Browse all events below. Use the Categories selection in the top left to sort by interest, or search the tags.
Diarmuid takes us on a “virtual walk” through the Dublin suburb of Shankill Crann’s “Trees for All” Project has planted over 20,000 trees, including 3,000 native saplings this season alone. This project has been up and running for almost a decade and works alongside Crann’s Easy Treesie Project in collaboration with Dun Laoghaire County Council and Shankill Tidy Towns.
The talk will be followed by a question and answer session. Diarmuid will be in conversation with Orla Farrell of the Easy Treesie Project, who is collaborating with children and their communities all over Ireland in planting 1 million saplings with Ireland’s 1 million school children.
This walk is part of a new series of virtual walks which commenced with a “Walk in Ballyseedy Wood”, Co. Kerry in a similar talk by Tom Houlihan of Teagasc at the recent TEDxCrannTreesforIreland conference. Note this event is being recorded and may be used for the promotion of tree planting, tree preservation and tree appreciation on our media channels. We reference the Power Summit commencing in Dublin next week and discuss the “Electric Decade” and its importance as we prepare for the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration where de-carbonising goes hand in hand with tree planting. Athenry, Co. Galway and Goresbridge, Co. Kilkenny have succeeded in fulfilling Diarmuid’s challenge, other places such as Baldoyle in Dublin, Fingal are aiming for it; can your community rise to this challenge and plant not just one tree per child but a tree for every member of your local population?
Supporting Our Bees this Environmental workshop will focus on what groups / volunteers can do within our communities and gardens to help protect, support and enhance the bee populations within our community spaces and private gardens.
Wondering what that plant is? Who that insect is visiting your flowers? Maybe you’ve seen an unknown bird at your feeder, or strange creatures at your local waterway or park. Explore your local area to discover fabulous flora and fauna! Our ecologists and wildlife experts will identify it for you!
Simply share your photo and tag us on Twitter @IrishEnvNet or Instagram @national.biodiversity.week with #BackyardBioblitz.
Two entries will also be randomly chosen for a prize from the National Biodiversity Data Centre! You can also help wildlife conservation efforts by uploading your photos to the national database here: https://records.biodiversityireland.ie
There are lots of things living in your garden and local parks or wild areas. Take part in the scavenger hunt to see what you can find. Will you be able to complete the hunt?
Our Scavenger Hunt and activity sheets ensure that the whole family can take part in the weekend fun, and have some time away from screens. Head outside to see what you can find!
Choose one of two sheets, Easy Peasy (suggested age range 4 – 7) or A Little Tricky (suggested age range 8 -12).
You can complete the Hunt or Challenges at any time, but be sure to share them with us on the weekend of May 21st – 23rd to be in with a chance to win a prize! More info: https://biodiversityweek.ie/biodiversity-scavenger-hunt/
Peatlands are wet and open habitats that offer our communities both a unique and diverse range of biodiversity. As the weather begins to improve, we find ourselves outdoors more often preparing our gardens for the summer ahead. You may purchase peat moss compost from your local garden centre, petrol station or even supermarket not knowing the devastating impact that the harvesting of peat moss compost has on Ireland’s peatland biodiversity.
This biodiversity week, the Irish Peatland Conservation Council will deliver an online talk to raise the profile of peatland biodiversity, the benefits it offers us all and the impacts of peat extraction on peatland habitat and biodiversity. This free online talk will focus on and offer an insight into choosing peat free through home composting. You will also learn some of the top tips to get started, the different types of compost systems available to you and frequently asked questions.
Elaine O’Riordan from the Irish Hedgehog
Survey will meet Bev Truss from the
Hogprickle Wildlife Carers and get some
tips on making your garden a haven for
hedgehogs. Bev will also advise on how
to know when a hedgehog may need help
and what to do if you find a sick or injured
hedgehog or other wild animal.
Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_bWW4CrzofP-4HlMwjTMfg
Green Foundation Ireland invites you to participate in the above evening online talk from 19:00 to 20:00 on Friday evening 21May 2021.
As always at our events, an important part will be the Q&A session which will allow full participation by those attending.
THEME
Gardening for Butterflies looks into how we should protect butterflies, as well as what we should be growing in our gardens to help them survive as a species. We also hope to have a virtual tour of Jesmond’s garden (broadband permitting) to see his work in action.
OUR GUEST SPEAKER
JESMOND HARDING
Jesmond is an educator, and Founder Member, Director and Conservation Officer of Butterfly Conservation Ireland, which was formed in 2008 by a group of dedicated naturalists following the alarming decline of most of our butterfly species.
Jesmond is author of the award-winning book “Discovering Irish Butterflies and their Habitats”, as well as papers for scientific publications, and articles for newspapers, periodicals and magazines. He has appeared in the TV series Living the Wildlife produced by Colin Stafford-Johnson, and in the recent Burren documentary broadcast on RTÉ in April 2021. Jesmond is Ireland’s leading butterfly expert.
TICKET DETAILS
While admission is FREE to this event, you MUST register beforehand as places are extremely limited.
Log-on details will be issued nearer the time to those who register.
Wondering what that plant is? Who that insect is visiting your flowers? Maybe you’ve seen an unknown bird at your feeder, or strange creatures at your local waterway or park. Explore your local area to discover fabulous flora and fauna! Our ecologists and wildlife experts will identify it for you!
Simply share your photo and tag us on Twitter @IrishEnvNet or Instagram @national.biodiversity.week with #BackyardBioblitz.
Two entries will also be randomly chosen for a prize from the National Biodiversity Data Centre! You can also help wildlife conservation efforts by uploading your photos to the national database here: https://records.biodiversityireland.ie
There are lots of things living in your garden and local parks or wild areas. Take part in the scavenger hunt to see what you can find. Will you be able to complete the hunt?
Our Scavenger Hunt and activity sheets ensure that the whole family can take part in the weekend fun, and have some time away from screens. Head outside to see what you can find!
Choose one of two sheets, Easy Peasy (suggested age range 4 – 7) or A Little Tricky (suggested age range 8 -12).
You can complete the Hunt or Challenges at any time, but be sure to share them with us on the weekend of May 21st – 23rd to be in with a chance to win a prize! More info: https://biodiversityweek.ie/biodiversity-scavenger-hunt/
Join the Rediscovery Centre on the 22nd of May at 1.30pm for a FREE family friendly event to find out how bees make honey and how you can make your own little bee hotel. This event is kindly supported by the IEN.
During this online event Audrey will teach you about how bees make their honey and she will also take you on a virtual tour of our roof garden to show you all of our bee-friendly plants. On the way she will collect materials to show you how to make a 5 Star Bee Hotel. You will also need a plastic bottle that you may have in your green bin.
If you would like to make the bee hotel with Audrey, children will need help from your parent and guardian. The materials needed are:
-Scissors-Stanley type knife
– Eco tape/sticky tape
– Toilet roll tubes approx 12 or cardboard
– Twigs/Sticks – (skinny easy to break)
– String/twine 2′ approx- Plastic Bottle (standard size bottle not large)
The Irish Community Archive Network presents an online talk with ecologist Janice Fuller, who will share some ideas for protecting and enhancing nature and wildlife in our towns, villages and urban spaces.
Janice Fuller is an ecologist based in south Galway. She has an in-depth knowledge of the Irish flora and habitats based on many years’ experience of ecological field survey and research. Janice also has a particular interest in community development and the Tidy Towns movement. She has facilitated the production of numerous local biodiversity action plans for Tidy Towns groups in Galway, Clare and Mayo, and been involved in a wide range of community-led biodiversity projects. As a national Tidy Towns adjudicator, Janice has had the privilege of seeing the great work done by Tidy Towns groups around the country for the benefit of the natural world and their communities. She has delivered biodiversity training for community groups, local authorities and for the outdoor recreation sector. Janice is passionate about communicating the importance of biodiversity in our everyday lives and sharing the joy of nature
Booking is essential for this event and spaces are limited. Please contact educationtph@museum.ie by 12pm on Thursday 20th May to make a booking.
Wondering what that plant is? Who that insect is visiting your flowers? Maybe you’ve seen an unknown bird at your feeder, or strange creatures at your local waterway or park. Explore your local area to discover fabulous flora and fauna! Our ecologists and wildlife experts will identify it for you!
Simply share your photo and tag us on Twitter @IrishEnvNet or Instagram @national.biodiversity.week with #BackyardBioblitz.
Two entries will also be randomly chosen for a prize from the National Biodiversity Data Centre! You can also help wildlife conservation efforts by uploading your photos to the national database here: https://records.biodiversityireland.ie
There are lots of things living in your garden and local parks or wild areas. Take part in the scavenger hunt to see what you can find. Will you be able to complete the hunt?
Our Scavenger Hunt and activity sheets ensure that the whole family can take part in the weekend fun, and have some time away from screens. Head outside to see what you can find!
Choose one of two sheets, Easy Peasy (suggested age range 4 – 7) or A Little Tricky (suggested age range 8 -12).
You can complete the Hunt or Challenges at any time, but be sure to share them with us on the weekend of May 21st – 23rd to be in with a chance to win a prize! More info: https://biodiversityweek.ie/biodiversity-scavenger-hunt/
For 9 days in May Lisdoonvarna Tidy Towns and Feasta are hosting a photography competition for amateur budding photographers to kickstart our biodiversity audit of the town.
We want you to send us your best photographs of biodiversity, wildlife, flora, fauna – every thing that makes up the natural world in Lisdoonvarna. There is a maximum of 3 photos per person so don’t just send the first photos you take! The photos must be taken in Lisdoonvarna during the month of May 2021 and submitted by May 23rd for judging.
Winners will be announced at our biodiversity event on May 25th.
We have two categories:
18 years and under on May 1st 2021
Over 18’s from May 1st 2021
We have received funding from the Irish Environmental Network and the National Parks and Wildlife Service of €300 which will cover 3 prizes in each category.
Anybody can post photos and videos on to Lisdoonvarna Tidy Towns facebook page to share however entries to the photography competition must be submitted via email.
Please submit, via email to lisdoonvarnatidytowns@gmail.com, a maximum of three photos together including your name, category, the location the photo was taken, a brief description of the photgraph and a contact phone number.
Biodiversity Week is organised by the Irish Environmental Network (www.ien.ie) and supported by the National Parks and Wildlife Trust (www.npws.ie)
Some terms and conditions:
The Judges’ decision is final and binding in all matters and no correspondence will be entered into.
By entering the promotion and submitting your photograph you hereby grant Lisdoonvarane Tidy Towns and Lisdoonvarna Biodiversity a license to use your photograph.
All imagery MUST be the total and exclusive work of the submitting photographer and may not include any element that is the copyright of another.
All entries must include a valid email address.
Images must be in JPEG format
Images should be 100% quality (JPEG)
All photographs must be taken in the month of May 2017 in Ireland and sent in before 23rd of May midnight.
When a photograph is submitted and entry finalised the entry cannot be changed or edited.