters

Spectacular Starlings Many thanks to Brendan Fitzpatrick for passing on these amazing photos – we thought they were taken on some tropical island! He spotted these starlings feeding on ‘New Zealand flax’ plant on Omey Island back in July.

Tracking the Harlequin Hi IWT, There were lots of ladybird pupae in a nettle patch at the end of the road. These guys look a bit different.

More yellow and bigger. One had about 16 spots, the other only two. There were lots of native seven spotted and two spotted as well but these guys were grouped together. I’d say I counted about 20 but there were probably loads more. Are they harlequin ladybirds?

Thanks, Niamh, Cork Hi Niamh, unfortunately yes, they are. We have added your record to our database which is a part of our ladybird survey. Thanks so much for letting us know!

IWT

Remember, if you have a story, question, or an image you’d like to share with us, or, God forbid, even a complaint, send it to irishwildlife@iwt.ie

Irish Wildlife Autumn ‘14

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IWT Events

Events

From leaf hunts in Cork to nature displays in Laois, there’s plenty to keep you occupied across the country this autumn.

5 Common blue butterfly on ragwort. Right:

Fallow deer. Photo credit: K. Murphy.

What’s happening in GALWAY October Wood Walk Date/time: Sat/Sun October 4/5th Venue: Garryland Wood (near Gort) The Galway Branch is hosting a walk at Garryland Wood on the weekend of October 4/5th, led by the local wildlife ranger. Garryland is part of the Coole/ Garryland nature reserve and includes old woodlands, turloughs, grassland and limestone pavement.

Contact: iwtgalway@gmail.com or keep an eye on Facebook.com/iwtgalwaybranch for details.

What’s happening in Laois/Offaly September

dates TBC), 11am Venue: Abbeyleix Bog, Abbeyleix, Laois, Ireland (meet in Abbeyleix Manor Hotel car park).

Contact: sec.iwtlaoisoffaly@gmail.com Practical conservation work helping to restore and protect natural heritage areas in the midlands.

October Nature Display - Laois Shopping Centre (Wildwatch Week Event) Date/time: Sat 4th October 2014, TBC Venue: Laois Shopping Centre, James Fintan Lawlor Ave, Portlaoise Contact: sec.iwtlaoisoffaly@gmail.com As part of Wildwatch Week we will be displaying a wide range of wildlife and other attractions from the natural world in the Laois Shopping Centre.

Contact: sec.iwtlaoisoffaly@gmail.com or Ricky at (085) 7832545 Experience the joy of our wintering birds in County Offaly. Booking is required.

Call of the Wild Music Festival Date/time: Sat November 29th, 6pm Venue: Lethean, 65 Main St, Portlaoise Contact: sec.iwtlaoisoffaly@gmail.com A feast of music from a number of live bands celebrating the wonders of Ireland’s wildlife. The action kicks off at 6pm. All funds raised will go towards essential equipment and projects run by the IWT Laois Offaly Branch.

For further details and updates on all of the above please follow us Facebook (facebook.com/IWTLaoisOffaly) and email us at sec.iwtlaoisoffaly@gmail.com.

What’s Happening in Cork

Table Quiz Date/time: Fri September 26th, 8pm Venue: Lethean, 65 Main St, Portlaoise Contact: sec.iwtlaoisoffaly@gmail.com Come join us for a table quiz with all sorts of fun rounds to suit everybody. Tables are for 4 people and are €10 per person.

All funds raised will go towards essential equipment and projects run by the IWT Laois Offaly Branch.

Conservation Volunteer Work Day Date/time: September 27th (Oct & Nov 30

Irish Wildlife Autumn ‘14

Deer Rut Watch Date/time: Sun 19th October 2014, 5-8pm Venue: Banagher Callows, Offaly, Ireland.

Contact: sec.iwtlaoisoffaly@gmail.com or Ricky at (085) 7832545 Enjoy the wildlife spectacle that is the annual deer rut. Booking is required.

November Winter Bird Bonanza Date/time: Sun November 23rd, 10.30am Venue: Banagher Callows, Offaly

September Beaumont Quarry Clean-up Date/time: Sat September 13th, 10.30am Venue: Beaumont Quarry Meeting place: By SPAR on Beaumont Drive / #202 bus stop at 10.30am. This event will run to 1pm. Clothing worn at this event should be suitable for the outdoors, take in to consideration that there may be possibly wet weather. We recommend stout shoes, old clothes,

IWT Events

and rain gear. We will provide gloves, hi-vis vests, bags and litter pickers.

This is a fun event whilst at the same time helping to manage this wonderful site. For any further queries contact Jo Goodyear 085-7276738, email: corkbranch@gmail.com Leaf Hunt Date/time: Sun September 21st, 1pm-3pm Location: Regional Park Ballincollig, Cork Leader: Lorna O’Mahony Meeting Place: Bridge at entrance from main carpark Cost: Free, donations welcome This autumn you and your family can learn about the amazing diversity of trees with an Irish Wildlife Trust Leaf Hunt! Ecologist Lorna O’Mahony will lead this event where children of all ages can investigate the undergrowth for fallen leaves, learn what they are and why leaves change colour and fall off trees in autumn, and much much more! For further information or to book,contact Lorna on 0857329374 email lorna.m.omahony@gmail.com

Beaumont Quarry Clean-up Date/time: Sat September 18th, 10.30am Venue: Beaumont Quarry Meet by SPAR on Beaumont Drive / #202 bus stop at 10.30am. This event will run to 1pm. Clothing worn at this event should be suitable for the outdoors, take in to consideration that there may be possibly wet weather. We recommend stout shoes, old clothes, and rain gear. We will provide gloves, hi-vis vests, bags and litter pickers.

This is a fun event whilst at the same time helping to manage this wonderful site. For any further queries contact Jo Goodyear 085-7276738, email: corkbranch@gmail.com November Beaumont Quarry Clean-up Date/time: Sat November 15th, 10.30am

Venue: Beaumont Quarry Meeting place: By SPAR on Beaumont Drive / #202 bus stop at 10.30am. This event will run to 1pm.

Clothing worn at this event should be suitable for the outdoors, take in to consideration that there may be possibly wet weather. We recommend stout shoes, old clothes, and rain gear. We will provide gloves, hi-vis vests, bags and litter pickers.

This is a fun event whilst at the same time helping to manage this wonderful site. For any further queries contact Jo Goodyear 085-7276738, email: corkbranch@gmail.com PLEASE CONTACT THE CORK BRANCH AT CORKBRANCH@GMAIL.COM OR ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE ‘IRISH WILDLIFE TRUST – CORK BRANCH’ FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE ABOVE EVENTS, OR IN CASE OF INCLEMENT WEATHER

Guided Wildlife walk and talk – Preserving Spaces for Nature to Function in a Time of StupefYing Transition Date/time: Sat September 27th Meeting place: At Toonbridge shop carpark, 11am Contact number on the day: Ted Cooke 086 8789891/Isobel Abbott 086-1516391 The walk will be lead by naturalists Kevin Corcoran and Ted Cooke.

Directions to Toonbridge shop carpark from Cork city: Take the N22 toward Macroom, but turn left before Macroom onto the R584 sign-posted for Guagan Barra and also going toward the Gearagh.

After passing the Gearagh, there is a sharp leftward bend in the road at a bridge over the River Toon at Toonsbridge. Cross the bridge and the shop carpark will be on the left hand side of the road after a couple of 100mtrs.

Email isobelabbott@gmail.com to book a place, to give us an idea of numbers, arrange car pooling, or if you have any questions.

Clothing: wellies or waders are essential – this will be very wet and uneven terrain.

Level of fitness: steady on your feet in rough and wet terrain. Bring a packed lunch and drink.

5 Lough Cloghan, County Offaly. Photo:

Carsten Krieger. Above: Hairy wood ant workers with aphids on birch. Photo: John Breen.

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on location

h is f r a t S r a l l e St  A spiny starfish.

Laila Higgins investigates Ireland’s starfish population.

S

tarfish are a well-known though rarely seen marine invertebrate animal native to Ireland. They are echinoderms, meaning ‘spiny-skinned’.

They are star-shaped, typically with five rays (arms) pointing out from a central disc, and they have no head. Despite this, starfish are one of the most important and ferocious predators on the seafloor, feeding mostly on shellfish such as mussels and clams, and are well known to raid lobster pots, eating any unsuspecting crabs or lobsters trapped inside.

They move around using thousands of tiny appendages called tube feet, which resemble suction cups but in fact are not. The tube feet secrete a natural marine adhesive to adhere to the substrate and produce a de-adhesive 32

Irish Wildlife Autumn ‘14

to detach. Considerable research has been undertaken to study this adhesive for biomedical and commercial applications.

In Ireland starfish are more numerous on the west coast than the east. The three most common species are the common starfish, the spiny starfish and the starlet cushion star which can be readily seen at a very low tide after the full or new moon. Small individuals hide under the rocks and in seaweed, and despite their distinctive appearance their camouflage is surprisingly effective. The common starfish is the most prevalent, typically 5-10cm on the lower shore, and up to 60cm in deeper water. They are orange to pink in colour. The spiny starfish is a more intimidating species, named for three rows

 Common starfish locomotory

organs, the tube feet (arrows).

of large white spines running down each of its rays and is grey-green in colour. It can grow to an impressive 1m in deep water. The starlet cushion star is a much smaller species, growing up to 5cm and is grey-green in colour. If you’re handling these animals, keep them submerged in the water and make sure to put them back exactly where you found them.

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