Irish Wildlife Magazine

ISSN - 1649 - 5705 • WINTER ‘16

IRISH MAGAZINE OF THE IRISH WILDLIFE TRUST

IRELAND’S

SIT BIE D L L FE W

MAGAZINE

WILD NEPHIN

Rewilding or marketing scam?

SPOTTED IN IRELAND: •Man-of-War •Hawkmoths •Wood Wasps

BURREN IN WINTER

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FUNGAL NETWORK

SLASH AND BURN UPDATE

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Contact us for Nature & Landscape Workshop details

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WELCOME

Chairperson’s Comment

ISSN - 1649 - 5705 • WINTER ‘16

It seems that no sooner do we take a step forward than we take several backwards – it is ironic that while David Attenborough releases his latest opus celebrating our incredible biodiversity (the Planet Earth II TV series), the Living Planet Index is published, highlighting rates of biodiversity loss so great that it is clear we are currently experiencing a mass extinction on a global scale greater than anything seen since the dinosaurs were wiped out 65 million years ago. As Billy Flynn points out in his sobering piece in this issue, scientists of the future will study the disappearance of the majority of all species and have no hoi e t to oint itherin fin er t h n ti it sin e s e ies h s not eft its rk on the net in s h f shion sin e the first hotos ntheti or nis s e er ed in our oceans and began to spew toxic oxygen in vast quantities into the atmosphere.

IRISH MAGAZINE OF THE IRISH WILDLIFE TRUST

IRELAND’S

T BESIFE WILDL

MAGAZINE

WILD NEPHIN

Rewilding or marketing scam?

SPOTTED IN IRELAND: •Man-of-War •Hawkmoth •Wood Wasps

BURREN IN WINTER

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FUNGAL NETWORK

SLASH AND BURN UPDATE

Cover credits: Cuttlefish (photo by Mark Thomas) Man-of-War (photo by Tim Orr) Death’s head hawkmoth (photo by Michael Bell) Wood wasps (photo by Toby Edwards) Contents page credits: Deer (photo by Tristan Reville) Hawkmoth (photo by Michael Bell) Otters (photo by Greg Clarke) Tube worm (photo by Daniel Dietrick) Pine marten (photo by Paul Lalor)

It is impossible for me not to mention the results of the US election. Leaving social politics aside, the fragile progress that the outgoing president had made in cajoling the United States, never a rti r stion of en iron ent sensiti it into re o nisin the si nifi n e of nthro o eni climate change and taking steps to combat it will all be undone under their new leader’s drive towards greater productivity and fossil fuel independence. He, like many of our own leaders, doesn’t believe in global warming, highlighting this point by appointing a climate sceptic to their Environmental Protection Agency. The great concern for our environment now is that, emboldened by the election and by the events in the UK during the summer, the far-right begins to fracture Europe’s delicate stability – the potential consequences for the laws and regulations that protect our heritage are dire. Our own government is paying lip-service to the reduction of our carbon emissions while simultaneously pushing policies to drive increased agricultural output.

22/11/2016 16:17

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

So what can we do in the face of such large scale problems? Two things in particular gave me cause for optimism this month. Dr Úna Fitzpatrick from the National Biodiversity Data Centre gave an excellent talk, as always, on the National Pollinator Plan in Tralee – a large proportion of the audience were children and their enthusiasm, knowledge and passion was hugely encouraging. Clearly, we are doing something right if we are instilling such respect for nature in our kids. I drew similar encouragement from the eloquent and passionate arguments that were put forth by many Senators in the recent Seanad debate on the ‘Slash and Burn’ Bill. With enough pressure, there is still a chance that this poorly written, weak and damaging bill can be amended. The petition against the amendments has garnered so many signatures (over 25,000 now) that it has received national coverage again, and indeed, so many issues were raised that the debate had to be adjourned. By the time this magazine has gone to print, the bill had not been voted on, so I would still urge you to contact your local Senator and ask them to remove section 8 which allows the extension of the cutting and burning season. n fin note o d ike to t ke the o ort nit to th nk orr ine o r o t oin de e o ent offi er for the re t ork she h s done o er the st two years. Although she has left the IWT she will continue her work in the Irish environmental sector and we wish her the very best in her new role.

David McCormick Chairperson, Irish Wildlife Trust

contriiButors RUTH HANNIFFY is a wildlife, landscape and conservation photographer, and works as the Ireland Projects Support Officer with the Vincent Wildlife Trust. Ruth studied zoology at NUIG and completed a Master’s in Wildlife Management and Conservation at the University of Reading. She has also worked with the UK’s Environment Agency, and Inland Fisheries Ireland.

LENNY ANTONELLI is a writer and journalist who specialises in environmental issues, writing for national and international publications. His first book, East of Ireland Walkings on River & Canal – A Walking Guide, which introduced some of the best river and canal trails close to Dublin, was published last year by The Collins Press. You can read his work at www.lennyantonelli.ie.

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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.

IWT NEWS What we’ve been doing throughout the autumn months.

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EDUCATION Jenny Quinn explores the intricacies of the ‘fungal network’.

13.

BRANCH NEWS The latest updates from IWT branches nationwide.

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WILD IDEAS Ruth Hanniffy from the Vincent Wildlife Trust questions the bad reputation of the pine marten.

19.

COMPETITION We’re offering our readers the chance to win one of two fantastic new books.

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FEATURE – WHERE’S THE ‘WILD’ IN WILD NEPHIN? Lenny Antonelli separates fact from marketing fi tion in o s i d e hin ro e t – billed s re nd s first e eri ent in re i din

24.

EXPLORING WILDLIFE ordon r re e ts on the Irish landscape in winter.

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WINTER FOCUS Mankind is now entrenched in the midst of an extinction crisis, writes Billy Flynn.

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FIELD REPORT Green Divers’ Séamus Heffernan explains the fascinating diversity of life in Ireland’s marine environments.

30.

OVER TO YOU A selection of letters and photos sent in by Irish Wildlife Trust members.

32.

ON LOCATION Neill Keogh explains the importance of the Oiled Wildlife Response Network.

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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.

IMAGES THIS PAGE: TOP: Tube worm. Photo: Daniel Dietrick/Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0) ABOVE: Hermit crab. Photo: Seamus Heffernan

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 enefitin re nd s i d ife f o o d 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 ont t the offi e dire t • 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 offi e nd e n i e o the s ort 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 outlines the latest national and international news from the world of conservation.

BALLOONS AND CHINESE LANTERNS BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT

IRISH NEWS

5 Chinese Lantern

s. Photo: aotaro/Flickr (CC BY 2.0 )

5 Grey seal on Bull Island.

DOG BAN NEEDED TO SAVE SEALS The Irish Seal Sanctuary (ISS) has called for a complete ban on dogs on Dublin Bay’s Bull Island during the grey seal breeding season after recent attacks on seal pups. The ISS states that it is hard to take the island’s UNESCO biosphere reserve designation seriously while dogs are running loose and attacking wildlife. Despite the strongest protection and designation available in law, breeding seals are subject to daily harassment and disturbance, mainly by dogs. There

is also evidence of grey seal pups being abandoned prematurely – two newborn, white-coat pups died recently and post mortem analysis at the School of Veterinary Medicine, UCD, suggests abandonment and predation as the cause of death. Female seals require quiet shore space and breeding beaches to give birth. Thereafter females nurse their pups ashore for approximately three weeks. Authorities are promising consultation, signage, trained volunteer guides and dog walking zones. Walkers and dog owners are encouraged to maintain their distance and avoid disturbing any vulnerable wildlife. Disturbance from dogs has also been implicated in the disappearance of the Irish hare from the island in recent years.

An article on the joint IWT, Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, BirdWatch Ireland and the Irish Seal Sanctuary ‘Pretty Litter’ campaign was recently published in the Irish Examiner. Despite first appearances of being a ‘killjoy’, the author concludes that even though they possessed a reluctance to support a ban on something that’s fun, after sifting through all the evidence, the case for the ban is very strong. Threats to wildlife and livestock include choking, entanglement, digestive tract blockage, toxicity and burns (to both people and animals), along with starting fires that have damaged wildlife, homes, farms and factories.

With the popularity of Chinese lanterns around Halloween, and with upcoming Christmas and New Year’s celebrations, IWT is pleased to see this media coverage and asks readers to keep these dangers in mind during the planning of their celebratory events.

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CONSERVATION NEWS

IRISH NEWS

€30k Fine for Farmer Failing to Cull TB Reactor A payment of 30,000 was withheld from a farmer’s Single Farm Payment for 2014 due to non-compliances with mandatory tuberculosis (TB) regulations. The fine came following an inspection carried out by the Department of Agriculture in 2012 for breaches related to reactor animals not being removed from the holding and consequential testing being out of date. The breaches were deemed to be ‘intentional’. The farmer in question availed of both the internal Department review and appealed to the Agriculture Appeals Office process, which resulted in the Department’s findings being upheld. Meanwhile data released from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine shows that the number of cattle testing positive for TB has risen during the third quarter of 2016 compared with the same period last year.

Deer Selfies in Phoenix Park The public is being warned of the dangers of feeding wild deer in the Phoenix Park, Dublin. Despite the dangers to both deer and individuals, people have been seen feeding the animals anything from Pringles to carrots, according to the Wild Deer Association of Ireland. Beyond the potential ill-effects posed to the wild animals from inappropriate food, members of the public are putting themselves and their children in danger – particularly during the rutting season – in pursuit of the perfect social media ‘selfie’. Others simply misunderstand the dangers in feeding the wild deer. Habituating deer by building associations between humans and food is dangerous. Dog owners are reminded that deer will run from dogs of all sizes and in a walled park environment with a lot of traffic, it can lead to accidents. People are advised to maintain a minimum distance of 50 metres at all times.

5Deer in the Phoenix Park. Photo:

Tristan Reville/Flickr (CC BY-ND 2.0)

CURLEW UNDER THREAT

5Curlews in flight. Photo: Philip

McErlean/Flickr (CC BY-ND 2.0)

A one-day workshop for experts and local community representatives took place in Athlone in October to address the plight of the curlew and prevent its extinction. The curlew is a distinctive species with its down-curved bill which is easily recognised in the rural Irish landscape. Breeding pairs have decreased from 5,000 in 1980 to 150 today according to a national survey commissioned by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). Most of the remaining pairs nest on bogs,

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with a smaller proportion nesting on farmland. Loss of peatland habitats, agricultural intensification and drainage are key contributors to the decline. This national workshop was organised by BirdWatch, University College Dublin and Mary Colwell and supported by the NPWS and the Heritage Council.

It aims to bring together all the people concerned about curlews in Ireland to find solutions to the many problems they face.

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CONSERVATION NEWS

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

FACEBOOK TRAFFICKING OF SLOW LORISES

5The Sunda slow loris. Photo:

Dick Culbert/Flickr (CC BY 2.0).

A Facebook video showing slow lorises being tickled has lead to an increase in their demand as pets. This demand has resulted in increased poaching of the animals, which are often shot with air rifles before, and without the aid of anaesthetic, having their teeth clipped. They are later crammed into overcrowded small cages and sold on. Many do not survive the journey. The Javan slow loris is among the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s 25 most endangered primates in the world. Hunters who capture the animals in the wild sell them for just £3 to dealers who then trade them on for between £12.50 and £31. Despite being banned under Indonesian law, many are sold openly in markets. Recently, dozens of the critically-endangered slow lorises were rescued from being sold on Facebook and other social media by wildlife traffickers. Five people – three suspected hunters and two dealers – were arrested in an operation carried out by the special criminal investigation directorate of West Java regional police.

DESIGNATION OF THE WORLD’S LARGEST EVER PROTECTED AREA

October brought some good news in global conservation as the world’s largest ever protected area was announced in the seas off Antarctica. The giant marine reserve will protect penguins, seals and whales in this polar paradise from fossil fuel exploration and industrial fishing. The agreement from the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resource saw rare cooperation between Russia, the European Union and the United States to create this 1.5 million km2 sanctuary.

It comes in the wake of news earlier this year from the United States that an enormous new marine reserve would be created around some of the Hawaiian islands and, for the first time, a marine protected area (MPA) along the western North Atlantic. The Irish Government meanwhile has yet to commence the process of creating MPAs in our waters, something that is required under the EU’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive.

RATS TO BE TRAINED AS RATS! The US Government will fund a pilot project training a team of African giant pouched rats to detect the illegal wildlife trafficking of pangolins in Tanzania. Pangolins are currently the world’s most trafficked animal due to the trade in its scales and skins. The pilot project will train the rats to detect illegal items and alert their human handlers. The rats, which can grow up to 1m long, have poor eyesight but an excellent sense of smell. African giant pouched rats have previously been attached to leashes and successfully used to detect landmines and tuberculosis.

Inset: Pangolin in the Madikwe Game Reserve in South Africa. Photo: David Brossard/Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)

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

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IWT NEWS

IWT NEWS NO TO MORE SLASH AND BURN

By Kieran Flood, IWT Conservation Officer.

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n 2016, the IWT has been campaigning to preserve the protection provided to Ireland’s upland and hedgerow ecosystems by the Wildlife Act. The ironically named Heritage Bill 2016 forwarded this year by Minister Heather Humphreys proposes changes to our Wildlife Act to allow the burning of all Irish uplands in March and the cutting, grubbing or removal of all Irish hedgerows in August.

Under the banner of the No to More Slash and Burn campaign the IWT along with An Taisce, BirdWatch Ireland and the Hedge Laying Association of Ireland have come together to try and stop these misled and scientifically illogical changes to our wildlife legislation, which would undoubtedly affect already declining and threatened species.

This autumn, we learned at late notice that this bill was coming before the Seanad for debate in early November. In response we

5 Yellowhammer.

Photo: Shay Connolly.

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Screengrab via MyUplift.ie

reinvigorated our No to More Slash and Burn petition with a wave of social media communication, as well as a short film kindly produced by IWT volunteer David McConnon (see our YouTube channel).

The response was fantastic and the petition hit 25,000 on the eve of the debate.

Enacting IWT’s key value of giving a voice to wildlife, we directly contacted all Senators highlighting our concerns with this flawed bill and asking for support to stop or amend it. We also called on our membership to do the same and had a tremendous response, with this wave of communication to senators acknowledged in the debate.

Along with the other ENGOs we attended a briefing session for senators the morning of the debate to help explain the dangerous flaws and misleading aspects of

Minister Humphreys’ bill to those willing to attend. Following this we observed the debate in the Seanad chamber where our campaign’s efforts paid off as numerous senators, from all political parties but one, stood up to voice concerns about the bill. The debate was so intense that the Seanad ran out of the allotted time and the debate was suspended until a future date. With this small success Minister Humphreys has not yet managed to push this destructive bill through and the Wildlife Act lives to see another day intact.

But for how long? The bill will return to the house for further debate and may well be pushed through by a government majority but now, thanks to the efforts of a number of enlightened Senators, the collaboration of conservation groups and you, the members of the IWT, there is still a chance to save our wildlife from this bill’s devastation. We must continue to give a voice to wildlife and keep up the pressure on senators. See iwt.ie/what-we-do/ campaigns/no-to-more-slash-and-burn for more info and details of the bill.

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IWT NEWS

NATIONAL REPTILE SURVEY UPDATE

By Kieran Flood, IWT Conservation Officer.

B

y now you will certainly have noticed the nip in the air as temperatures drop across the island of Ireland. This change has not gone unnoticed in the reptile world with our lizards and slow worms laying low and seeking winter refuge under logs, stones and in outhouses. Hence, the IWT reptile surveying period has finished for 2016. We have had a great year for reptile surveying with hundreds of records submitted from right across the country from almost every county.

These data will be processed over winter and will be available for view on our website and in the next issue of this magazine. We are happy to inform you that thanks to support from Dublin Zoo, our reptile surveying work shall continue next year when reptile spotters around Ireland will wake up from hibernation and start all over again.

5Viviparous lizard. Pho

to: Pat Sommers

You can expect to see our native lizards out and about again from March.

For details of this year’s survey results

and how to get involved in 2017, keep an eye on our website at iwt.ie/reptile.

ROUND-UP OF ACTIVITIES It has been a busy autumn for the IWT.

T

his autumn saw the IWT out and about as usual running workshops and events to raise awareness of Irish wildlife and the need to protect it.

Highlights included the Networks for Nature programme which saw us visit county Tipperary where we conducted workshops with local community groups on the biodiversity value of Irish hedgerows, and how to protect and improve them. Thanks to support from Naas Library and Waterways Ireland, we hit the canals to run a family-friendly event, Wildlife of our Canals, which explored the wildlife in counties Kildare and Dublin.

These events involved the always popular

pond dipping, bringing people face to face with caddisfly larvae, water boatmen, ramshorn snails and a host of other aquatic life. Our primary school environmental education programme, Badger Schools, also returned after the summer break with classroom visits for science week.

We have also been conducting fieldwork at our Lough Boora nature reserve in Co Offaly.

These studies are feeding into plans to make the site more accessible for education activities and IWT members in 2017 – watch this space!

5 Children

pond dippin

g.

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IWT NEWS

ENVIRONMENTAL SAFEGUARDS PROTECT FARMERS AND RURAL COMMUNITIES

By Pádraic Fogarty, IWT Campaigns Officer.

A

re environmental laws concocted in Brussels by faceless bureaucrats the biggest threat to farmers and rural communities in Ireland? Listening to much of the debate surrounding the flooding of homes and farmland over the past year, particularly in the Shannon region, it would seem the answer is a resounding yes. But arriving at this conclusion is wrong on a number of levels. In fact, better protection of the environment is key to addressing not only flooding but a number of threats to rural life. Communities have lived with flooding long before

erick

5 Flooding, Co. Lim

we had laws protecting the environment.

The reason it has become necessary to introduce laws is because so many of our native habitats and species are in danger of disappearing. The River Shannon for instance has lost much of its wildlife over the past century – it is no longer home to the populations of salmon or wetland birds that it once was. Artificial barriers, the removal of entire bogs from the landscape, drainage of tributaries (such as the Inny and the Brosna) and intensification of agriculture have left us with a much

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diminished countryside in terms of wildlife and natural beauty.

The laws we have are in place to save what’s left from being wiped out entirely. But this is not only about saving fish and birds; contrary to many statements from farmers’ organisations, environmental groups do not consider protecting animals more important than people.

More and more evidence is amassing which points to 5 Whooper swans. Pho to: the fact that holding water on Andrew Kelly (akellyphot o.com) the land for longer is better at preventing floods than drainage schemes which aim to deliver the water conservation bodies (particularly the as fast as possible to the sea. Holding National Parks and Wildlife Service) mean water back means better regulation of the we are not realising their full potential. flow, with less flash flooding and fewer Flooding is a complex problem, and as extremes. More predictability means we we face the uncertainties of our changing can plan where flooding will occur and climate, the only thing we know for sure is so avoid homes and vital infrastructure. that we will have to adapt to whatever new Nature is our most important ally in this reality emerges. Restoring nature will not fight. We can rewet bogs to become lakes only help us in this task, but has the added and wetlands, allow rivers to flood their benefits of providing amenities, tourist banks in certain areas, and create better attractions, cleaning our water and creating incentives for farmers to maintain and more sustainable farming systems. More replant native hedgerows. A recent study dredging and bashing laws to protect the from Wales found that land with trees environment will provide none of these. absorbed 60 times more water than grazed pasture (search the internet for ‘Pontbren Project’). We also need to acknowledge that the model of intensive farming being pursued by the Government is having a brutal effect on our environment and many farming communities. It is forcing farmers to invest more in land drainage, reseeding and increasing stock densities – all of which contribute to flooding. Much of the problem is not that environmental laws prevent what needs to be done, but that poor implementation of the laws, lack of political leadership and the chronic underinvestment in nature 5 Pond in Boora bog

land

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IWT NEWS

MINISTER HUMPHREYS: NATURE IS IMPORTANT TOO

By Pádraic Fogarty, IWT Campaigns Officer.

O

n November 17th the Heritage Bill once again came before the Seanad.

Among other things the Bill proposes changes to the Wildlife Act which would allow an extension of the season in which burning of upland vegetation and the cutting of hedgerows is allowed. The changes, first mooted over a year ago, have seen fierce resistance from wildlife organisations and over 25,000 people have signed a petition opposing them. The recent debates in the Seanad have been much livelier affairs than the first reading before the general election and impassioned pleas were delivered from the floor. One in particular, from Independent Senator Alice Mary Higgins, seized the attention of the chamber in exhorting: “If the Minister has responsibility for heritage, is it not her first responsibility to know what she is doing regarding heritage and gather the information that is needed, not to slash and burn and ask questions later?”

The minister in question, Heather Humphreys, has been a great disappointment to wildlife and conservation groups. In the years since she came to office, her big achievements in the field of natural heritage have been the de-designation of previously protected areas of peatlands and, depending on how things go with the Heritage Bill, more burning and hedge-cutting in the heart of the bird nesting season. Similar criticisms have been levelled at her from the arts community, an area which also falls within her remit. However, in recent weeks there has been an about turn in this regard, with Taoiseach Enda Kenny admitting that the arts have been neglected, and Minister Humphreys being quoted in The Irish Times as saying funding of the arts should not be looked at as “discretionary or, even worse, a luxury”. But Minister Humphreys: nor should the protection of the natural

world be seen as a luxury.

In November the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its quadrennial State of the Environment report in which it warned that, “clean air and water are not luxury items but basic needs, and should be treated as valuable assets that need to be protected to benefit our health and the wider economy”. Clean air and water do not just magically appear, they are the products of healthy ecosystems, laws at the behest of special interests. It which in turn rely on their component is hard to see where the need arises for parts – the plants and animals that people more burning of uplands or inappropriate recognise as intrinsic to the natural world. cutting of hedgerows and, given health and Yet the same EPA report signalled alarm safety reasons are already provided for, no at the deterioration of the status of Irish coherent explanation has been promoted. ecosystems from bogs and rivers through Indeed, we urgently need more protection to the imminent extinction of species such for nature in the countryside as it declines as the corncrake, curlew and freshwater in lockstep with rural communities. The pearl mussel. These losses are not driven Minister does us all a disservice in her by a lack of knowledge, for we have worldapathy for the protection of nature and class scientists in Ireland who have detailed I hope our politicians will stand up for their causes and underlying trends. Nor what is really important and send this are they driven by a lack of legislation; bill to where it belongs: the bin. arguably Ireland has some of the strongest laws protecting nature in the world. No, the chief driver is a general lack of interest at the cabinet table. People should rightly expect our Minister for Heritage to be championing the protection of nature, something that is just as important as education or healthcare to the well-being of the Irish people. Instead we get a Minister who is abusing her power, against the advice of her officials, to Donegal. Photo: 5 Urris gorse fire, Co dismantle nature protection BY-ND 2.0) (CC r Greg Clarke/Flick

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EDUCATION

The Wood Wide Web Jenny Quinn explores the intricacies of the fungal network.

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he World Wide Web (‘www’ or ‘web’ for short) is a collection of web pages found on a network of computers (the internet). The web connects us in an unprecedented way, allowing us to get information, share and communicate effortlessly and speedily. Many of us use this system every single day by using email, online news sites, social networks (such as Facebook) etc. Humans are of course at the heart of this system. I have learned recently of another very similar system at play with something else at its heart – fungi.

Fungi are made up of a mass of thin threads, known as a mycelium. These threads form an underground web by weaving into the tips of plant roots at a cellular level. Roots and fungi combine to form what is called a mycorrhiza. So, individual plants are joined to one another by this underground network: a complex and collaborative structure that has become known as the Wood Wide Web (See Robert McFarlane’s article in The New Yorker (The Secrets of the Wood Wide Web, 7.8.2016).

It is collaborative, or mutually beneficial, in the sense that fungi take some of the carbon-rich sugar that the plants produce during photosynthesis. The plants, in turn, get nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen that the fungi have taken from the soil, by means of enzymes that the trees don’t have. However, recent research in this area has shown that the Wood Wide Web is more complex than a basic exchange of goods between plants and fungi. The fungal network also allows plants to distribute resources (sugar, nitrogen, and phosphorus) between one another. For example, a dying tree might deprive itself of its resources for the benefit of the community, or a young seedling in a heavily shaded area might be supported with extra resources by its stronger neighbours. Even more remarkable, the network also allows plants to send warnings. A plant under attack from aphids can indicate to a nearby plant that it should raise its defensive response before the aphids get to it.

The increased understanding of these complex underground networks raises big questions about whether a forest, for example, might be better thought of as a single superorganism and about what trading, sharing, or even friendship might mean among plants. Similar questions could be asked about us with regard to the World Wide Web.

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BRANCH NEWS

The latest updates from

IWT BRANCHES NATIONWIDE Dublin Branch Autumn has seen the Dublin branch hold t o in e ents r first e ent s nature and heritage walk on the River Dodder which was very well attended. Our second event was a trip to the Phoenix Park to witness the seasonal deer rut. We had over 40 people attend the event and all reported a wonderful and informative guided walk by Favel. Recently we had a brilliant talk on the amazing conservation work done by Fergal on his farm in Mayo to help the corncrake. He is a dedicated conservationist and his lone efforts, which are sustained from his own pocket, are an inspiration to what can be achieved by a dedicated individual. We have a number of upcoming talks and initiatives planned for the new year. We hope to h e t k on fish f r s in e r r s well as an update on our lizard survey.

Trips will include a bird watching outing nd i d tree nd o er k e i also be launching a postcard gardening initiative to rewild urban back gardens.

OTTER ADVENTURE, BY STEPHEN MCARDLE, IWT DUBLIN I have been lucky enough to experience elusive otters in Ireland twice so far. Once at very close and unexpected quarters gliding majestically and silently on the River Laune near Killarney and another time out of my hotel window in the Ice House ote in i o he first ti e n otter s ro h fi e etres fro e s ked along the bank, calmly viewing me before it sank silently amid the tangled mass of submerged tree roots. I was immediately addicted to this elusive mammal and sought to try to view more in the wild.

After another encounter of an otter from the glass panorama of my hotel bed in the Ice House Hotel in Sligo, I was hooked. hen first st rted orkin on the odder

Otter Survey for the IWT Dublin, our team of volunteers spent hours walking the banks around the bridges along the Dublin river, recording typical signs of otters such s s r int nd tr ks e fo nd definiti e evidence of otters among us in our urban area. My commitment this time was dri en not st ffinit ith this mustelid but by the need to record solid data about their presence on the river.

Why did I feel this way? At the time, a cycle track was being proposed for the Dodder and I quickly realised that our hours spent scouring the banks and soft mud of the river could be used as data in an environmental impact statement in relation to the planned cycleway. What we were doing on a volunteer basis could affect a larger scheme of development.

It should be an epiphany for all conservationists, that the passion we have for nature and the data we can collect can be utilised and be part of a collaborative effort to monitor and protect our natural heritage. What we do individually does make a difference. I am inspired by Fergal Ó Cuinneagáin whose one-man battle has helped preserve the precarious corncrake on his farm in Mayo (see Irish Wildlife Summer 2016). As Ghandi said, ‘Be the change you want to see in the world.’ I now have bought a trail camera and I am attempting to record otter activity at known sprainting (droppings) sites along the Dodder. I am happy to report that h e t red first i e of n otter under a famous Dodder bridge.

What next for my ongoing search for this beautiful and elusive creature?

Perhaps I will follow the work carried out by the IWT Galway Branch by taking samples of spraint and getting a genetic analysis. My great otter adventure is clearly just beginning!

5 Cornc

rake. Ph oto: A Kelly (ak ellyphoto ndrew .com)

Otter captured on

tage

Stephen’s CCTV foo

5 The R

iver Dod der.

Lauren C/Flickr Photo: (CC BY-N D 2.0

)

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BRANCH NEWS

Kerry Branch The Kerry Branch has been busy this autumn with the refurbishment of six raised beds in the grounds of the Tralee Bay Wetlands Centre. The aim of the project, which has been funded by Kerry County Council, is for each bed to have its own distinct theme, showcasing the biodiversity possible in different habitats and hopefully providing inspiration for people in their own projects/gardens. Some of the themes include prehistoric, fruit, pollinator and spring. Planting is currently ongoing, with the main highlight so far being the ferns in the prehistoric section. Part of the funding is going towards educational signage, and the project will be tied into the branch’s Badger Club activities, as well as the educational work carried out by the Wetlands Centre itself – quite apart from hopefully enhancing what is already a much used community space.

5 Biodiversity from the Jurassic

era at the Tralee Bay Wetlands Centre

Wild Ant – Travels and Discoveries around Kerry. By Anthony Dawson Whilst out walking on a local beach recently on a beautifully sunny Sunday morning with my children, I spotted something washed up on the gravel. Small, cone-shaped and tapered at one end, looking like a mound of seaweed, I turned it over to see lots of tiny legs as if it were a fat (wet) caterpillar.

No eyes or mouth parts to be seen and it had bristles for feet/toes. Several photos were taken and I found out that it is called a sea mouse (Aphrodita aculeata) and it is a scavenging/recycling worm that lives on the bottom of the sea cleaning up dead and decaying

m.

5 Fossilised tube wor

Photo: Anthony Dawson

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animals that fall to the seabed. Aphrodita is a genus of the polychaete worm found in the Mediterranean sea and the eastern and western Atlantic Ocean. The body of the sea mouse is covered in a dense mat of setae (hairlike structures). Adults generally fall within a size range of 7.5 to 15 centimetres, but some grow to 30cm. To my surprise there are well over 40 different species.

My discoveries on that day were not over et s s o t to find so ethin er old indeed. As my two small boys get older they love to climb on the large rocks right at the sea edge and at low tide on this day, I let them climb away. I followed them out onto the rocks and noticed something attached to the rock, not a limpet or a mollusc of some kind but attached within the rock itself. Tube-like structures shaped like worms but...fossilised. It turned out that these worms existed around 50 million years ago in the mud around Fenit, Co Kerry and over time the sediment covered them and turned them into solid rock – 50 million years ago, approximately 10 million years after the dinosaurs’ world

5S ea mouse

. Photo: Anthony Daws on

e to n end e or s th t fi ter the mud and their relatives are still found around our coastline. I have been here many times with my binoculars and my telescope looking at the local birdlife and seals but I have never seen these before. Fenit, Co Kerry is a hidden gem of a place too with its lighthouse, working harbour and beautiful beach that is safe to swim in. So, if you are in Tralee any time soon, head north to Fenit and who knows what you will discover.

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BRANCH NEWS

Saving remarkable birds,

by David McCormick The Kerry Branch has been working this year with Swift Conservation Ireland and Kerry County Council to identify suitable sites in Tralee to situate swift nest boxes.

Swift populations are in decline in Ireland; a victim of our changing building habits. They no longer have easy recourse to holes and nooks in building exteriors to site their nests when they arrive here in the springtime.

Two sites were chosen this year – a primary school and the viewing tower at Tralee Bay Wetlands Centre. While the school project is ongoing – funding still needs to be sourced for the electrical supply for cameras and sound projectors at the box site – the tower project is complete and ready for the birds’ arrival in April. The centre had previously installed three nest boxes on the tower – the box openings were fractionally too large however, and they had become colonised by starlings, a perennial competitor with swifts for potential nest spots. The three previous timber boxes were removed and replaced with six double boxes, for a total of 12 nest sites, a veritable mini-colony!

German manufacturer Schwegler makes very sound woodcrete boxes, and they have been the go-to for swift conservationists for a number of years. For these projects, however, we decided to keep it local and go with the new kid on the block for nest boxes in Ireland, Killarney-based Genesis Nest Boxes. Their boxes are very impressive, made out of magnesium oxide rather than

5 Nesting sw

ifts

woodcrete and hence are light, strong and completely weatherproof. The weight is one of the i est enefits of their desi n since swift boxes need to be sited high up in awkward locations – in this case 20 metres off the ground! The company is currently working with Michael O’Clery of Birdwatch Ireland to make barn owl nest boxes that are light enough to manoeuvre with one hand, a must when halfway up a tree on a ladder. Now that the boxes are in place, we will play swift calls from the to er to ttr t the irds hen the first arrive in Tralee in the spring. Sometimes it can take several years before a new site becomes inhabited – we are hoping to get lucky though, since many swifts visit the area on a daily basis during the summer to take advantage of the exceptional feeding opportunities over the wetland. You don’t need to be a large organisation to get

5 The Tralee

Bay Wetlands viewi ng centre

involved in swift conservation – a nest box is no tr si e nd s it e for fittin on any kind of building, and a single nest site is an invaluable aid to the preservation of this iconic species. For more information contact Lynda Huxley of Swift Conservation Ireland at www.swiftconservation.ie. The branch would very much like to thank Scoil Eoin Balloonagh and Tralee Bay Wetlands Centre for getting involved in this project, and especially Kerry County Council for their interest nd fin n i s ort

Galway Branch news, by Paula Mullen I recently attended the IWRC (International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council) basic wildlife rehabilitation course which took place in Ashbourne last month. The course was held over two days, however participants were required to complete some homework prior to attending.

Being a veterinary nurse I had the added incentive of receiving continuous professional development points to stay on the nursing register, but the course was aimed at anybody who had an interest in learning about wildlife and rehabilitation.

Those attending came from a variety of backgrounds including zookeepers, students, rehabilitators and farmers.

The course contained classroom and practical sessions which covered basic physical e in tion of the ni id ther bandaging, assisted feeding and of course safe handling and restraint. The weekend session concluded with a written exam which touched on all the topics we had covered over the two days. On completion we all received a copy of the both useful and enormous IWRC Basic Wildlife Rehabilitation handbook

nd ertifi te fro the in the is sent out to those who pass the exam.

The highlight for me was probably the post mortem of a hedgehog which is not something most people get to see very often.

Besides that, there was a lot to enjoy and take away from the course as it was delivered ified nd e erien ed reh i it tors who are clearly passionate about their work.

I’d highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in wildlife, and more information can be found on the Irish Wildlife Matters website wwwirishwildlifematters.ie.

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WILD IDEAS

The Pine Marten in Ireland Ruth Hanniffy from the Vincent Wildlife Trust on the latest research into a conservation success story.

M

ammals are highly charismatic and inspiring to watch – imagine a grey wolf padding across a snowy Scandinavian hillside or an orangutan swinging through a Bornean forest. Closer to home our mammals are just as elusive and a glimpse can be equally exhilarating; an otter smoothly gliding along a river’s edge or an encounter with a stoat – feisty and steeped in folklore.

On occasion, however, charisma and folklore are not the terms that spring to mind when mammals are depicted by the Irish media, as has been the case recently for the pine marten. Reading newspaper headlines one would be forgiven for incorrectly envisioning large animals who roam the countryside in large numbers, wilfully causing damage in their ke d it re e ts k of re i tion of Ireland’s natural history, making it important to present the facts that don’t make the headlines.

The pine marten is a cat-sized animal with darkbrown fur and a bushy tail. Originally found in every county, its population declined due to persecution, strychnine poisoning and the act of being hunted for its

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5 Pine marten. Photo: Paul Lalor

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WILD IDEAS

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WILD IDEAS

mink-like fur. It is protected by both national and European legislation and this, along with afforestation, has facilitated a slow recovery from isolated populations in the west and south east. Earlier this year the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) commissioned a pine marten population assessment to produce an updated national abundance for the Republic of Ireland. The study was led by Dr Declan O’Mahony from the AgriFood and Biosciences Institute, Northern Ireland along with Dr Catherine O’Reilly and Dr Peter Turner from Waterford Institute of Technology. The results of this national study will be used to assess the conservation status, management requirements and future monitoring of the pine marten in Ireland. Previous studies placed the population

in the low thousands. The new estimate will be derived using accepted methodology and analysis, as opposed to anecdotal reports of abundance.

In nature, the pine marten is a solitary, territorial creature, with the males and females only coming together to breed. Sightings of a group will typically comprise of a female with two to three kits, which remain with her for up to six months after birth.

They are predators, but their diet is extremely varied and includes wood mice, bank voles, rabbits, squirrels, birds, frogs, carrion, eggs, insects and fruit.

Remarkably, in Ireland, pine martens are being blamed for the killing of both sheep and lambs. The Vincent Wildlife Trust (VWT) has discussed these claims with a range of veterinary practitioners 5 Pine marten. Photo: Andrew Kelly (akellyphoto.com)

// THEY ARE PREDATORS, BUT THEIR DIET IS EXTREMELY VARIED AND INCLUDES WOOD MICE, BANK VOLES, RABBITS, SQUIRRELS, BIRDS, FROGS, CARRION, EGGS, INSECTS AND FRUIT. //

5 Pine marten. Photo: Paul Lalor

18

throughout the island and Britain, and all of them have questioned the basis for these claims, stressing that dogs and foxes continue to be the main sources of predation when post mortem analysis is carried out on carcasses submitted to regional laboratories.

While there is no doubt that good animal husbandry is required to protect domestic poultry and game fowl from an animal as agile as a pine marten, householders also need to ensure their premises are well maintained so female martens are not able to access and use loft spaces to rear their young. The VWT, in partnership with the NPWS, has produced two information e ets on the ine rten nd is currently working with a gun to test the effi of sin electric poultry netting at a pheasant release pen – so far the results are very encouraging.

Not too far away, Scottish pine martens are proving to be a major tourist attraction. The ecotourism industry, established

in the 1980s, is now worth £65 million to Scotland’s economy, creating over 2,700 jobs.

Ecotourism is “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education”.

The silver lining is a greater awareness and appreciation of our natural environment, which strengthens our connection with nature and enefits ent nd h si health. Each year 1.12 million trips are made to Scotland for the primary purpose of viewing wildlife. As Irish tourism is on the rise, with over 41 per cent of our overseas tourists coming from Britain, this potential is untapped.

The pine marten is a natural part of our landscape, one of our few predators.

Living in harmony with it is not just important for the survival of this species, it is symbolic of how we choose to safeguard the landscapes and wildlife we still have.

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n o i t i t e p m o C

COMPETITION

This winter we are offering our beloved readers an opportunity to win one of two new nature-themed books.

What better way to look forward to spring!

The Breathing Burren by Gordon D’Arcy Belfast native Gordon D’Arcy happened upon Cassidy’s pub in the Burren some time in the 1970s during a downpour. A warm fire, traditional music session and several black pints held him and his hitchhiking friend contented till closing time. D’Arcy said, “When we requested permission from Bobby Cassidy (the present owner’s late father) to pitch a tent on the grass in the shelter of the building, he answered, ‘I wouldn’t put a dog out in that weather.’ Not only did he put us up for the night but he also furnished us with a full Burren breakfast in the morning before we left to explore Carron’s flooded turlough. Money was not mentioned.” Since then, D’Arcy has spent over 30 years living on the Burren’s edge and exploring its remarkable natural heritage. Now, with The Breathing Burren (The Collins Press, 24.99), he celebrates the region and pays tribute to the people with whom he shares the wonders of the Burren and who have contributed to an understanding and appreciation of it.

The Garden Awakening by Mary Reynolds The Garden Awakening is a garden design book with a difference. Mary Reynolds re-imagines the garden for the times we live in, looking at land the way a parent looks at a child – as a gift and a responsibility. Learn how to design and nurture a beautiful, vibrant and magical space. Bring the energy and atmosphere of wild places into your garden while incorporating sustainable living, especially growing your own food, all in harmony with nature’s own intentions. You will never look at your garden in the same way again. Mary is the youngest woman to win a gold medal at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show. She is an Irish garden and landscape designer, famous for her wild garden at Kew Royal Botanical Gardens in London, and her life has also been the inspiration for a film, Dare to be Wild.

We have a copy of The Garden Awakening and two copies of The Breathing Burren to give away. To be in with a chance to win, just answer the following question: Which native Irish cuddly carnivore is making a comeback but has attracted unwanted media attention this year?

Send your answer, name and address, along with the preferred title, to irishwildlife@iwt.ie by February 1st 2017

Autumn ’16 Winners: In our autumn issue we gave our members a chance to win a copy of Naturama by Michael Fewer and the classic Run With the Wind by Tom McCaughren.

The question we asked was: Which aquatic creature is the subject of a new documentary by Declan O’Mahony?

The answer was: The Atlantic salmon.

The lucky winners are: Ailís Hickey from Ennis, Co Clare (Naturama) and Helena Bergin from Athlone in Co Westmeath (Run With the Wind).

Congratulations and thank you to all who entered!

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22/11/2016 16:15

FEATURE

Where’s the ‘Wild’ in Wild Nephin?

Many Irish wildlife enthusiasts have been asking one question over the past year – what’s going on with the Wild Nephin Project? Lenny Antonelli digs a little deeper.

5 Wild Nephin

ointly announced three years ago by the State forestry company Coillte and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), the Wild Nephin Project’s stated aim is to create an 11,000 hectare wilderness area in the Nephin Beg mountains of north west 20

Mayo. The most exciting element is perhaps Coillte’s plan to take 4,000 plus hectares of lodgepole pine and spruce forestry out of commercial operation, and to ‘re-wild’ the plantation into a large-scale mosaic of mixed woods and bogland. Coillte said this would be achieved by thinning out the dense conifer stands, introducing

native trees, and blocking forest drains to restore bogland. Rather than take an intensive approach to management Wild Nephin, as the project is known, would take these initial steps – then stand back and let nature take over. Under the plans, the forests would be combined with the mountains and

bogland of the adjoining Ballycroy National Park to create a large-scale ‘wilderness’ area – the first of its kind in Ireland. Forest roads would be closed to vehicles, and simple huts erected for backpackers, in a bid to facilitate ‘primitive’ recreation.

Soon after Wild Nephin was launched, I wrote about

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FEATURE

it in various newspapers and magazines, including The Irish Times and BBC Wildlife.

The plans were, and still are, wildly exciting. The Nephin forests o d e o e the first landscape in Ireland with a self-willed, hands-off approach to conservation, with nature given free reign to shape the site as it pleases (save, perhaps, for the removal of invasive species like rhododendron). Nephin could mark a radical change in Irish conservation, which tends to be obsessed with grazing, cutting, coppicing, and generally managing natural habitats in a fairly intensive way. Even our wildest areas (our mountain ranges) aren’t really that wild at all, grazed as they are to within an inch of their lives. Nature conservation in the European Union is largely driven by the Habitats Directive. This has been vital for protecting wildlife, but in my view it has one or it does not o habitats to shift and evolve over time, as they naturally tend to do, but insists on keeping them in stasis. For example, if Ireland were to allow scrub to develop on protected grassland – say because a farmer stopped grazing it – we would technically be in breach of the directive. But succession is a natural process that has shaped ecosystems for millennia, and though

5 Nephin mountain range

it sometimes produces low biodiversity stages like scrub, this ultimately becomes woodland – and allowing succession in the long-term leads to diverse, resilient, dynamic ecosystems.

RESPONSE Wild Nephin has taken its cue from the US model of wilderness areas, which designates large areas of wild land free from all human activities, where nature is left to its own devices.

Right now, Ireland has no such areas. In 2013 Coillte and the NPWS signed a memorandum of understanding for joint management of the site, after a large feasibility study was undertaken, and a steering group was established to oversee the project. But Wild Nephin has recently come in for some criticism online, and among Irish conservationists. The main bone of contention seems to be that while the project was launched two years ago with much PR and fanfare – including a slick YouTube video featuring Taoiseach Enda Kenny – little has happened on the ground.

One blogger, hillwalking guide Barry Murphy of Tourism Pure Walking, called the project a “charade” in a blog post last year, and asked why commercial felling, re-planting of conifers and fencing work has continued (something I saw

5 This region is dotted with

rivers, lakes and streams with huge wildlife potential

// WILD NEPHIN HAS TAKEN ITS CUE FROM THE US MODEL OF WILDERNESS AREAS, WHICH DESIGNATES LARGE AREAS OF WILD LAND FREE FROM ALL HUMAN ACTIVITIES, WHERE NATURE IS LEFT TO ITS OWN DEVICES. // myself when I visited the site last spring). Then in August this year, a letter published in The Irish Times encouraged the government to give Wild Nephin legal protection as a wilderness area (a term that o d need to e defined nder Irish law). This was sent by Bill Murphy of Greystones, a former head of recreation and environment at Coillte, and the man who essentially founded the project and brought it to fruition. In his letter, Murphy complimented Coillte and the NPWS for their vision, but wrote: “The Wild Nephin Wilderness has no legal status and will continue to be under threat from potential future development, be that telecom

masts, power lines, forestry, wind farms or inappropriate visitor facilities.” He added: “Giving legal status to the Wild Nephin Wilderness would protect this landscape as an area where nature prevails and h n in en e is ini The week before Irish Wildlife went to press, I spoke to both Denis Strong of the NPWS, and Coillte’s new head of recreation, Daithi de Forge, to ask for an update on the project. Both assured me the project was proceeding as planned. Strong is chairperson of the Wild Nephin steering group, and has said that the project will be managed collectively by the group, rather than the NPWS and Coillte each looking after its own Irish Wildlife Winter ‘16

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FEATURE

parcel of land. The research and guidelines prepared by the steering group, and by Bill Murphy previously, are now set to be consolidated into a management plan, which is due to e fin ised the s er of 2017. A consultant was set to be appointed to prepare the plan by the end of 2016. One of the management plan’s key tasks will be to recommend ways that the project can engage with the local community and bring e ono i enefits to the re

ON THE GROUND Driving into the site now, signs welcome you to the Wild Nephin Wilderness Area. But walk deeper into the forest, and you will see evidence of timber extraction, new fencing, and recently planted pine stands. So why is commercial forestry continuing – and when can it be expected to stop? Daithi de Forge and Denis Strong both have said that Coillte is bound by the terms of their forestry licence to continue to harvest, replant and fence areas of forestry until they receive permission to cease doing so from the Forest Service, a division of the Department of Agriculture.

“We’re legally obliged to do it,” de Forge said. But recently planted conifer stands should never be harvested, he added.

“Stuff that’s been planted in

5View over the coniferous

22

5 Nephin mountain range

the last few years – it’s highly unlikely any of that would be harvested. That’s not what we envisage from the area,” he explains. Denis Strong added

plantations

that he would not expect much commercial extraction to continue beyond this winter, though this has yet to be onfir ed here s an agreement from the outset, he said, that Coillte would extract certain commercially valuable areas of timber from the site before the conversion to wilderness began in earnest. However, it is likely that some extraction will continue in the years to come, though the plan is to shift the nature of this extraction from commercial clear-felling to a thinning of dense pine and spruce stands, creating light and space for native species to move

in. It remains to be seen if this felled timber will be left in place (rotting timber can support a high degree of insect and bird biodiversity) or extracted for commercial use. Thinning trials have have already taken place in part of the forest, while planting of native trees like willow, birch, rowan and hazel is expected to provide a source of native tree seeds on the site.

Daithi de Forge was also open about the fact that little has physically happened on the ground. “It has been some time since we launched the idea of the wilderness project – without indeed a lot to show for it in the meantime,” he admitted.

But he said the conversion process, from commercial forestry, through a process of re-

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FEATURE

// UNDERSTANDABLY, THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW RAISED EYEBROWS ABOUT THE PROJECT IN CONSERVATION CIRCLES — DRIVEN PERHAPS BY COILLTE’S QUESTIONABLE ENVIRONMENTAL RECORD. //

fencing Barry in Wild Nephin. Photos courtesy g.com alkin urew ismp .tour www Murphy,

5Above and right: Felling and

wilding and restoration, to a fin i ht to h n e ent re i e o d t ke o t e rs e re r d ste in k fro tre tin the forest in o er i forestr nd o in to different re i e ith ie to ettin do n to h ore i ht to h n e ent inter ention he s s o e ers of the orest er i e h e no oined the i d e hin steerin ro hi h o d e r to e ositi e de e o ent in se rin the end of r e s e o er i forestr o er tions on the site he i est h en e e hin f es e the s re d

of in si e rhododendron hi h is s re din into the so thern rt of the site he s e ies so oses h en e to the ro e t s hi oso h of i ht to h n e ent f o st osed the tes nd ked e d st h e ono t re of rhododendron enis tron s s t de in ith rhododendron i e e ensi e nd o r intensi e tron noted th t on e the n e ent n is ished one of his in t sks i e to n s for f ndin to i e ent its proposals in earnest. e n hi e there re sti ns to ose the forest ro ds to ehi es tho h there is

de te o t hether to on ert the to hikin tr i s o in e et tion to en ro h or int inin ess for e er en ehi es o in h ts h e re d een onstr ted to f i it te k kers tho h not kers e s oken to re in f o r of the n the ro side of the site there re so ns to re i d dere i t oth nder ie e rr re nd s re otest o nt in nd to r de hikin tr i s e re tion i e i rt of the ro e t de or e s s h t do e en is e in ter s of i derness h t kind of e erien e do e nt eo e to h e o n the n et their oots on nd et o t nd e erien e i derness f o rse the re test i e hen kers nd k kers rri in to the site n e in to h e ore

en ine i derness e erien e nd hen the si ns of r e s e o er i forestr st rt to f de into ne se i n t r h it ts nderst nd there h e een fe r ised e e ro s o t the ro e t in onser tion ir es – dri en erh s oi te s estion e en iron ent re ord nd indeed e en if e er thin ro eeds s nned in the short ter the ro e t s on ter f t re is no e ns r nteed s i r h s etter to The Irish Times ointed o t o e st ontin e to int in ress re on the nd oi te – t o i ndo ners fter all – to de i er on its ns t r ther th n e too ni e sho d s ort the ro e t hi e ontin in to de nd ro ress nd ontin in to sk estions – th t s ho e n he to ens re th t the ns for i d e hin do indeed e o e re it Irish Wildlife Winter ‘16

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EXPLORING WILDLIFE

Winter’s

GIVING As the days grow shorter and the climate cools, Gordon D’Arcy reflects on the Irish landscape in winter.

N

ature, expended by the demands of long summer days, slows down at this time of year. Flowers have long since died back.

Deciduous trees, devoid of their leaves, have adopted a skeletal ode er interin oths nd tter ies queen bees and wasps have retired to safe niches in old buildings. Torpid frogs are installed at the muddy bottoms of ponds and newts, resembling miniature rubber lizards, are curled up beneath waterside boulders.

Wood mice and red squirrels, their nut larders full, have scaled down their normally frenetic lifestyle while bats and hedgehogs, relying on bodily fat stores, are sleeping out the winter in out of the way hidey holes.

Birds, however, undaunted by whatever the season may hold, enliven the winter

countryside with their presence. Busy foraging parties of linnets gather at the ed es of st e fie ds h ffin hes feedin on seed mast beneath roadside beeches explode into the air at the approach of cars but return repeatedly, apparently inconvenienced by the intrusion. Male (and occasional female) robins burst into song at the blink of sunshine, as though unaware of the season. Northern thrushes fie df res nd red in s ke the most of the berry-laden hedgerows.

It is on our wetlands that our winter birds come into their own. The swollen callows of our major rivers, lakes and turloughs, and the saltmarshes and estuaries that punctuate our coastline, act as magnets to extraordinary accumulations of birds. Our summer quota of insect-eating species – s o s r ers t hers he te rs

5 Golden plover. Photo: M. Brown

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etc. – long departed for Africa, has been replaced by another comprising wildfowl and wading birds from the Arctic. This latter suite is attracted to the abundant supplies of seeds, weeds and invertebrates to be found in our wetlands. The hundreds of Icelandic whooper swans announcing their tuneful arrival on the Inch callows near Derry city, or the wavering lines of thousands of Greenland white-fronted geese coming from their island roosts to the Wexford wildfowl reserve, are sights to behold and worth the effort to observe – even in the worst of winter weather.

WINTER IN THE BURREN For many livestock farmers the winter, whether tolerable or not, is a period of considerable trial. Sheep herders must take d nt e of s o in o ks to dr er hi sides nd o st ts n onne r sheep may be found feeding on nutrient-rich se eeds on she tered shores tt e re ed to lowland comfort by farmers well aware of harsh upland conditions. Nowadays most

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EXPLORING WILDLIFE

5The Burren in winter

// LOCAL HERDS, AUGMENTED BY MANY BROUGHT IN FROM OUTSIDE THE REGION, ARE ASSEMBLED AT PERIPHERAL LOCATIONS IN LATE OCTOBER, WHENCE THEY ARE DRIVEN TO THE UPLANDS FOR THE WINTER. // cattle are sedentary, held in slatted sheds and fed with silage for the winter months.

In the Burren, however, cattle defy this seasonal imperative. Local herds, augmented by many brought in from outside the region, are assembled at peripheral locations in late October, whence they are driven to the uplands for the winter. This reverse-transhumance involves young beasts, formerly mainly bullocks, but nowadays also young cows. While there is a long tradition in Ireland of moving cattle from pasture to pasture – known as booleying – upland inter r in or inter e is onfined to the Burren. Scores of primitive circular booley huts have been located on the Burren plateau indicating the prehistoric

origins of this practice. Nowadays the uniqueness of the tradition is recognised by the EU and is supported and subsidised through the Farming for Conservation programme run by Burren Beo. To date some 200 Burren farmers are engaged in the programme, and it has recently been extended to the Aran Islands.

How is this possible? How, when the uplands elsewhere in the country are more or less shutting down, can the Burren offer s h enefi en e n er of f tors re at play, the most important of which is the Burren’s rock, carboniferous limestone.

Limestone is a warm rock. It has the extraordinary capacity to take in heat from the sun and let it out very gradually

over the course of days, weeks, even months.

In addition, the temperature of the thin soils in en ed r e the soft orth t nti Drift, (an offshoot of the Gulf Stream), rarely drops below four degrees thus permitting grass and herb growth throughout the winter: frosts and snowfalls do occur but are invariably short-lived. The adequate (though in re sin e essi e r inf th t oods the turloughs supplements the underground aquifer, ensuring the absence of winter droughts. The unfertilised vegetation is a highly nutritious and biodiverse mixture of hardy grasses and herbs. Cattle thrive in the exposed circumstances of the winterages. Despite the rocky terrain they are rarely injured and beasts taken do n for finishin in s rin re d ired for their robust, healthy condition.

Winterage grazing is surely one of the season’s most remarkable gifts.

Under the Farming for Conservation programme in the Burren it utilises the region’s seasonal attributes to enefit oth eo e nd n t re Irish Wildlife Winter ‘16

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22/11/2016 16:53

WINTER FOCUS

The End of an Epoch Mankind is living in the midst of a mass extinction event, writes Billy Flynn.

A

round about this time last year, this contributor came across the results of a survey of wild bird populations that just about spanned his lifetime, from 1970 to 2014 (see Irish Wildlife Winter 2015). This time, the year of his birth was back in the news for reasons related to species conservation. Again, the news isn’t good. This October saw the release of the Worldwide Fund for Nature’s Living Planet Report 2016: Risk and Resilience in Nature.

This is an impressive and important piece of work that looks at trends in the populations of over 14,000 species, but does not make for comfortable reading. 1970 is again the baseline year for measuring the species’ wellbeing and the trends are not encouraging. The 140-odd pages of the report may be summed up as ‘things are not good for our planet’s living things, including us’. Without change, things won’t be getting better any time soon.

26

END OF AN ERA With great enthusiasm and no small amount of optimism, we embraced 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity. We looked forward to the following decade as 2020 was our target, the year when global decline in biodiversity was to end. It all looks rather pathetic now. According to the Living Planet report, the populations of the species under survey will have fallen by 67 per cent by this landmark year. At the time of writing we are already looking at a 58 per cent fall since the records began in 1970.

Students of geology, palaeontology and zoology are comfortable talking about eons, eras, periods and epochs. These are how we describe the thousands of millions of years of the formation of our planet and how we have divided up this time into units made distinct by changes detectable in the geological record. To date we have seen such changes brought about by massive

increases in volcanic activity, shifting tectonic plates or the emergence or impacts from meteorites. Some of these changes have resulted in the emergence or disappearance of creatures that have left their fossilised remains somewhere in the strata. When the species disappear, we know we are looking at evidence of an extinction. Driven almost certainly by some of the mega-events listed above, mass extinctions have been documented. The sudden demise of the dinosaurs is one such event. The Living Planet report states what many scientists have already felt must be true: we are living in the midst of another mass extinction, one of our own making. This is the Anthropocene.

No other species has been able to do this – to assert its presence on the planet to such an extent that a new epoch has come o t o i ht e define the e innin of this new unit of time for the planet? Our legacy isn’t shaping up to be a good one.

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WINTER FOCUS

Geologists of the future might excavate our cities and our megacities. Rocks and ice cores (should there be any left) will record massive rises in the concentration of carbon dioxide nd other reenho se ses idifi tion of oceans and the disappearance of coral will leave their mark. Persistent chemicals such as polychlorines will be around for a long time. Radionuclides longer still.

Future palaeontologists will chart this time by quantifying the disappearance of thousands of species from the fossil record. nother first for n s e ies – the ability to speed up the rate of extinction to many times its natural or background rate.

Of what species are we talking? The Living Planet Index measures biodiversity abundance levels based on 14,152 populations of 3,706 vertebrate species.

These have all been in decline for a range of reasons. The African elephant’s population has gone into sharp decline

since the re-emergence of poaching for ivory. Over half of all dead elephants found on this continent have been illegally killed. Habitat loss is pushing species to the edge of their ranges and to extinction.

By 2000 nearly half (48.5 per cent) of all of the subtropical dry broadleaf forest had een odified for h n se s to allow for food production. Along with the forest, 41 per cent of species were lost too.

Overexploitation of resources is a theme e e ored in these es r fish sto ks tell the story with the majority of commercial species at or beyond the catch limits required for the long-term sustainability of the species.

Our growing demand as a species for meat is having massive consequences on natural ecosystems as swathes of these are lost to agriculture – usually for fodder for the livestock we wish to devour. Our ability to transport materials has led to our daily lives having impacts that resonate on nature on

the other side of the world. With our coming of age as a global species has come the rise in invasive species and disease, introducing new threats to vulnerable ecosystems.

While we may mourn the passing of species, extinctions of living things we have never actually seen, let us not forget that we are eroding the fundamental systems on which we depend. Last year almost 50 countries experienced water stress or water scarcity. Food security threats will grow as our natural capital declines. As clean water and air become scarcer, our own well-being as a species is threatened. Unless we can develop a way of uncoupling our lifestyles and its demands from the degradation of our natural resources, further extinctions will be inevitable. Our food and energy production methodology must have sustainability at its core. Otherwise we risk hastening this new epoch and its founder to a far too speedy end.

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22/11/2016 09:08

FIELD REPORT

Green Meets Blue Ireland’s marine environments are home to a fascinating diversity of life, explains Green Divers’ Séamus Heffernan.

Green Divers is an environmental community group that aims to promote the protection of Ireland’s coastal areas and raise awareness of its marine life. The idea behind the group started when we noticed some of the marine debris at our local dive site. So we decided to do something about it and to carry out an underwater cleanup as part of the Clean Coasts week. It grew from there!

A frequent question we get asked is “Do 28

you see much when you are diving?” Like any wild environment our seas contain the full circle of predators and prey. There are 24 different species of whales that visit our shores, including the largest animal to ever live, the blue whale. One of the more exciting to see is the bottlenose dolphin, which can grow up to 4m in length and weigh in at 650kg. Having one perform a somersault above the surface or effortlessly glide by while diving is a great reminder of their power. A typical sight around our coast are the common and grey seals. The bigger grey seal is a frequent visitor on scuba dives and can be seen playfully following you ro nd or t kin heek ni on o r fins If seals are a bit too tame for you, believe it or not we also have 39 different species of sharks. One of the most abundant sharks is the do fish hi h n e s otted s i in in the crystal clear waters of Hook Head. You don’t even have to dip a toe in the water to see traces of these sharks as their empty egg

cases (known as a mermaid’s purse) can be found washed up along the high tide mark.

DIVERSITY Cheap air fares have opened up the world in terms of travelling opportunities to visit warm tropical waters and as any s i er i onfir rish ters re chilly! Obviously we can’t compete on the temperatures but Irish diving can hold its own in terms of diverse and fascinating marine life. A perfect example of this is the brightly coloured cuckoo wrasse that can change its sex and colour depending on the proportion of females in the area. er fish n e e en ore strikin ike the ee sh ed tterfish or the tompot blenny which hides out in crevices and wears a red crown on its head.

Dublin may not have the clearest water but it still offers a bit of everything, and like hiking in the hills, it pays to wait until conditions are good. The more diving

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FIELD REPORT

WHAT TO SEE WHILE DIVING IN IRELAND

HERMIT CRAB Salvages empty seashells for protection

GREATER PIPEFISH A close relative of the seahorse

you do the more your eyes get tuned to picking out marine life that can be easily o er ooked en o on kno n fish ike the i e re o e kin s nd can hide in plain sight on the sand. Or the exotic looking long-spined sea scorpion fish th t n h n e o o r to end into its surroundings to ambush prey. o e fish i i i the o e ent of se eed ike the re ter i efish which looks like a straightened out seahorse. With names like the candy stri ed t or e en the or s et more exciting underwater. Double spiral or s h e the e r n e of o ers but can react to shadows and can quickly disappear into their homemade tubes.

Crabs can provide some of the most comical interactions with massive spiny spider crabs that like to jump off the steep se s or the feist e et s i in r that will stand its ground no matter how big you look. Even in the last few centimetres

of ter hen o r di e is fin o er o n s find tin her it r s ro in ro nd fi htin o er she s in the sand. This snapshot doesn’t even cover the st rfish th t n re ro e s soft r n hin corals or the cnidarians that look like fin ers re hin fro the se oor Blue whales may be the biggest in size but they pale in comparison to humans in having an effect on our seas.

During our clean-ups we got rid of the sho in tro e s r doors nd ro d signs etc. so that most of the long-term debris was removed. But the general public can make a bigger contribution even without doing a beach clean-up by saying no to single use plastics.

This eclectic mix of animals makes it h e sier to t ith the o d but most of all it’s the enormous sense of adventure when out diving. Knowing that anything can and will swim by – it’s just a matter of keeping your eyes peeled.

LION’S MANE JELLYFISH The largest known species of jellyfish

CANDY STRIPED FLATWORM A striking creature which crawls along the seabed You can follow Green Divers on Twitter @greendivers, or visit greendivers.ie

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22/11/2016 09:10

MEMBERS’ LETTERS

OVER TO YOU The weather is rapidly cooling, the first frosts have been spotted and across the country more and more people are switching on the heating. While some of Ireland’s wildlife will disappear for the winter, many others are still out and about. We love to receive your photos, stories and queries – here’s a selection from the past few months.

UNWELCOME VISITOR I’ve never seen a moth as big as this before.

We’re in Brittas Bay, Co Wicklow. I came home last night to discover this giant visitor in the kitchen. I was pretty horrified to be honest. I’m not a moth fan! My husband caught the creature in a glass and we had a good look at him. He was a feisty fellow!

He’s since been released to the wilds of our back garden again – are they unusual?

Thanks, Elaine

Conv

olvul

us Ha wk-

moth

Thanks Elaine, it is a convolvulus hawk-moth, migrants from mainland Europe so are not found here throughout the year. We sent your record to Philip Strickland of Moths Ireland (see www.mothsireland.com) who told us that there had been quite a few records of this moth (as well as the Death’s-head hawkmoth) this autumn.

Regards, IWT

Hello IWT,

wart on the tional Trust Mount Ste Na at rk wo up ld he These giant wood wasps for them to finish laying a while as we waited for wn Do Co la, su laid and left them Ards Penin s of timber where they nk chu e som off ced sli e (the timber eggs. We also for the larvae to matur e pin ots Sc wn blo nd g). The at the site of the wi play site we’re developin al tur na a d an g vin is being used for tree car e of them on the the tele-handler has on on ed lift ber tim the ture of volunteer picture with ve included a candid pic ha we d an le, sca for We watched end of the log watch while we wait! his g pin tap m the to wood to lay ranger Dean next (it pushes this into the log the of t ou or sit ipo the wasp pulling its ov the process.

15 minutes to complete to 10 t ou ab es tak it its eggs) – Toby Edwards, rt Estate, Ranger, Mount Stewa wn.

National Trust, Co Do

30

Waitin giant g for the wood w asp

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22/11/2016 16:54

MEMBERS’ LETTERS

REMEMBER SILENCE OF THE LAMBS? On Monday September 26th I received a message from Emma Gormley, a teacher at Bunninadden National School in Co Sligo, that one of the students had found a Death’s-head hawkmoth outside his house that morning and had brought it into school. It was alive when found but had expired by the time I arrived at the school to see it. What is truly amazing is that almost a year ago another Death’s-head hawkmoth Death’s-head had appeared by the front door of the same school! At the time no one hawkmoth interest my of knew who Emma, but at the school knew what it was, in moths through my work as a Heritage in Schools Specialist, got in history touch. This moth was alive and I was able to tell the children all about its life moth to show to others this and much of the folklore associated with the species. I was also able to take This time around the in the community before taking it back to the school for the children to release. to think that a creature children were once again intrigued by the impressive looking insect. It is ironic much to promote a so do should ions long associated with death and the subject of morbid superstit greater awareness and appreciation of the wonderful diversity of life.

Michael Bell, Ballymote, Co Sligo v

ARMY AT THE GATES September saw a most unusual abundance of Portuguese men-of-war (or should it be man-of-wars?) appear on our shores. Although over a thousand appeared along the southwest coast back in 1968, this year has seen reports from across the western seaboard, with sometimes hundreds of their deflated ‘balloons’ littering beaches. Their tentacles, which can dangle up to 20m into the water, are deadly poisonous, even after death. Although commonly referred to as jellyfish, they are in fact a siphonophore – a colony of individual organisms, known as zooids. They cannot swim and so drift on the surface of the sea, propelled only by the wind and ocean currents. They are more frequently recorded from more southerly waters and om so their appearance may fr r r Photo: Tim O la be related to su enin the Dingle P climate change.

www.facebo

WORTH THE

ok.com/Irish

WildlifeTrust/

WAIT!

Congratulatio ns to ANN GR EGORY, winn Facebook phot er of our o of the month competition fo beautiful shot r this of a snail!

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 Winter ‘16

030 IWT Winter16_Over to You.indd 31

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22/11/2016 09:13

ON LOCATION

Wildlife Response Niall Keogh outlines the importance of the Oiled Wildlife Response Network.

T

he Oiled Wildlife Response Network (OWRN) works as an umbrella group whose primary objective is to bring stakeholders, experts and volunteers together to provide an effective response for wildlife in the event of a serious pollution incident in the aquatic environment in Ireland.

OWRN is the brainchild of Pauline Beades, a veterinary nurse who was inspired to get involved with oiled wildlife response after the Prestige oil spill in Galicia, Spain in 2002. Realising such an event could happen in Ireland, Pauline travelled to Belgium and California to train in oiled wildlife rehabilitation. During this time she came to understand the importance of cooperation between all relevant parties and the value of training in advance of such pollution events.

With this in mind, the group was set up with the aim of coordinating and

5The OWRN team

32

optimising resources and expertise from relevant associated organisations, to work together under one banner and to maintain internationally recognised standards of animal care. Over many years OWRN has successfully built a professional network of supporters including port authorities, environmental NGOs, the Shannon Estuary anti-pollution team and relevant county councils. By working closely with the Irish Coast Guard and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), OWRN helps ensure human safety and best practice during such an incident. Furthermore, there are now four coastal depositories of essential equipment located around the country which are available to the group for a primary wildlife response should an oil spill or other pollution event occur in Ireland.

OWRN hosts regular indoor training events and mock oil spill exercises around the country, providing both network

representatives and individual volunteers with the skills required to respond quickly, effi ient nd h ne to the needs of wildlife affected by pollution incidents.

If you would like to attend one of these training events then check out the group website www. oiledwildliferesponse.ie, Facebook and Twitter @OWResponse, or by emailing info@ oiledwildliferesponse.ie for more information.

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22/11/2016 09:14

THANK YOU to everyone who submitted sightings for our National Reptile Survey.

Join or renew your IWT membership today and make a difference for Irish wildlife.

Visit www.iwt.ie

Do keep sending in those sightings if you spot any lizards or slow worms before the winter.

The survey will continue next spring when the lizards come out of winter hibernation.

Please send your sightings along with the date, location, habitat and a photo to iwtresearch@gmail.com or see www.iwt.ie/lizard-survey.

Introducing the new Irish Wildlife Trust membership card.

Please fill in your name, cut out and keep your new membership card to present at talks and other events.

Cards valid until February 28th 2017.

Your 2017 card will be printed in our 2017 spring issue.

IWT_2L_Membership_Card.indd 1

IBC ads.indd 1

Membership Card 2016

Individual members, please fill in your full name. Family members, please fill in your family name. Card valid until February 28th 2017. Your 2017 card will be printed in our spring 2017 magazine. Š Irish Wildlife Trust 2016.

18/08/2016 15:25

19/08/2016 16:04

Help support Irish wildlife this Christmas by giving the gift of membership... … perfect for the nature lover in your life!

Gift members receive all the benefits of being an IWT member, including our quarterly ‘Irish Wildlife’ magazine, plus a Christmas card for you to present to them.

Or why not consider a family or junior membership gift, which includes quarterly copies of the IWT’s ‘Badger Club’ kids’ magazine, featuring a fold-out wall poster!

GIFT

IDEA

For Christmas gift ideas visit: www.iwt.ie/shop Or make a gift donation to the IWT. We will send you a certificate of your donation to send to your family member or friend.

IWT_1C_Christmas Advert.indd 1

20/11/2015 13:36