Irish Wildlife Magazine

ISSN - 1649 - 5705 • SPRING ‘16

IRISH MAGAZINE OF THE IRISH WILDLIFE TRUST

REPTILE RESEARCH Ireland’s scaly citizens

IRELAND’S

SIT BIE LDL FE W

MAGAZINE

SPOTTED IN IRELAND: •Stonefly •Kingfisher • Slow worm

CITIZEN SCIENCE

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FIGHTING WILDFIRE

ECOLITERACY

26/02/2016 16:43

Check out our new stock of premium full zip fleeces, high quality T-shirts and range of wildlife books and gifts – perfect for the nature lover in your life.

FLEECES

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Perfect for all outdoor pursuits.

See our full range online at

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If so then please contact us with your sighting.

It will make a vital contribution to our National Reptile Survey.

This year we are once more calling for

Please send your sighting with the

sightings of our native

date, location and a photograph to

viviparous lizard and the

iwtresearch@gmail.com

introduced slow worm.

or see www.iwt.ie/lizard-survey for more details of how to get involved.

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WELCOME

Chairperson’s Comment It is impossible to look back over the last few months without thinking of the heavy rainfall and devastating ooding that has wrea ed havoc across uch of the country this winter and particularly the destruction caused in the areas surrounding the iver hannon. nfortunately particularly in light of the upco ing election the incident has been used by any for political point scoring with widespread calls for the large scale dredging of the syste one of the last and longest undredged rivers in Europe.

Cover credits: Viviparous lizard (photo by Tristan Wilkinson).

Kingfisher (Sean Ronayne) Contents page credits: Grey squirrel (photo by Dave W/Flickr).

Swan in flight (photo by Larry Doherty).

Otter (photo by Mike Brown).

Badger/Caterpillar (photo by A. 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

Printed on

All articles © 2016. 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.

Please recycle this copy of Irish Wildlife

opefully with the publication this year of the five year report hannon atch ent lood is ssess ent and anage ent tudy cooler heads will prevail. In such a low lying and slow oving river all that dredging will do is pass the proble to neighbours downstrea and would need to be constantly re dredged to co bat the silt deposited during every ood event. eaving aside the destruction of the iconic river the tate si ply cannot afford it. Indeed the report calls for an e phasis on soft engineering solutions essentially allowing our depleted forest cover and ravaged wetlands to provide their natural ecosyste services slowing the water and silt running off the land into the river in the first place and offering long ter water storage solutions to buffer ooding as well as providing fantastic and beautiful refuges for any of our vanishing native species. e can only hope. nother solution ay well be one which has been successful in other countries and is discussed further in this issue of the aga ine that of relocating landowners in the worst affected areas and allowing the river do what comes naturally to it na ely to ood. n a ore positive note it was heart war ing to see the public response to the controversial ill to a end the ildlife ct and e tend the hedge cutting and burning seasons even further a ill which has for now been ic ed down the road to the ne t govern ent due to the dissolution of the il last onth. It will al ost certainly be up for debate again shortly thereafter. petition launched by a nu ber of environ ental groups including the I has garnered over signatures at the time of writing since it was launched in mid-January. Ireland may not have much in the way of forest cover but we have thousands of ilo etres of hedgerows a precious and uni ue habitat in the selves vitally i portant to a great deal of our ora and fauna and which provide much-needed corridors and connectivity across a landscape fragmented by agriculture and road infrastructure. It seems that many people from all walks of life appreciate their value and want to see the protected fro har as uch as is possible. inally I have the great pleasure of welco ing for the I . e has been involved with the I has done a brilliant ob with the ational i ard been doing fantastic wor as our evelop ent in lots of e citing pro ects this year

avid c or ic hairperson Irish

ieran lood on board as onservation fficer for a nu ber of years now and ost recently urvey. etween ieran and orraine who has fficer we will have the resources to get involved

ildlife rust

contriiButors ENDA MULLEN is an ecologist who works with the National Parks and Wildlife Service as District Conservation Officer in Wicklow and North Wexford. She has always been passionate about wildlife and has specialised in bats and badgers. Her publications include Foraging Eurasian badgers Meles meles and the presence of cattle in pastures. Do badgers avoid cattle? and The avoidance of farmyards

by European badgers Meles meles in a medium density population.

CIARAN NUGENT is a professional forester and fire management specialist.

He holds a master’s degree in Forest Engineering and Terrain Classification.

Based in Kerry, he is employed by the Department of Agriculture Forest Service and is currently a designated national expert with the European Commission Forest Fires Expert Group and regularly works with European Fire Management Networks. He is also a member of Kerry Branch IWT.

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CONTENTS

Contents 4.

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

5.

CONSERVATION NEWS All the latest Irish and international conservation news.

8.

12.

IWT NEWS

What we’ve been doing over the winter months.

EDUCATION Katy Egan on how ecological literacy should be an essential part of our education system.

13.

BRANCH NEWS The latest updates from IWT branches nationwide.

16.

WILD IDEAS Ciaran Nugent argues for the need to use effective land management practices in order to reduce the threat of wildfire in Ireland.

19.

COMPETITION Once again, we’re offering our readers the chance to win a wonderful new publication!

20.

FEATURE – PROJECT BADGER he adger ro ect has been a ualified success in learning more about the impact of road projects on these much-maligned animals.

24.

EXPLORING WILDLIFE Ireland should look to the Netherlands for inspiration in co bating river ooding writes ordon ’ rcy.

26.

SPRING FOCUS A long-overdue spring has returned, with plenty to observe and record in Ireland’s natural landscape for citizen scientists.

28.

FIELD REPORT Limerick’s wild bees are the subject of a new project, writes Albert Nolan.

30.

OVER TO YOU A selection of letters and photos sent in

by Irish Wildlife Trust members.

32.

ON LOCATION UCD Professor Hugh Feeley discusses his new book which e a ines Ireland’s ubi uitous stone y.

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29/02/2016 09:07

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.

IMAGES THIS PAGE: TOP: Robin (photo by A. Kelly). Featured on the cover of Irish Wildlife winter 2015 edition.

ABOVE: Peacock Butterfly (photo by Mike Brown). Featured on the cover of Irish Wildlife autumn 2015 edition.

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 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.

The IWT encourages action at a local level and has a number of branches around the country: Cork: corkbranch@gmail.com Facebook: search for ‘Irish Wildlife Trust – Cork Branch’ Dublin: Barbara, dublinbranch@iwt.ie facebook.com/DublinBranchIrishWildlife Trust, dubliniwt.blogspot.ie Waterford: Denis Cullen, iwtwaterfordbranch@gmail.com, deniscullen@eircom.net, irishwildlifetrust. blogspot.ie Cavan: cavanbranch@iwt.ie www.facebook.com/irishwildlifetrust. branch Kerry: Pat, iwtkerry@gmail.com www.facebook.com/KerryIWT www.iwtkerry.blogspot.ie Sign up to their monthly newsletter!

Galway: Lenny, iwtgalway@gmail.com www.facebook.com/IWTgalwaybranch Longford/Westmeath: Chris Martin, 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: • 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

CONSERVATION

NEWS Dr Debbi Pedreschi on the latest conservation news from Ireland and further afield.

IRISH NEWS

 Caterpillar of the

6-spotted burnet moth.

Photo: Andrew Kelly

IRISH BIODIVERSITY

under-assessed and under pressure.

The National Biodiversity Data Centre and the National Parks and Wildlife Service recently published Ireland’s first ‘Biodiversity Indicators’ report. Biodiversity indicators tell us the changes taking place in the natural world by providing an overview of the trends in the health of species and their habitats on land and in the sea. The data also provides information on Irish society’s relationship with wildlife protection.

Alarmingly, only five per cent of Ireland’s 31,500 known species have had their conservation status assessed and of these, one fifth are assessed as threatened. However despite this, Ireland is only the fifth country

in Europe to develop a suite of national biodiversity indicators. The report seeks to measure the changes taking place in the natural world, highlighting the many and varied impacts of climate change on habitats and species – many of which are already subject to substantial human-induced pressures. Climate change has never been so evident as in recent years with the unpredictability of the weather and seasons.

Despite this, it is the direct human impacts that appear to be having the most rapid impacts on our wildlife, mostly relating to changing land use. The report identified a set of 87 “indicator species” that are to be used to gauge changes that take place in nature, including butterflies, birds, trees, and fish.

Each species was chosen to reflect the health of the habitats upon which the animals depend, such as bogs, coastal lagoons, and grasslands. Thus far, data gathered on 50 of the 87 indicator species indicate that 60 per cent show inadequate progress in delivering biodiversity conservation.

FRACKING BAN FOR IRELAND?  Activists

protest fracking outside Gov. Cuomo’s office, New York. Photo Adam Welz/ CREDO.

The Environmental Pillar, of which the Irish Wildlife Trust is a member, has welcomed the introduction of a Bill to ban fracking in Ireland developed jointly by An Taisce, Friends of the Earth, and Dáil Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett. The proposed law would prohibit the use of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in the exploration or extraction of oil and gas in Ireland and Irish seas. Furthermore it will also make disposal of fracking waste in Ireland illegal. Calls for the banning of fracking are in response to reports of severe environmental and human health issues in other parts of the world, including the contamination of rivers, lakes and drinking water, and amid concerns of the effects these impacts may have on Ireland’s important agricultural and tourism industries. Furthermore the team highlighted the Government’s commitments to cut emissions by up to 95 per cent by 2050 in the face of climate change. The EPA is investigating the possibility of its introduction and its environmental impact.

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CONSERVATION NEWS

IRISH NEWS

 Wet woodland in Killarney National Park

NATIVE TREES AS FLOOD DEFENCE In light of the recent floods throughout the country, flood defences have never been more at the forefront of people’s minds.

There is little doubt that climate change has its part to play, however effects have been exacerbated due to the planting of non-native trees, inappropriate planting models and overgrazing in upland areas. Instead, the planting of native, deep-rooted trees may alleviate floods and provide soil protection along with improving carbon uptake, small farm viability, and biodiversity.

The Pontbren Project, conducted by Bangor University in Wales, established that soil under mixed native trees absorbs water 67 times faster than under grass, with the added benefit of

a slow release to avoid downstream flooding. Interestingly, the project was farmer-led, investigating approaches to sustainable land management in upland areas that are comparable to Ireland. To date, ten farmers have together planted 120,000 trees, whilst receiving no subsidies for this important work.

Furthermore, the group reinstated 26.5km of hedgerows and created 12 ponds, restoring natural wetland sites which act as reservoirs. These processes together help to slow the water in the uplands, which can then be managed in restored river systems, with natural meanders and floodplains that further slow the water flow.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria in our sewers Research funded by the Environmental Protection Agency and carried out by scientists from NUI Galway and University College Dublin has revealed the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in hospital and city sewage. Water quality is threatened by a wide range of impacts and wastewater is considered to be the main source of antimicrobials/antibiotics and antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the environment. The research team found high levels of bacteria resistant to all antibiotics in urban sewage from hospitals and from the general city sewage however, hospital sewage contained bacteria resistant to a number of “newer” antibiotics. Thankfully, the number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria present is reduced greatly by effective wastewater treatment. The risks of people coming in contact with antibiotic-resistant bacteria from swimming in seawater receiving properly treated sewage is considered to be very low.

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CONSERVATION NEWS

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Giant Scottish Worms!

A population of common earthworms on the Isle of Rum, off the coast of Scotland, has been found to be three times the size of the worms found on the mainland, measuring up to 40cm long and weighing a whopping 12.5g. Experts from the Earthworm Research Group in the University of Central Lancashire, who have been studying the worms since 1995, believe they managed to reach this size due to their undisturbed and isolated location. The Isle of Rum is home to only around 30 people and there are also very few natural worm predators present. When left undisturbed, earthworms can continue to grow throughout their lives and so with little or no predators, they can grow to these huge sizes. The area in which they have made their home also possesses rich and fertile soils with a crumbly structure – providing them with the perfect habitat. Lead researcher Dr Kevin Butt pointed out that worms (of all sizes) are just as important as bees are in pollinating plants, as well as aerating the soil – allowing water to drain and limiting surface erosion. Despite the surprise at having such large worms on a neighbouring isle, these worms are only babies in comparison to those that can be found in Australia – which can reach over two metres!

COP – success or failure?

Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, Leung Chun-ying, revealed plans to ban the domestic ivory trade, announcing that the government will kick-start legislative procedures to ban the import and export of elephant hunting trophies and explore other legislative measures to ensure an effective ban on the import and export of ivory, phasing out the local ivory trade.

Additionally, Hong Kong will impose heavier penalties on smuggling and illegal trading of endangered species. The move mirrors public opinion as a recent survey by the University of Hong Kong found that 75 per cent of Hong Kong’s citizens strongly supported a ban on the ivory trade. Conservation agencies are urging that concrete timelines are put in place – implementing a complete domestic ivory ban might take years, partially due to the existence of private stocks bought when trade was legal. This public pledge is a major milestone for the protection of elephants, as Hong Kong has historically been a central hub of this market.

Fur not faux |

For many people, the 2015 Conference of the Parties, held in Paris last December, signaled a new hope – all the right words were used, and ambitions seemed high. A historic agreement to combat climate change and unleash actions and investment towards a low carbon, resilient and sustainable future was agreed by 195 nations. They agreed to keep a global temperature rise this century well below two degrees Celsius and to drive efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Furthermore, the agreement aims to provide financial support for actions to manage climate change impacts. However many environmental groups believe it is not strong enough and will not deliver the climate stability it promises – whilst big on ambition, it is small on action, with targets, concrete action and implementations proving elusive, relying instead upon voluntary pledges, woolly text and insufficient financial commitment. The good news is that thousands of people took to the streets, making their presence felt and their message heard. It is likely that people power will be required to make sure our elected officials deliver on their promises, and ensure the ambition is realised.

HONG KONG TO BAN IVORY TRADE

A Canadian politician is working towards using people power via petitions to plug holes in legislation relating to the labelling of clothes as faux fur when actually containing real animal fur from species including rabbits and domestic dogs and cats, often produced as a by-product of the often brutal meat farms in foreign countries. It is believed that large volumes of animal fur have intentionally been mislabelled as faux or synthetic fur for use in jacket trims, boots and glove linings, essentially amounting to consumer fraud and hood-winking unsuspecting consumers. The U.S., European Union and Australia have already prohibited the importation of cat and dog fur.

Keep up-to-date on all the latest news from the Irish Wildlife Trust on www.iwt.ie Irish Wildlife Spring ‘16

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IWT NEWS

IWT NEWS CONIFER PLANTATIONS NOT THE SOLUTION TO CLIMATE MITIGATION

By Pádraic Fogarty, IWT Campaigns Officer.

R

esearch from the prestigious journal Science, published in February, has found that historic European forestry policy has been a net contributor to climate warming despite a large increase in tree cover.

The study, conducted by scientists in the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology in Hamburg, Germany reconstructed European afforestation since 1750 and, while this might have been expected to have reduced the effects of climate change, they found that in fact the opposite was the case.

They found two key factors to be the cause of this anomaly: the lack of carbon storage in leaf litter, soil and dead wood that is absent from managed forests and secondly, the changes to evaporated moisture and reflected heat that have arisen from replacing native broadleaves with plantations of conifers. The authors conclude that “the political imperative to mitigate climate change through afforestation and forest management therefore risks failure, unless it is recognised that not all forestry contributes to climate change mitigation”. The findings are highly relevant in Ireland where the government is planning to offset emissions of greenhouse gases from agriculture (currently the largest source of such emissions) by increasing tree cover. At 11 per cent of land area, Ireland has the lowest level of tree

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A conifer plantation

in Co Laois

cover in the EU, a figure which the State hopes to increase to 18 per cent by 2050.

To date this has been predominantly composed of plantations of non-native conifers and which has been associated

with water pollution, loss of wildlife and landscape impacts (only 1 per cent of our native woodlands remain). The findings of the Science study suggest they have also been bad for climate change.

// THE FINDINGS ARE HIGHLY RELEVANT IN IRELAND WHERE THE GOVERNMENT IS PLANNING TO OFFSET EMISSIONS OF GREENHOUSE GASES FROM AGRICULTURE (CURRENTLY THE LARGEST SOURCE OF SUCH EMISSIONS) BY INCREASING TREE COVER. //

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IWT NEWS

IWT AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

By Joy Davies, IWT Treasurer.

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n 2014/15 three new Acts came into force governing the activities of charities in Ireland – The Charities Act 2009, The Companies Act 2014 and The Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015.

These require that all charities: • Register with the Charities Regulatory Authority (CRA); • Provide information about its aims and objectives; • Name the members of its governing body; • Give details of its income and expenditure, and; • List the activities carried out during the previous year.

This information will be published on the CRA website. By the time you read this, IWT should have completed the registration process.

We also have to comply with the Code of Governance for charities, which emphasises

transparency and accountability. The Code lists the five principles of good governance, and provides a checklist to ensure we are acting in accordance with best practice. The IWT already has many of the necessary policies (child protection, data protection, health and safety, collection of donations, etc.) and is well on the way to completing the full checklist.

Because the IWT is a limited company, it is also subject to The Companies Act 2014. This act rationalises many previous Acts which refer to companies of all types and sizes. The name of the organisation will change from Irish Wildlife Trust Ltd. to Irish Wildlife Trust clg. (company limited by guarantee). The Memorandum of Association and Articles of Association will have to be combined into a single document, a constitution. This will not involve any major changes, but gives us an opportunity to revise the articles if necessary to make them more suitable for the 21st century. The IWT will be fully

compliant with The Companies Act by the time of the next AGM in September.

The Regulation of Lobbying Act requires any organisation with at least one paid employee to register and record its lobbying activities. Lobbying is defined as “any communication by any means (in person, by mail, email, phone, Twitter, social media or press release) with a designated public official with the intention of initiating or changing any policy”. The IWT has registered and submitted its first report on time.

Why is all this red tape necessary? A recent survey showed that only 40 per cent of the public trusts charities. These new laws actually make it easier for charities to demonstrate their commitment to transparency and accountability, and should prevent any repeat of the scandals which caused so much harm to the sector’s reputation. The IWT is fully committed to the principles of transparency and accountability in every aspect of our activities.

WELCOME TO THE TEAM Kieran Flood has joined the IWT team as Conservation Officer.

I

am delighted to be joining the staff of the Irish Wildlife Trust as Conservation Officer. I have always had a fascination with wildlife and the outdoors and am a longstanding IWT member. My interest in the natural world led me to study zoology and conservation biology at university after which I became involved in conservation activities thanks to the IWT. In the past I have had the pleasure of helping run exciting IWT conservation projects such as our nationwide smooth newt survey, as well as numerous events on our network of nature reserves.

I am passionate about the area of

science communication and citizen science. I feel the most effective course we can take to protect our wildlife is a combination of awareness raising and conservation action. Communicating the wonder and value of our natural world and taking action collectively to protect our wildlife are both achievable goals that can make a real difference. A nationwide membership-based Trust like ourselves is perfectly poised to engage in this process, empowering people across the country to join the effort to save our precious wildlife. I am excited about working with the fantastic team at the IWT, and all our members, to achieve meaningful conservation action across Ireland.

Kieran Flood

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IWT NEWS

IWT LAUNCHES REPTILE SURVEY

By Kieran Flood, IWT Conservation Officer

Y

ou may not associate Ireland with reptiles.

Our generous quota of cold, windy, rainy days does not sit well with the traditional image of reptiles as exotic sun-basking animals.

However we do have two resident species of terrestrial reptile on the island of Ireland. These are the viviparous lizard and the slow worm, both of which appear to be faring well in our climate. Ireland’s waters are of course visited by a number of reptiles belonging to the fascinating group of animals referred to as turtles.

Marine reptiles seen in our waters include the endangered leatherback sea turtle and hawksbill turtle. Many of our ponds and rivers are also home to introduced terrapin species with names like yellow-bellied slider and redeared terrapin. It is with our terrestrial reptiles, however, that the new IWT National Reptile Survey is concerned.

The viviparous lizard, otherwise known as the common lizard, is Ireland’s only native terrestrial reptile. The viviparous lizard is a versatile little creature with a farranging distribution. It is found throughout Eurasia, from the Mediterranean in the south and as far north as the Scandinavian Arctic Circle. It has spread east to Japan, while Ireland marks the western limit of its range. It is in the northern latitudes that this lizard earns its name – viviparous refers to the fact that it gives birth to live young, unlike most reptiles which lay eggs.

Photo: T. W

ilkinson

This rare behaviour of live birth is most likely an adaptation to life in cooler climates; populations of this lizard living in warmer southern areas still lay eggs. Reptile eggs are normally laid in the external environment, protected by a leathery shell, and left to develop on their own until hatching. This process requires heat from the sun to allow the eggs’ development; reptiles are therefore confined to warmer climates by their reproductive behaviour. The female viviparous lizard, however, produces shell-less eggs which she retains inside

// MANY INTERESTING QUESTIONS ARE STILL TO BE ANSWERED ABOUT OUR REPTILES, SUCH AS THE EXTENT OF SLOW WORM SPREAD SINCE ITS INTRODUCTION AND THE TIMING OF IRISH REPTILE EMERGENCE FROM HIBERNATION, WHICH MAY WELL BE CHANGING WITH OUR CHANGING CLIMATE. //

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her body, with her own body heat aiding development until they are ready to be laid as fully developed juvenile lizards. This ingenious adaptation has allowed the viviparous lizard to live in cooler climates and habitats. It is in fact the most northerly distributed terrestrial reptile in the world and is well suited to the climate of Ireland, where it occupies diverse habitats from coastal dunes to uplands and bogland.

Ireland’s second resident reptile is also an interesting character. The slow worm is an introduced species found in the Burren region. This animal closely resembles a small snake and if you were to encounter it you would see a reptile about 50cm long with a smooth round body sliding through the grass. It is not a snake, however, but a legless lizard – yes, it is a species of lizard that has lost its legs and evolved a body suited to a lifestyle of burrowing and hunting small invertebrates in the undergrowth. Upon closer inspection its

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IWT NEWS

external ears and eyelids differentiate it from the snakes who posses neither. The slow worm is a native in Britain and it is from there that it is thought to have been introduced to the Burren region of Ireland in the 1970s, where it has persisted and become resident. Interestingly the slow worm also gives birth to live young, a factor that may have contributed to its survival in our climate. There have been anecdotal sightings of it beyond the Burren region but little evidence exists of a significant spread in the last few decades.

Both species are cold-blooded and disappear in winter, taking refuge from the elements and only emerging in the spring to begin courtship and mating.

The young are born and can be seen out and about from August. April is the best time to start looking for these reptiles, and a good technique for finding them is to spot them basking in the morning, when they will be found on sunny surfaces lying still and soaking up the sun’s heat. Another technique is to look under man-made and natural cover found in their habitat such as logs, stones or wooden planks – here these creatures take cover while enjoying the extra heat of the micro-climate under these objects.

// THE VIVIPAROUS LIZARD, OTHERWISE KNOW AS THE COMMON LIZARD, IS IRELAND’S ONLY NATIVE TERRESTRIAL REPTILE. THE VIVIPAROUS LIZARD IS A VERSATILE LITTLE CREATURE WITH A FAR-RANGING DISTRIBUTION. IT IS FOUND THROUGHOUT EURASIA, FROM THE MEDITERRANEAN IN THE SOUTH AND AS FAR NORTH AS THE SCANDINAVIAN ARCTIC CIRCLE. //

Slow worm. Photo: Mik

e Brown

Many interesting questions are still to be answered about our reptiles, such as the extent of slow worm spread since its introduction and the timing of Irish reptile emergence from hibernation, which may well be changing with our changing climate. At the IWT we hope to answer questions such as these through our nationwide reptile survey. With funding from Dublin Zoo we are running a nationwide survey of the viviparous lizard and slow worm throughout 2016 and 2017, with volunteer surveyors attending special training days and conducting reptile surveys in their local area. This citizen science project has the power to determine the distribution of these two species across Ireland and tell us more about what time of year they are most abundant. 2016’s volunteer training days will be taking place in Monaghan, Laois, Galway and Kerry. Please contact us at iwtresearch@gmail.com for more information or to register as a volunteer.

In 2016 we are running a reptile surveying workshop in each province of Ireland. These workshops will cover Irish reptile identification, reptile surveying and species recording techniques. Booking is essential for these workshops; they are free of charge for IWT members and cost €10 for non-members. To enquire about registering as a volunteer surveyor or to book a place on these workshops contact us on iwtresearch@gmail.com.

DIARY DATES MONAGHAN DATE: Saturday March 5th TIME: 10am – 4pm VENUE: Ballybay Wetlands Centre LAOIS DATE: Sunday March 6th TIME: 10am – 4pm VENUE: Abbeyleix Heritage House GALWAY DATE: Saturday March 12th TIME: 10am – 4pm VENUES TO BE ANNOUNCED KERRY DATE: Sunday March 13th TIME: 10am – 4pm VENUE: Tralee Bay Wetlands Centre For more details on our National Reptile Survey see www.iwt.ie/lizard-survey To enquire about registering as a volunteer surveyor or to book a place on these workshops contact us on iwtresearch@gmail.com

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EDUCATION

Katy Egan on how ecological literacy should be a part of our education system.

H

istorically the three Rs – reading, writing and arithmetic – are the foundation of our education system. A system that aims to prepare children for their future, so they can hopefully get a good job and achieve a good quality of life. Perhaps more accurately, it prepares students for their future place within our economy. But does it prepare them for the mounting environmental challenges ahead?

We are all familiar with the idea of literacy with numbers and words, however very little is known about the idea of ecological literacy. Ecological literacy, or ecoliteracy, is the ability to read the natural world, recognise different species and understand ecosystems and how our actions affect them. Ecoliteracy is about being literate in living systems. The very living systems that support our lives and allow us a good quality of life. Poor quality living systems equate with a poor quality of life. So surely if the purpose of our education system is to ensure a good quality of life, ecoliteracy would be essential to securing that.

A term such as ecoliteracy has evolved from a need in our society to recognise the

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value of ecological knowledge. Many people who lived more agrarian lifestyles in the past would have been ecoliterate on a local level to match their needs. You develop an intimate understanding of a landscape when you live in it, work in it, play in it; especially if it is where your food and livelihood come from. When people lived in environments where they had these daily interactions with the natural world, it was not necessary to embed this kind of learning into a formalised curriculum within schools. It happened naturally. Understanding that you should not pollute the local water source, for example, was considered common knowledge.

However these lifestyles did not last. Along with any obvious benefits the industrial revolution rather rapidly pulled us from agrarian environments and led us to cities with the promise of work. We were unaware of the enormous value of natural systems to our new built environments. Which means designers, planners and architects did not see a role for other species within human environments; the natural world was designed out. We isolated ourselves as a species. As a result many people born into these built environments have never learned to understand the wider ecological systems their lives are embedded in. This

was not some grand plan or sneaky scheme; it was merely a case of not realising the importance of what we had, when we had it. Now we reach a point in our history where we are consuming natural resources at an unsustainable rate. Coupled with an exponential increase in population and a globalised economy, ecoliteracy becomes of paramount importance.

Today, ecoliteracy doesn’t just refer to knowing the local ecosystems and species, it stems from a need to expand our knowledge to a global understanding of living systems.

We need to know what plants, animals and insects live on our doorstep and what habitats surround us, as well as understanding the bigger systems which guarantee us a good quality of life, such as the water cycle, pollination and climate regulation.

If you wish to improve you and your family’s ecoliteracy or promote it in your local school, there are fantastic resources and educators in Ireland that can support you. o find out ore about courses and workshops check out www.IWT.ie, Environmental Education Ireland on Facebook or The Centre for Ecoliteracy.

The best way is to just get outdoors and start observing the natural richness around you.

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BRANCH NEWS

The latest updates from

IWT BRANCHES NATIONWIDE Laois/Offaly Branch PROJECT FOCUS Every year the Irish Wildlife Trust Laois/ Offaly Branch undertakes a number of projects. The projects are often subject to the successful award of funding from Laois and Offaly County Councils through a community grant scheme known as LA21 (Local Agenda 21). In other cases we find a donor or fundraise to deliver our project goals. This year we are delighted to report that we have been successful in securing funding through LA21 grants for three projects, of which two are in Laois and one focused in Offaly.

The projects are conservation related (2) and education related (1). We are pleased to report that we will undertake our Bringing Biodiversity to Preschools, Meadow Creation and Invasive Species Mapping projects in 2016. A short outline of each is below.

INVASIVE MAPPING The Invasive Species Mapping Project is a pilot project set out to identify and map the extent of invasive plant species along the county’s road network. Invasive plant and animal species cause major negative effects to native species and habitats and equally impact negatively on agriculture, and can be a assive nuisance financially to get rid of.

This project will map the spread of a given number of species along public roads in one of the district engineer’s territories, which will allow for their removal to take place in a structured fashion. The project will set

out best practice guidelines for home and landowners to report the presence of invasive species near to their properties. We hope the project will grow from a pilot to help form a county action plan to eradicate the principal alien species over time from Co Laois. Grey squirrel, an alien

BRINGING BIODIVERSITY TO PRESCHOOLS Following our visits to primary schools last year, we applied for funding to develop a programme of educational visits to preschools. We were delighted to have been awarded LA21 funding from Offaly County Council to visit selected preschools in Co Offaly. The purpose of the programme is to spark interest in children, give guidance to preschools on how they can play a role in supporting local biodiversity, and to involve parents in the process. We also hope to show to families that small adjustments in their homes can achieve big results for our environment.

Visits will be taking place this spring.

MEADOW CREATION The Meadow Creation project will focus on creating traditional wild ower meadows on a number of sites throughout Portlaoise. These habitats, once a common sight throughout the countryside, have now largely been lost due to agricultural intensification and develop ent. hey support a large variety of wildlife including wild owers bees butter ies and uch

// THE MEADOW CREATION PROJECT WILL FOCUS ON CREATING TRADITIONAL WILDFLOWER MEADOWS ON A NUMBER OF SITES THROUGHOUT PORTLAOISE. //

invasive species in Laois

more. Our public green spaces such as town parks, roadsides, residential green spaces, etc. offer a chance to start restoring these valuable habitats. It simply requires us to reduce the number of grass cuts in the year to one around September and, if possible, another one around mid-March.

The grant will help fund the purchase of locally sourced native wild ower seeds and some simple signs, which will help explain the importance of these habitats.

UPCOMING EVENTS Sun 6th March – Reptile Monitoring Workshop, Abbeyleix Heritage House, 10am.

Weekend of March 19/20th – Conservation Voluntary Work Group & Badger Club: Tree Planting, Portlaoise GAA Club (Rathleague new grounds), Portlaoise, Co. Laois. Date and times TBC. As always, please do check our Facebook page and website closer to the date of events as the details may change for reasons beyond our control.

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BRANCH NEWS

COURSE DETAILS

Longford/Westmeath Branch Have you ever witnessed a moving cloud of golden plovers on a winter’s day? Or listened to a little wren belting out his energetic song to attract a mate? Birds have an intriguing way of tickling our curiosity and of lifting our spirits. They certainly lift mine and they could lift yours too when you hear their amazing singing abilities and admire their

ying soaring and gliding talents.

If you want to learn more about birds their habits adaptations songs and colours and identification aroline alor is running a new course in Athlone on Irish birds and birdwatching covering the afore entioned topics. he course ai ed at beginners will be a fun i of lectures workshops and birdwatching outings.

// BIRDS HAVE AN INTRIGUING WAY OF TICKLING OUR CURIOSITY AND OF LIFTING OUR SPIRITS. //

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The course runs over three Friday evenings and Saturdays on the following dates: Feb 12th and 13th; Feb 26th and 27th; March 11th and 12th Classes will run on Fridays from 6pm – 9pm and on Saturdays from 10am – 4pm The whole course costs €180.

Caroline is also running a class on Irish wildlife on Wednesday evenings in Roscrea.

For more information on either course or to book your place, contact Caroline on 086 346 2091 or by email lalorecology@gmail.com

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BRANCH NEWS

Otter. Photo: Mike Brown

Galway Branch The Galway Branch of the Irish Wildlife Trust has announced the launch of its otter survey of Galway City, and is encouraging IWT members to get involved.

The European common otter inhabits most parts of Ireland, and is often seen in or near sources of freshwater, which it uses for fishing. tters live along the coasts too, but still require a source of freshwater to clean salt from their fur. Anecdotal evidence suggests otters are becoming more

// MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE ALSO ENCOURAGED TO SUBMIT DETAILS OF ANY SIGHTINGS OR PHOTOS OF OTTERS FROM WITHIN THE CITY AREA. //

common in Galway City. Even though they are a shy species, otters are frequently seen in the city’s waterways, including the canals, the Claddagh Basin, the Corrib and around the Claddagh beaches.

The Galway Branch of the IWT is planning to undertake a series of otter surveys of city waterways this spring, which will involve collecting otter spraint (scat) for further study to find out ore about the city’s otter population and which parts of the city they inhabit. IWT members who are interested in joining the surveys should email galwaycityottersurvey@gmail.com.

Members of the public are also encouraged to submit details of any sightings or photos of otters from within the city area to the same email address, or you can post them to our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/galwaywildlife.

We plan to produce a report on otters in the city along with a map of their distribution once the surveys are complete.

Feeding ot

ter

GALWAY CITY OTTER SURVEYS IWT members who are interested in joining the surveys should email galwaycityottersurvey@gmail.com Members of the public are also encouraged to submit details of any sightings or photos of otters from within the city area to galwaycityottersurvey@ gmail.com, or post them on our Facebook page at facebook. com/galwaywildlife

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WILD IDEAS

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WILD IDEAS

Manage the

LAND to manage the

FIRE Ciaran Nugent from the Forest Service argues for the need to use effective land management practices in order to reduce the threat of wildfire in Ireland.

ntil recently wildfire was an alien concept in Ireland. owever recent years have seen fires e erge that are bigger and ore visible and that de and larger suppression and recovery responses that divert precious rural e ergency services away fro saving lives. n increasingly severe wildfire regi e is a strong indicator of ore insidious land anage ent i balances particularly regarding vegetation overgrowth and accu ulation in the uplands. ypical incidents range fro s all unattended outdoor fires to ore serious e tensive wildfires involving hundreds and occasionally thousands of hectares of upland vegetation. his includes grasses heather and gorse species fire adapted fine fuels that burn rapidly in dry windy spring weather and respond to fire uic ly in ter s of regrowth and reproduction. Ignition sources for Irish fires are generally hu an. here is a strong correlation between wildfire incidence patterns and traditional burning practice in upland agriculture. hile a tradition of burning ight e ist the odern landscape now differs i ensely and current dubious burning practice is not co patible with these changes.

TAKING STEPS In response the first priority of authorities has been to learn about the Irish fire regi e its patterns and attributes and identify those aspects that are ost readily addressed. esponse easures are increasingly infor ed and underpinned by cooperation between agencies and interest groups particularly international cooperation.

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WILD IDEAS

Central to this is the develop ent of greater resilience to fire the ability of land and systems to bounce back after fire events. In this regard how the land is managed becomes the pri ary co ponent of fire anage ent strategy.

KEY FACTORS: 1. Fire management, not fire exclusion. anning fire co pletely fro landscapes only a es the proble worse as seen overseas.

Traditional enforcement approaches are e pensive unproductive and li it constructive engage ent with landowners who use fire. It is better in the long run to accept the role of fire in the landscape and facilitate its responsible use. ppropriate fire wise land anage ent and behavioural change should be the pri ary tools in itigating against wildfire ha ards and anaging habitats sustainably through restructuring of vegetation and protection of critical assets and features fro fire.

2. Partnership. Working

Catalan specialist forest

firefighter with ignition torch. Photo courtesy Ciaran Nugent

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Fire service unit containing fire in heavy

smoke. Photo courtesy Ciaran Nugent

between agencies and stakeholders such as the West or ildfire ooperative the erry ildfire artnership or orthern Ireland ildfire ta eholders roup yields real results in ter s of developing utual understanding oint ob ectives and behavioural change that ay in uence fire activity.

3. Training and technology transfer. rivate forestry far ing and conservation sectors do not have a fire protection culture commensurate with the

// WHILE A TRADITION OF BURNING MIGHT EXIST, THE MODERN LANDSCAPE NOW DIFFERS IMMENSELY AND CURRENT DUBIOUS BURNING PRACTICE IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THESE CHANGES... // current ris s. ually the fire service is configured to deal with structural fire issues and emergencies in urban areas. ildfire is a short ter rural proble for largely urban firefighters. ignificant training and develop ent inputs are re uired to enable services to transition uic ly to wildland firefighting which has its own specialist techni ues and doctrines and to maintain the skills outside of our short fire season.

4. Responsibility. Landowners and rural dwellers need to assu e responsibility for protecting their own property fro wildfire ris s. his eans having a fire plan controlling ha ardous vegetation and aintaining due vigilance during high ris periods and reporting illegal burning activity to arda . here should be no local tolerance for illegal and dangerous burning.

5. Knowledge. I proved technical knowledge about our fire regi e locations behaviour and e tent and

the factors in uencing these allows us to scale the proble accurately and per it ore carefully focused future responses and resources. he use of satellite and ground based fire detection platfor s capable of operating under Irish conditions to achieve this are currently being evaluated by authorities. he fre uency and severity of recent wildfire incidents should be ta en as a warning. e have to re learn how to manage the land and its systems to aintain vegetation at safe and ecologically productive levels. In the long ter viable sustainable upland agriculture is the best way towards achieving this but is uch easier said than done. eeting the challenge re uires adoption of new holistic thinking and integrated land anage ent techni ues any of which have already been pioneered in high fire ris countries. e don’t ust need to fight fire but to address the wider issues in our uplands that for the bac ground to fire.

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to Ireland’s birds other than birdwatching and bird identification. Birds are living beings with personalities and they have interacted with us, and have been part of

Praise for Niall Mac Coitir ‘An easy and fascinating read’ Irish Examiner GORDON D’ARCY has been drawing and painting wildlife since childhood.

He has written and illustrated a number of books on Irish birds and animals and has also provided illustrations for numerous periodicals and publications such as the Book of the Burren (TĂ­r Eolas, 1991) and the Book of Aran (TĂ­r Eolas, 1994).

He has exhibited widely in Ireland and Britain and in Rhode Island in the USA. He lives and works in south Galway on the edge of the Burren.

‘A treasury of ancient and interesting information’ Sunday Tribune

‘Set to become a standard text’ Wild Ireland ‘A beautiful book’ Books Ireland

Also by Niall Mac Coitir

B

IRELAND’S BIRDS

MYTHS, LEGENDS AND FOLKLORE

iall ac oitir

our culture, for thousands of years. They have inspired poets and painters and feature in many legends

MYTHS, LEGENDS AND FOLKLORE

It is often overlooked that there is another dimension

NIALL MAC COITIR grew up in a bilingual environment in Dublin with a love of Irish history, culture and nature instilled into him.

An active member of the Irish Wildlife Trust, he works for Fingal County Council. His previous books are Irish Trees – Myths, Legends and Folklore (2003), Irish Wild Plants – Myths, Legends & Folklore (2006), and Ireland’s Animals – Myths, Legends & Folklore (2010).

IRELAND’S BIRDS

n o i t i t e p m o C

COMPETITION

Original Illustrations by ordon ’Arcy

www.collinspress.ie Folklore/Natural History

Cover design by Artmark

irds have interacted with us and have been part of our culture for thousands of years.

They have inspired poets and painters and feature in many legends and place names. In his latest book, Niall Mac Coitir provides a comprehensive look at the mythology, folklore and history of Irish birds, both wild and domestic. This includes looking at aspects of bird folklore such as fairy or otherworld birds, birds of notable song or beauty, birds in the Brehon Laws and in early Irish poetry.

The birds are exquisitely illustrated by Gordon D’Arcy.

They are presented in seasonal order based either on their migratory habits, for example the cuckoo and summer, or on their cultural associations, such as the robin with Christmas, the wren with St Stephen’s Day. This challenges us to look at birds in a different way, as dynamic creatures that have influenced society over the millennia.

The author explores how birds are often powerful symbols of various virtues and qualities.

Written with imagination and enthusiasm, this mix of natural history, mythology and folklore will entertain and enlighten all interested in the birds of Ireland.

ISBN 978-1-84889-247-7

¡ Illustrations by Gordon

D’Arcy

and placenames. In his latest book, Niall MacCoitir

9 781848 892477

provides a comprehensive look at the mythology, folklore and history of Irish birds, both wild and domestic. This includes examining aspects of bird folklore such as fairy or otherworld birds, birds of notable song or beauty, and birds that feature in the Brehon Laws and in early Irish poetry.

The birds are presented in seasonal order based either on their migratory habits, for example the cuckoo and summer, or on their cultural associations such as the robin with Christmas, and the wren with St Stephen’s Day. This challenges us to look at birds in a different way, as dynamic creatures that have influenced society over the millennia. In conclusion, a more imaginative section explores how birds are often powerful symbols of various virtues and qualities. Written with imagination and enthusiasm, this mix of natural history, mythology and folklore will entertain and enlighten all interested in the birds of Ireland.

Niall MacCoitir grew up in a bilingual environment in Dublin with a love of Irish history, culture and nature instilled into him. An active member of the Irish Wildlife Trust, he works for Fingal County Council. His previous books are Irish Trees – Myths, Legends and Folklore (2003), Irish Wild Plants – Myths, Legends & Folklore (2006), and

Ireland’s Animals – Myths, Legends & Folklore (2010).

We have two copies of Niall’s fascinating new book to give away. To be in with a change to win one, just answer the following question and email your answer, along with your name and address, to irishwildlife@iwt.ie by May 1st.

Which Irish city is ‘buzzing’ with activities to boost the local bee population?

Winter ’15 Winners: In our winter issue we gave our readers the chance to win one of two great new nature books: Reflections on Another

Life by Michael Viney and Don’t Die in Autumn by Eric Dempsey. The question we asked was: In what midlands town has the local IWT branch been working with the local authority to develop a wildlife friendly park?

The answer was Portlaoise in Co Laois.

The lucky winners were Ruth Clearly from Letterkenny, Co Donegal and Ronnie Miley from Dodder Park Road in Dublin (Don’t Die in Autumn); and Conor O’Sullivan from Rochestown in Cork, Michael O’Shea from Kilgarvin in Kerry and Janet McEvoy from Causeway, also in Kerry (winners of Michael Viney’s new book).

Congratulations to the winners and many thanks to all who entered!

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FEATURE

T C E PROJ

BADGE R

The N11 Badger Project is revealing a wealth of information on one of Ireland’s most charismatic animals, writes Enda Mullins, National Parks and Wildlife Service.

I

t all began with a chance conversation in 2007. I was talking to Teresa MacWhite, District Veterinary fficer with the epart ent of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), in Wicklow and tal turned to the ru our

I had heard of an increase of bovine TB along the newly built ublin to or otorway.

I had heard that so e people were bla ing the fact that badger underpasses were facilitating the ove ent of badgers which ight possibly be spreading infection this ru our was actually false .

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could study badgers along the proposed new in Wicklow and see if the road i pacted on their lives their social organisation and their disease status? Thus was born the adger ro ect. ittle did we know that eight years later we would still be involved

in fieldwor and as ing ten new uestions for every one s all thing we learned about badgers!

BEGINNINGS he re align ent of the between Rathnew and Arklow had been on the cards for a long ti e. here was a very dangerous stretch of road known

Badgers. Photo: A. Kelly

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FEATURE

as the Ballinameesda bends, where several fatal accidents had taken place. When we began our study, construction was supposed to begin within six months but, in fact, it did not begin until 2013. It’s a beautiful area of Wicklow with rolling fields of grass and cereals interspersed with patches of woodland. There are plenty of hedgerows and a number of small marl holes along with two uarries. he s ies are filled with buzzards and red kites and we even saw a hen harrier on one occasion. We have encountered several pine martens, which are making a comeback in Wicklow.

The lovely Potter’s River runs through the study area and although I found an otter slide and some holts, and a team member found an otter footprint, I have yet to see an otter there.

Farming is mixed between cattle and dairy farms, sheep farms, tillage and horses. In many ways it is typical of Irish farmland.

From the very beginning all the landowners were welcoming and they have been extremely supportive of us over the years. We cannot thank them enough as our work would not be possible without them.

In addition, Wicklow County Council and BAM, who held the contract for the road build, have been supportive and helpful. By the time the road construction actually got underway we knew a

Releasing a collared badger

lot about the local badger social groups and were able to give detailed advice on the placement of underpasses so that group territories would not be divided.

SETTING OFF IN SEARCH In the preliminary stage of the study (2008-2009) we searched for setts and badger latrines (toilets) throughout the area. We used the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and information from DAFM to locate the badger setts within 1km of either side of the current main road for a distance of 16km. We did a three-night observation where we recorded all the wildlife we saw at the setts, as well as any badgers which emerged. We also used bait marking to map

// FROM THE VERY BEGINNING ALL THE LANDOWNERS WERE WELCOMING AND THEY HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY SUPPORTIVE OF US OVER THE YEARS. WE CANNOT THANK THEM ENOUGH AS OUR WORK WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THEM. // out social groups. This involved leaving bait (a mixture of peanuts in treacle with tiny coloured markers) for the badgers to eat over a period of two weeks. The days were spent searching to see which latrines the various colours reappeared in, as badger latrines often mark the boundaries between social groups.

A badger runs straight down its

sett once released

April 2010 marked a whole new departure for the project with the purchase of our first GPS collars. Since then we have trapped badgers in the spring and the autumn in cages baited with peanuts. Spring trapping is timed so that cubs are old enough to cope if their mother is in a cage for a number of hours.

When a badger is caught it is anaesthetised, weighed and checked for any wounds or parasites, which are treated if necessary. The badgers are inoculated against TB and samples are taken to check for

the disease. Each badger is micro-chipped then tattooed with the last four digits of the number (the tattoo has helped us recover some badgers which died outside the study area). We take photos of the badger’s teeth for the purposes of ageing it. We then have fun choosing a name for it.

If the badger weighs more than 8kg and has a suitable head to neck ratio we put a GPS collar on it. The collars weigh a maximum of 2.6% of the animals’ body weight and the badgers are able to run and jump freely while wearing a collar.

The collars are programmed to send four readings a night most of the year but, during the trapping months, they send eight. On only our second day of trapping we received a surprise which showed the value of the collars. A badger we had caught on day one in one territory (as defined by bait ar ing was caught in what we had believed to be the neighbouring territory.

A whole new understanding of badger ranges was about to be born! The collars have allowed us to follow the movements of a large number of badgers at the same time in a way which would not be possible with traditional radio tracking.

DEPTH OF DATA uring the five years of the project we have captured over 80 individual badgers which have sent more than 65,000 fi es. e have apped all those GPS records and have used them to work out badger home ranges. We know that the Irish Wildlife Spring ‘16

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FEATURE

home ranges of our badgers vary from season to season, with a much smaller range in winter when they are less active. However, we also found that the boundaries of social groups can vary from year to year. There is a core area which generally stays the same, but the territory can expand or contract. The age and sex of the badger is an important factor in determining the size of its home range. The extended length of our study has allowed us to identify these patterns.

Another aspect of our research was to examine the presence of badgers with cattle in fields or far yards. ne farmer very kindly kept detailed notes of the paddocks used by his cattle over three months. We then matched these up with the records of the collared badgers on his farm. We found that the badgers avoided being in a paddock if cattle were present in it. This avoidance was statistically significant. e then progressed to examining the badgers’ use of farmyards. In Great Britain, researchers have found that badgers often visit farmyards when food was scarce. This

During the five years of the project we have captured

80+

Measuring a badger’s head to see

INDIVIDUAL BADGERS

if it is suitable for a GPS collar

which have sent more than

65,000 GPS FIXES.

was not so in our study area, where we found that badgers avoided all farmyards but most especially those on cattle farms.

LOOKING AHEAD The Rathnew to Arklow stretch of the N11 opened in July 2015. We will continue

GPS records for two badgers during

a short period of August 2015

22

to study our badgers until the end of 2016 at the earliest.

We are currently looking at many other questions like the ranging behaviour of pregnant females, the effects of road kill on both primary and secondary roads, badger excursions into neighbouring social groups,

// WE KNOW THAT THE HOME RANGES OF OUR BADGERS VARY FROM SEASON TO SEASON, WITH A MUCH SMALLER RANGE IN WINTER WHEN THEY ARE LESS ACTIVE. HOWEVER, WE ALSO FOUND THAT THE BOUNDARIES OF SOCIAL GROUPS CAN VARY FROM YEAR TO YEAR. //

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FEATURE

Woodland habitat

how badgers from different groups are related to one another and the relationship between habitat and land use on badger foraging. As I said before each ti e we find out something about our badgers, ten more questions arise!

This work could not happen without a wonderful team of co-workers with whom to share the trials and triumphs of fieldwor and research.

My enduring thanks go to Teresa MacWhite, Peter Maher, Margaret Good and Mark Foley of DAFM, Nicola Marples, David Kelly and Aoibheann Gaughran of TCD, as well as Denis Foley

from Farm Relief Services.

I would also like to thank my colleagues within the National Parks and Wildlife Service who have helped in many ways, and who have to listen to me rabbiting on about badgers through many a lunch break! Wicklow County Council and BAM Construction have assisted with all our requests and we owe a huge debt of gratitude to the landowners who have welcomed us onto their farms and into their forests. Finally, thanks are due to DAFM as the major funder for the project and to NPWS for the balance of the funding.

Badger near its sett

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EXPLORING WILDLIFE

Room for the

RIVER

Ireland should look to the Netherlands for inspiration in combating river flooding, writes Gordon D’Arcy.

A

t a time when many Irish people are counting the cost of yet another episode of river ooding it is good to learn of an optimistic new plan from the etherlands. oo for the iver a ulti billion euro on going pro ect for the hine is re ar able for its vision.

Conscious of the regular (and increasing) propensity for the river to burst its ban s uncontrollably utch engineers instead of containing the ow within ever higher e ban ents have created ood itigation easures including allowing the river to ood out into thousands of hectares of ad acent low lying land. isplace ent resulting in the agreed relocation of some 200 houses and co prehensive far co pensation is an integral part of the programme.

A DUTCH SOLUTION uch a daring plan is of course to be e pected fro the utch who for hundreds of years have demonstrated to the world how to reclai land fro the sea ustifiably declaring that od ade the world but we made the Netherlands’. Conscious of their low lying circu stance with nearly two thirds of their land lying below sea level the Dutch have also been experimenting with stilt houses and dwellings that ay be ac ed 24

up above rising water levels when necessary. nterprising and adaptive to change they have turned threat into opportunity.

Room for the River is not simply a safety plan but than s to the utch ational cological etwor pushing for govern ent support it will also e pand connect and enhance existing extensive wetlands – biodiversity strongholds. One of the ost fa ous ostvaardersplassen holds internationally important breeding birds such as spoonbills purple herons and bitterns and is a Mecca for birdwatchers. ther a or uropean rivers the uadal uivir with the aris as of the oto Donana; the Rhone with the Camargue marshes and the Danube with its vast wetland delta are already enhanced in this way. These biologically rich wetlands act as natural safety over ows for their respective rivers and are significant year round tourist attractions for nature lovers.

VIEW FROM IRELAND ere unfortunately the hannon and its wetlands are regarded less accommodatingly.

Response to the river’s unpredictability has traditionally been local political and hostile. The clarion call for drainage (despite the fact that due to its low gradient this is nown to be virtually i possible continues unabated and the simplistic comment that

people are ore i portant than duc s’ is still prevalent. Such commentary clearly has its roots in the belief that nuisance’ nature can and should be tamed using engineering now how and abundant resources. rior to the conservation directives from the uropean nion little or no thought was given to the collateral damage caused to wetlands by the dragline and the digger or their habitat dependent ora and fauna. In addition given that uch of the drained land has (mainly through neglect) reverted to unproductive rushy pasture the concept of catchment drainage is in hindsight seen as econo ically uestionable. In an interesting irony the orps of ngineers originally engaged to advise the Irish overn ent on arterial drainage have changed tac on river control by opening up canalised stretches of the ississippi and ed ivers in order to alleviate dangerous downstream pressures on riverside towns and cities. rainage viability aside there is no downplaying the dreadful hardships – far land inaccessibility livestoc isolation road bloc age da aged and abandoned ho es and businesses and the e erging

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EXPLORING WILDLIFE

Oostvaardersplassen. Photo: Edwin Hoek/Flickr

Flooded Shannon

problem of securing house insurance – e perienced by those affected by ooding.

Nor does the situation look like it will improve; property owners having once been affected by ooding understandably fear that they will never again be safe from a recurrence. eferring to the ecological context at this early remove may therefore seem inappropriate and insensitive: people are indeed ore i portant than duc s.

However, does it have to be a case of personal security at the expense of nature?

Is it one or the other? Is it beyond us to acco odate both he award winning fil The Secret Life of the Shannon (Crossing the Line Films, 2013) portrays the river’s extraordinary beauty and richness of wildlife and the leisurely enjoyment to be had by boating on its benign waters. tephen eery’s book The Shannon Floodlands (Tir Eolas,

1993) admirably demonstrates the marvel of the river and its associated callows, marshes and boglands which harbour thousands of wintering wildfowl and wading birds. It also celebrates the hu an activities and traditions lin ed to the river. esides their ood security plans the Dutch are also engaged in futuristic ecological ventures. he introduction of ancient breeds of cattle and ponies and the return of red deer and wild boar into Oostvaardensplassen, for instance, are part of a re wilding progra e for the reserve.

What about the Shannon and its environs?

Is there scope for something like this? Can we envisage a grand new project – an extensive wetland park encompassing the catchment’s many and varied habitats and including a sensitive re-wilding programme with access for the public to enjoy the great watercourse and its wildlife in all its moods?

Fundamental to such a realisation is a change in attitude. or too long the unpredictable propensity of our great river has been seen negatively as a blight. In these more enlightened times are we ready to make room for the river – not only physically but also in our imaginations?

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SPRING FOCUS

Spring into

ACTION A long-overdue spring has returned, with plenty to observe and record in Ireland’s natural landscape for citizen scientists, writes Billy Flynn.

 Celandine in a Galway wood

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SPRING FOCUS

P

erhaps more than any other time of the year, the turn of the season from winter to spring has been long-awaited and for many, long overdue. For those who love wildlife the first signs are eagerly sought. For the author it’s the first lesser celandine in ower that ar s the hope of the new season, if not its arrival just yet. A friend, now deceased used to see out the sa e ower. tarting on hrist as ay his wal s would include the scanning of roadside ban s and hedgerows for this other yellow ower that Wordsworth immortalised.

He would then memorise the date of its first sighting and compare to all of the others in the prodigious database that was his memory. Just for the record so to spea the earliest he recorded in our northerly home town was December 26th, during the comparatively mild winter of 2008.

ON THE HUNT Citizen science refers to the contribution of information from hundreds or thousands of people from observations, records and self-led surveys.

This information is then transmitted to professional scientists who put it to good use. The contribution of these citi en surveys and findings shouldn’t be underestimated. pring live is a uropean wide pro ect that as s participants to record first sightings of only four species of birds. Organised by BirdLife International and, on this island, by its partner Birdwatch Ireland pring live see s first sightings in the spring of swallows swifts and stor s and the first sign or ore li ely sound of the cuc oo. e’re unli ely to host stor s here so that’s only three species to loo or listen out for. y going to www.springalive.net and

clic ing a few buttons you can ta e part in an international igration pro ect. o si ple he arden ird urvey can be done without leaving the house and after registering on www.birdwatch.ie, participants can log the feathered visitors to their gardens and submit the results online. The National Biodiversity Data Centre probably anages the biggest database for public participation. Hundreds of species, from the commonplace to the downright exotic, may be logged and submitted at www. biodiversityireland.ie. The site helpfully includes tutorials on how to access, browse and sub it data. ou can find out if your records are rare or unusual, discover more about particular species or use online apping to e plore the nown biodiversity of your own locale.

If you thin you’ve seen an unusual or noteworthy plant, you can chec your findings on the interactive and attractive www.wild owersofireland. net. If you’ve confir ed your findings you can then sub it straight to the NBDC with another couple of clic s. ore experienced birders can get their twitch on with Birdwatch Ireland’s Countryside Bird urvey providing invaluable information on native bird populations and trends using line-transect surveys over a 2 potential in the Irish Republic. In the winter, the hardy citi en can a e great contributions to our nowledge of wintering and wading birds on their iWebs project.

INVASIVE INVESTIGATION On the less-loved side of things, the part to be played by the general public in recording the incidence and extent of non-native and invasive species cannot be overstated. The damage that invasive species can wrea upon our native biodiversity is thought to be second only to habitat loss, so

Japanese knotweed

// THE PART TO BE PLAYED

BY THE GENERAL PUBLIC IN RECORDING THE INCIDENCE AND EXTENT OF NON-NATIVE AND INVASIVE SPECIES CANNOT BE OVERSTATED. // we cannot be under-armed in our fight against invaders such as apanese notweed and water fern. cellent identification tools and of course a portal to submit your findings of invasive species, are available at www. invasivespeciesireland.ie.

Records of more familiar and even the very common

species are welcomed by a very innovative researcher at rinity ollege. ileen ower is creating a ower ap of Ireland to help conserve pollinators. he is as ing smartphone-using citizens to si ply ta e pictures and upload the to a lic r group that she has created. It doesn’t matter if you don’t now what the plants are – she will ID them from the pictures. You can join the group at www.flickr.com/ groups/countflowersforbees/. hether it’s loo ing out for the well-being of our migrants, trying to tac le the spread of invasives or even adding to our nowledge of the effects of climate change, the role of the citizen scientist has never been so important. The technology that allows us all to play a part has never been as accessible or easy to use. hy not a e a late New Year resolution to help our wild species and habitats? There’s really no reason why we shouldn’t.

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FIELD REPORT

Deadly

BUZZ Limerick’s wild bees are the subject of a new project, writes Albert Nolan.

T

oday I am on my way to meet Veronica Santorum who is co-coordinator of the Limerick Buzzing project. This is an environmental awareness and, more importantly, action project that is working within the community to help wild bees. We will be exploring the banks of the canal, discovering some of its amazing wildlife and finding out how our city bees are coping with the stresses of urban living.

DISCOVERY We move along and pause underneath a agnificent horse chestnut tree that is in full ower. eronica e plains how insects and plants communicate with each other by using colour. When the horse chestnut owers need to be pollinated they have a prominent red spot that attracts bees, and this fades to a more subtle yellow once the bees have visited.

While a good diversity of plants are vital for bees, they also need places to build their nests. The old red-bricked bridge over the canal is an important habitat as it has a variety of different sized holes where they will build their nests. Bricks trap the 28

heat of the sun during the day and release it slowly at night-time, creating a stable temperature for the developing larvae.

I learn a new word as Veronica explains that caterpillars’ droppings (frass) can be used as an indicator as to the health of a habitat. A sheet is slid under the hedge and the frass is gathered. If you have a lot of caterpillars feeding you will have a good quantity, and the caterpillars in turn will be eaten by birds and bumblebees. We stop by a tall ivy patch. Ivy produces its owers in late su er and this provides a last bounty for late ying insects.

Small changes make a big difference for wildlife and bees and the grass along by the wall could be left to grow long. Keep a metre cut in from the edge of the public path and cut once a year in late autumn. ll of the different wild owers and grasses will ourish creating a beautiful display for walkers but also a rich feeding area for butter ies oths and of course bees.

BUSY BEES Underneath a poplar tree bush vetch is growing and this is one of the best owers for bumblebees. It is a member of the pea family and its fruits are tiny hard peas that

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FIELD REPORT

// BEES BENEFIT FROM A VARIETY OF HABITATS AND WHILE AN ACRE OF WILDFLOWERS IS BRILLIANT FOR WILDLIFE, IT WILL ONLY SUIT CERTAIN SPECIES.// we used to eat when we were younger. It climbs up other plants and, if more of this ower was planted in our co unity green spaces it would benefit insects. ur second bee of the day appears and she is foraging down low on the ground. It is called the white-tailed bumblebee and the queens can be up to 20mm in length. If you see a large bee, try not to panic, as it will only defend itself if it feels threatened. Take a step back and allow one of nature’s hardest workers to continue its important job of pollinating our owers and vegetables.

She could be searching for a nest site and Veronica explains that each species emerges at different times through the year, so it is important that there is a succession of nectar-rich plants. This is something to consider when planning our planting scheme in our gardens and idy owns owerbeds.

Including herbs, fruit such as strawberries and apples, and allowing a few dandelions

to grow will provide a good supply of food during the spring and summer. ees benefit fro a variety of habitats and while an acre of wild owers is brilliant for wildlife, it will only suit certain species. aving areas of bare hard soil and stumps of trees creates a home for bees that e cavate s all tunnels and lay their eggs inside. Both of these features are becoming scarce in the landscape but thankfully are still common on this walk. ur last stop is on a piece of wild ground that has a mixture of bare ground, scattered trees and wild owers a ing this prime habitat for bees. A common carder bee is busy feeding and birch seedlings are starting to transform the open spaces into urban woodland. Many thanks to Veronica for sharing her time, nowledge and energy and giving e a better appreciation and understanding of the bees living in the city boundaries.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

For more information on bees, upcoming events and training days please check out www.limerickbuzzing.ie Please join me on Limerick City Community Radio at 4.00pm for my show Wild About Wildlife.

The show is broadcasted every second Sunday. Tune in online at www.lccr.ie or 99.9fm.

Comments/questions can be sent to albert.nolan@rocketmail. com or on 089 423 0502. I am also available to give walks/ talks to schools, tidy towns, youth and community groups.

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MEMBERS’ LETTERS

OVER TO YOU Spring is back, the days are (slowly) getting brighter, and the opportunity to get out and about among nature is on the cards. We always love to get your photos, stories and queries – here are just a few we received over the past few months.

dlifeTrust/

www.facebook.com/IrishWil

DREAM FULF

Hi IWT,

HOLMES, winner Congratulations to ANTHONY the Month of our January 2016 Photo of e marten photo! pin g azin competition for his am

30

ILLED

I’m an amateu r wildlife phot ographer from Cobh, C o Cork. Please find attached a phot ograph, taken today, of a kingfisher in th e grounds of U CC, Cork City. I’ve been wanting to ph otograph this species sinc e I bought my camera, three years ag o, and finally got the opportunit y today!

Seán Ronayn e

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MEMBERS’ LETTERS

READY FOR TAKE OFF Hi IWT, I took this image of a mute swan in flight at Marlfield Lake, Clonmel, Co Tipperary.

It’s a wild bird sanctuary and a place I visit regularly. I arrived there on a cold frosty morning in December 2015 and I spotted two swans flying across to the far end of the lake.

I decided to stay where I was in the hope that they might fly back towards me again. off After about 15 minutes I spotted them taking I lake. again and flying towards me across the had my lens on the tripod and I decided to track one of them as it got nearer and took a few photos in continuous shooting mode as it flew the by. The light was fantastic that morning and add nd distant trees and fields in the backgrou nicely to the photo.

Gear used: Canon 70D, Sigma 500 f/4.5 lens, Feisol tripod and Lensmaster Gimbal head for the lens.

Larry Doherty, Thurles, Co Tipperary.

SQUIRREL SPOTTING Dear IWT, I enclose a photo of a red squirrel which I have in my garden. I live on the Curragh, Co Kildare. I unfortunately also have a couple of greys. I have never seen one in this e area before, the nearest would hav y The n. ulle Kilc , Stud n been Gilltow s. grey with are overrun Regards, Mary T. Weld

Dear IWT, These golden plovers were in a flock of about 30 birds and photographed on the 4th of February 2016 along Belfast Lough at Kilroot, Carrickfergus, Co Antrim.

Photos taken with a Lumix FZ330 bridge camera at full 600mm focal length.

Best regards, Linda Thompson (Mrs)

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

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ON LOCATION

Ireland’s STONEFLY UCD Professor Hugh Feeley on his new book in collaboration with Jan-Robert Baars and Mary Kelly-Quinn: Stonefly (Plecoptera) of Ireland – Distribution, Life Histories & Ecology.

s

tone ies are a ubi uitous freshwater insect group. ith origins dating bac to the er ian eriod and the super continent angea about illion years ago they are one of the largest and longest lived of the a uatic insects found in our strea s rivers and la es second only to the dragon ies in both respects. reshwater ecologists often identify this group by their two tails or cerci’ when doing ban side assess ents of rivers and

la es. t present species of stone y occur in Ireland with so e very co on and so e very rare in their distribution. he uvenile or larval stage is a uatic and is generally found in our strea s rivers and la es for ost of the year. he a ority of the Irish stone ies live for about one year and reach appro i ately to in length. owever two of the larger stone y species in Irish waters fro the subgroup nown as erlidae can reach up to in length and ay live as larvae for over three years before beco ing adults. ll stone y adults are terrestrial e erging or hatching onto ban sides in late spring and early su er.

nce out of the water they uic ly ate and lay their eggs before dying usually within a few days or wee s at ost. tone y are nown to e hibit so e a a ing behaviours one of which is the techni ue to find a ate. his behaviour nown as dru ing involves the adult ale stone y hitting its abdo en against vegetation trees or ban side features and listening for a si ilar reply fro a fe ale. he fe ale re ains stationary with the ale oving regularly stopping to dru until the pair eet and ate. a ingly each species appears to have a uni ue dru ing signal which can even be used to identify the .

ABOUT: STONEFLY (PLECOPTERA) OF IRELAND – DISTRIBUTION, LIFE HISTORIES & ECOLOGY

This book contains the most up-to-date knowledge on the Irish stoneflies, bringing together detailed information on the ecology and distribution of each species.

The book is fully illustrated by Aoife Quinn, with comprehensive distribution maps, and is complemented with images and illustrations for each species.

Published by the National Biodiversity Data Centre in Waterford, this is the first of a series of species atlases being brought to the Irish public over the next few years.

Copies can be purchased at www.biodiversityireland.ie/shop/

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The Irish Wildlife Trust, Birdwatch Ireland, An Taisce and the Hedge Laying Association of Ireland have come together to launch a petition to persuade the Government to reverse its decision to make changes to Section 40 of the Wildlife Act, which will allow for the burning of vegetation in March and the cutting of hedgerows in August.

This change in legislation will have a serious impact on a range of wildlife species and habitats in Ireland – especially highly-threatened nesting birds and pollinators found in our hedgerows and uplands.

Photo: Shay Conn

olly

Sign our petition at my.uplift.ie/petitions/no-to-more-slash-and-burn

Please join us in our campaign to persuade the Government to reverse this decision before the Heritage Bill (2016) is passed and show your support for wildlife.

PROTECT IRELAND’S WILDLIFE NOW! Poisonings, illegal trapping, baiting, shooting and hunting are horrifyingly commonplace – let’s make wildlife crime a thing of the past.

What you can do to help: If you suspect that a wildlife crime is taking, or has taken, place – REPORT IT! Ask your local TD for resources to combat wildlife crime Report sightings of non-native species Safely dispose of toxic substances Take extreme care if using rodenticides Distribute flyers to schools and libraries Promote the issue of wildlife crime and the www.wildlifecrime.ie website For more information on Irish wildlife crime and how you can help to stop it, please visit:

www.wildlifecrime.ie

and download a free copy of our leaflet: ‘Wildlife Crime and the Law’, which gives advice and contact details for reporting wildlife crime.

IWT_2L_Wildlife Crime.indd 1

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