Irish Wildlife Summer 2019

ISSN - 1649 - 5705 • SUMMER ‘19

IRISH MAGAZINE OF THE IRISH WILDLIFE TRUST

S AND’ L E R I

TE S BIE F I LDL E W

AZIN MAG

The

One Power

HOW ONE INDIVIDUAL CAN INSPIRE THE COLLECTIVE AND BRING ABOUT GLOBAL CHANGE.

SPOTTED

IN IRELAND: • Common Seal • Pine Marten • Wheatear

RECLAIMING SPACES

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SEAL RESCUE IREALAND

EXTINCTION REBELLION

BAT BOXES

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SPECIAL OFFERS IN THE IWT SHOP To celebrate the IWT’s Wild Watch events, check out our range of T-shirts, now on special offer at 10. Made in high quality cotton by Fruit of the Loom.

We also have a range of publications at very competitive prices.

See our full range online at www.iwt.ie/shop IWT Shop.indd 1

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Wild Watch t-shirts now on special offer at 10

ly ct e dir ts. o c s g roje t fi ro T p p W l Al to I 26/08/2015 17:40

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WELCOME

Chairman’s Comment

ISSN - 1649 - 5705 • SUMMER ‘19

W IRISH MAGAZINE OF THE IRISH WILDLIFE TRUST

D’S IRELAN

ST BEDL IFE WIL

INE MAGAZ

The

One Power

HOW ONE INDIVIDUAL CAN INSPIRE THE COLLECTIVE AND BRING ABOUT GLOBAL CHANGE.

SPOTTED

IN IRELAND: • Common Seal • Pine Marten • Wheatear

RECLAIMING SPACES

000_IWT Summer_2019_Cover_V6.indd 1

SEAL RESCUE IREALAND

EXTINCTION REBELLION

BAT BOXES

16/05/2019 14:59

Cover credits: Sand Martin (credit, Christine Cassidy).

Common seal (credit, Shauna Murphy) Pine Marten (credit, Ronald Surgenor) Wheatear (credit, Christine Cassidy) Contents page credits: Tufted vetch & six spot burnet moth, common fleabane, common mouse-ear, herb robert, coastal var of ragwort & six spot burnet moths, honeysuckle, pyramidal orchid, bee orchid, common dog-violet, heath spotted orchid, cuckoo flr with orange tip female, common knapweed, heath carder bee, greater bird’sfoot trefoil; all photos by Jessica Hamilton, Ballyheigue, Co Kerry #wildflowerhour.

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: Sinéad Ní Bheoláin, IWT Published by Ashville Media Group www.ashville.com

All articles © 2019. No part of this publication including the images used may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the publisher.

Opinions and comments expressed herein are not necessarily those of the publisher. While every effort has been made to ensure that all information contained in this publication is factual and correct at time of going to press, Ashville Media Group and the Irish Wildlife Trust

Printed on

cannot be held responsible for any inadvertent errors or omissions contained herein.

Please recycle this copy of Irish Wildlife

ith ever lengthening evenings heralding the approach of summer, we relish the upcoming sights and sounds of nature that signify the season of plenty.

A season when our wildlife is visible and audible in all its glory. A season when flora and fauna thrive and the focus is on ensuring the next generation is successfully produced and raised. Sadly, such scenarios are increasingly being confined to memories of the past. With the collapse of biodiversity and the continuing destruction of what little remains of our natural habitats, we are facing into the grim reality of our degraded countryside devoid of many of its once common species. This week, the United Nations released a summary of the findings of its Global Assessment Report. It is a deeply disturbing read. Examples of the findings include the global biomass of animals falling by 82%, two in five amphibian species at risk of extinction, insect populations in freefall and our very civilisation under urgent threat.

This is a wake-up call like no other and the world needs to react now.

The tired cliché that ‘there is still time’ is almost meaningless at this point. It has become an excuse, an opt-out for governments and industry to procrastinate, a way to somehow comfort ourselves that everything will be fine in the end. The time ran out decades ago and our actions are no longer about averting the climate and ecological crises but limiting the damage. The unfortunate reality is that it is too late for some species and habitats. However, we can avert the worst-case scenarios if we act now.

Thankfully, there are positive responses and actions gaining momentum. Media are picking up on reports and scientific findings.

The public are beginning to realise and

Contributors Emilie Michael is the Events Manager at Seal Rescue Ireland (SRI) and also one of the Assistant Animal Care Managers. She began working with SRI as an intern for three months and then never left. Emilie loves the dual aspect of working both with the seals and people. It is a combination of both the reactive and proactive sides of the conservation work carreid out at SRI. She helps care for the pups at the centre

accept that climate change and the collapse of ecosystems is already affecting our world.

Movements like the apolitical Extinction Rebellion have brought the climate and ecological emergency to the fore and are likely to gain momentum in the future.

Wicklow County Council recently became the first local authority in Ireland to declare a climate emergency. The recent school strikes demonstrated that young people want to see action. With local and European elections coming up, and the possibility of Dáil elections in the next twelve months, we have a choice. Do we continue to vote for parties who treat biodiversity with disdain and harbour blasé attitudes towards climate change or do we vote for parties and individuals who will implement effective environmental policy into their programmes for government? The choice is ours.

On a final positive note, this issue of Irish Wildlife is packed with informative and uplifting articles on topics ranging from a discussion piece by Billy Flynn on the Extinction Rebellion movement to an article on the wonders of wheatears by Lindsay Hodges and a piece about rewilding our urban coastlines by Martina Caplice. As ever, there is lots of IWT-related news about what we have been up to recently. As you know, 2019 is IWT’s 40th anniversary and we have designated September as the month to mark this occasion by holding several events nationwide. Keep an eye on our website and social media for details.

Enjoy the read,

Seán Meehan Chairman, Irish Wildlife Trust

and also work towards educating people to prevent the need for their rescue in the first place.

Is scríbhneoir ficsin é Colm Ó Ceallacháin agus cnuasach amháin gearrscéalta, I dTír Mhilis na mBeo (Cois Life, 2017) foilsithe go dtí seo aige. Oibríonn sé le daoine óga agus tá suim aige sa dúlra freisin. Chuaigh sé ar camchuairt cúpla bliain ó shin, ag snámh in áiteanna fiáine ar fud na tíre, agus is breá leis an dúiche cois cladaigh in aice leis i gCuan Chorcaí.

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FIELD REPORT

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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

Tim Clabon compiles the latest conservation news and 11-year-old Leela Kingsnorth expresses the importance of protecting our native woodlands and trees.

9. IWT NEWS

Recent updates and plans for the future.

13. EDUCATION

Jenny Quinn on how 16-year-old climate activist, Greta Thunberg is making waves across the globe.

14. FIADHÚLRA

Tugann Colm Ó Ceallacháin léargas dúinn ar Atlas Feileacán Bhithéagsúlacht Éireann.

16 BRANCH FOCUS

Local news from IWT’s Laois/Offaly branch.

17. NOTES FROM THE NORTHWEST

Lindsay Hodges on the wonder of wheaters.

18. WILD IDEAS

Emilie Michael details the important work carried out by the volunteers and staff at Seal Rescue Ireland.

21. COMPETITION

We’re offering our readers the opportunity to win some fantastic books.

22. FEATURE

John Gibbons gives chilling details on the impact we are having on our planet.

26. EXPLORING WILDLIFE

Gordon D’arcy on the problems caused by trespassing pine martens.

28. SUMMER FOCUS

Billy Flynn discusses the Extinction Rebellion

movement and why the time for action is now.

30. WILD SPACES

Martina Caplice highlights the importance of rewilding our urban coastlines.

32. FIELD REPORT

Mary Gibson describes in vivid detail the natural beauty and vast biodiversity of Pollardstown Fen.

34. OVER TO YOU

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

36. ON LOCATION

The community of Killanne has come together to improve local wildlife habitats.

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IRISH WILDLIFE TRUST

About Us The Irish Wildlife Trust was founded in 1979 and aims to conserve wildlife and the habitats it depends on throughout Ireland, while encouraging a greater understanding and appreciation of the natural world.

The IWT is dedicated to creating a better future for Ireland’s wildlife through: Motivating and supporting people to take action for wildlife.

Education and raising awareness of all aspects of Irish wildlife and conservation issues.

Research of the natural environment.

Acquiring and managing nature reserves to safeguard species and habitats.

Lobbying decision-makers at all levels to promote policy in Ireland that provides a sustainable future for wildlife and people.

Working in partnership with other organisations to achieve results that matter for conservation.

IMAGES THIS PAGE: TOP: Climate change protest in Dublin, credit Eoin Campbell ABOVE: Eileen Lynch and Frank Dorr at climate change protest, Cork

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

The IWT encourages action at a local level and has a number of branches around the country: Dublin: Barbara, dublinbranch@iwt.ie facebook.com/DublinBranchIrishWildlife Trust, dubliniwt.blogspot.ie Waterford: Denis Cullen, iwtwaterfordbranch@gmail.com, deniscullen@eircom.net, irishwildlifetrust. blogspot.ie Kerry: Ger, iwtkerry@gmail.com www.facebook.com/KerryIWT Galway: Dan, iwtgalway@gmail.com www.facebook.com/IWTgalwaybranch Laois/Offaly: Ricky, iwtlaoisoffaly@gmail.com www.facebook.com/IWTlaoisoffalybranch West Cork: Eoghan Daltun, eoghandaltun@yahoo.com

Irish Wildlife is published quarterly by the IWT.

HOW CAN YOU HELP? You, our members, make the IWT what it is. Through your subscriptions and support we can undertake the projects that are benefiting Ireland’s wildlife. If you would like to help more, here’s what you can do: • Make a one-off donation to the IWT. • Give IWT membership as a gift.

• Volunteer – we are always looking for people to help out in different ways.

There are lots of ways to get involved, from work experience in specialist areas to getting your hands dirty at our sites or helping us increase membership at events. See our website www.iwt.ie for details or contact the office directly.

• Do you have land that you would like used for conservation? We are always on the lookout to establish new sites to enhance wildlife or provide education opportunities.

• Remember us in your will. Why not leave a lasting legacy towards conserving Ireland’s natural heritage? The IWT uses all funds towards our campaigns, managing reserves and our education programmes. Please visit www.mylegacy.ie.

• Set up a branch. Are you passionate about wildlife and are in a county that does not have an IWT branch? Contact the office and we can give you the support you need to get up and running.

Keep up-to-date on all the latest news from the Irish Wildlife Trust on www.iwt.ie 4

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CONSERVATION NEWS

CONSERVATION

NEWS

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

IRISH NEWS

 Dark Road, Nenagh.

Before, credit Póilín Hogan.  Dark Road, Nenagh.

Save Our Trees

After, credit Emma Burns.

Leela Kingsnorth, aged 11, has grown up with “an understanding of trees”, and is urging young people to join with her in demanding that the Government takes action to save our native woodlands and trees.

Five years ago, my family and I moved to a cottage on a couple of acres, in Co Galway. The land was little more than a tangle of brambles, neglected hedges, dock plants and cow-trampled mud. There was very little other wildlife.

A couple of weeks ago we planted our 1000th tree. We have planted hedgerows and hundreds of native tree saplings, created orchard areas and planted trees for coppicing. Now it is alive with wildlife.

I have grown up with what I feel is an understanding of trees.

They are not only beautiful but they also support many forms of life. But, sadly I have noticed a lot of tree destruction, especially over this current year and last year. Farmers around us have been brutally chopping the hedgerows, Waterways Ireland have sliced trees down on river banks and councils are destroying them in our towns. All that is left is sad stumps.

Ireland only has 2% of its native woodland remaining. I have realised that sympathy is not enough and we need to do more.

We cannot let the destruction of these fantastic beings continue!

So my little brother and I have taken action. I recently gave a talk to our local beaver group about the importance of trees, and my brother has composed a ‘Lament for Irish Trees’ on the guitar which he is recording for our music school website.

We have also written a letter to the members of the Oireachtas and Government, demanding that they act to save Ireland’s trees. We would like to get 100 children’s signatures on our letter.

If any children would like to read and sign our letter, please email us on: trees@paulkingsnorth.net.

If you are an adult who wants to help our trees, please join Save Ireland’s Trees on Facebook

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CONSERVATION NEWS

SUMMER ON THE FARM

BY PIPPA HACKETT, GREEN PARTY (COMHAONTAS GLAS) SPOKESPERSON ON AGRICULTURE, FOOD, FORESTRY, HERITAGE AND ANIMAL WELFARE.

As a farmer, I like nothing more than seeing my animals grazing during the summer months. The warmer weather and longer days bring vigorous grass growth and the concerns of winter - when fodder shortages are never far from our minds, and muddy fields look like they will never return to lush green pasture - are well gone.

We have been trying hard to diversify the species in our swards, and we felt they coped very well with the drought of last summer, when our fields stayed green. We have one field in particular which has an abundance of dandelion, and it is a haven for bees and other insects in the late spring. By the summer, the lambing and calving is finished, and the young stock are becoming bold and independent, as the brave enjoy adventures away from their mothers. We graze the cattle and sheep together, and although they tend to keep themselves to themselves, they are quite content in each other’s company. The cattle in their glossy summer coats are chilled out, and are in their element doing what they do best - eating grass. The ewes will be cool and looking sharp, free from their thick woolly coats, having been shorn earlier in the summer.

We leave our hedges long, and I love to see the hawthorn blossoms, honey suckle, the odd damson, hazel and elderflowers while the hum and buzz of pollinators brings our hedgerows to life. The cattle and sheep also seem to enjoy them and you'll often find them with their heads buried in the hedges, picking at a bit of ivy, or nibbling on some new shoots. Our natural hedge trimmers! If it is particularly sunny or particularly wet, they will huddle along the hedgerows, enjoying the shelter they provide. Summer is bliss!

 Stranded sperm whale, Connemara, credit Nessa Ní Chualáin

Cetacean Strandings

By Mick O’Connell, Irish Whale and Dolphin Group.

The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) operates two recording schemes for cetaceans in Ireland; one for sightings and one for strandings. While the Sightings Scheme is fairly self-explanatory, there is often confusion as to what a ‘stranding’ actually is. According to the IWDG Cetacean Strandings Scheme, a stranding refers to any beached cetacean, alive or dead. During a normal year, live stranded animals account for approximately 10% of all strandings recorded.

There are currently 3,890 strandings on record in Ireland,

of which 3,503 died at sea and subsequently washed ashore.

While occasional live strandings attract a lot of public and media attention, these are often animal welfare issues involving ill individuals and due to a lack of resources, are not the main focus of the IWDG Strandings Scheme.

Recording trends in dead animals has thrown up some worrying issues. By recording strandings year-on-year, ‘normal’ trends arise i.e. all animals, whales and dolphins grow old and sick etc and there are fairly predictable trends in terms of numbers, species, time of year etc. However, unusual stranding events have become more frequent in the last nine years.

Between 25th March and 3rd April 2019, three dead sperm whales washed up on the Irish coast at Magheroarty in Co Donegal, Mace Head, Co Galway and Streedagh, Co Sligo.

During August and September 2018, an astounding 23 Cuvier’s beaked whales were recorded dead on the west and north coast of Ireland – at the same time circa 50 were also recorded in western Scotland. This was the worst mass stranding of these elusive animals ever recorded anywhere in the world.

Investigations are ongoing but as no causes of death were established (due to poor carcass condition), we are left with much speculation. Since 2011, common dolphin strandings in January, February and March have seen a huge increase. A post mortem scheme has been put in place by the Marine Institute and National Parks and Wildlife Service to investigate the cause(s) of this.

Keep up-to-date on all the latest news from the Irish Wildlife Trust on www.iwt.ie 6

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CONSERVATION NEWS

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Orcas versus Great White Sharks The great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) has a fearsome reputation as an apex predator in the seas and oceans it inhabits.

However, one creature, the killer whale (Orcinus orca), thinks otherwise.

Last year carcasses of great whites were spotted washed up on South African beaches, all missing their livers and with distinctive teeth marks; that of the killer whale.

Research carried out by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and other institutions studied the behaviour of great whites through analysing interactions from 165 tagged sharks between 2006 and 2013 and 27 years of seal, orca and shark surveys in the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary off California. Combining the aquarium's shark tagging data with long term monitoring of wildlife by Point Blue Conservation Science revealed that great white abandon areas when orcas show up and keep away until the following season. Dr Salvador Jorgensen, senior research scientist at Monterey Bay Aquarium said, “When confronted by orcas, white sharks will immediately vacate their preferred hunting ground and will not return for up to a year, even though the orcas are only passing through."

Elephant seals, the main prey of great whites in this area, indirectly benefited from the interaction as the data showed predation events on the seals dropped when the sharks left the area. Tags on the sharks showed that within minutes of an orca showing up, even briefly, the sharks left, either moving to other elephant seal colonies, or offshore.

While killer whales also hunt the seals, they only turn up occasionally and so don’t have as large an impact on the seal population.

The research shows the interactions between top predators in the oceans, though draws no conclusion as to whether the orcas are hunting the sharks or competing with them for food, and highlights the complexity of food chains within the oceans. While orcas occur around Irish coasts, the closest a great white has come has been over 1000 miles away in 2014. The shark, named Lydia, was tracked via a satellite tag attached to her dorsal fin.

YANGTZE GIANT SOFTSHELL TURTLES DIES The only known female member of one of the world’s rarest turtle species has died, leaving only three remaining. The Yangtze giant soft-shell turtle (Rafetus swinhoe) is indigenous to South China and Vietnam and feeds on invertebrates. The female, believed to be over ninety years of age, was held in China’s Suzhou Zoo along with a male specimen with hopes of a captive breeding programme to help revive the species. It is reported in the Chinese state run paper that the female died after undergoing a fifth attempt at artificial insemination.

A medical examination before the procedure found the turtle to be in good health, and the insemination went smoothly. Chinese and international experts are currently investigating the cause of the turtles death.

The remaining two turtles live in the wild in Vietnam and their sex is unknown. Conservationistss form the Asian Turtle Program (ATP) have been conducting surveys along the river where these turtles live in the hope of finding others surviving in the wild, and to learn more about the species. Work has also been carried out to educate the local community about the importance of this species and the need to protect them. Pressures on these turtles come from intensive fishing practices. The lake where one of the two last remaining species is found is not protected, but is managed as a fishery, where funnel nets are used. While the turtle had been seen swimming around the nets it fortunately had not entered the funnel nets. Conservationist from the ATP plan to maintain a 24/7 presence on the lake.

 Blue hairstreak

Butterfly and insect numbers down… again Research in Germany carried out by Jan Christian Habel at the Technical University of Munich and Thomas Schmitt at the Senckenberg Nature Research Society showed that meadows adjacent to intensive farming areas contained less than half the number of butterfly species than in areas conserved for nature. Individually, numbers are down as low as one third. While this research was conducted in Germany, it is of equal relevance to the factors affecting Irish populations. Another study in the Netherlands found that butterflies have declined by 84% over the last 130 years. This has been attributed to the loss of habitat as well as habitat fragmentation.

However, in the UK, while numbers have declined, rarer species showed an increase in

numbers. One species, the previously extinct large blue butterfly, has made a welcome return. Their success has largely been due to intensive conservation efforts including re-introductions and habitat management, but it is also thought the heatwaves seen in 2018 have helped the species flourish alongside other rarer species such as the purple hairstreak.

Insects are a vital part of a healthy ecosystem. Their global decline should be and is worrying for future environmental security. Not only do insects play a role in pollinating plants, they help breakdown organic matter, control pests, provide food and act as a “canary in a mine”. The canary, if it has not already stopped singing, is definitely quieter.

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CONSERVATION NEWS

PRACTICAL CONSERVATION

Roosting Boxes for Bats Providing nest boxes for birds to nest in is a common practice but have you ever considered installing bat boxes to provide suitable roost sites for our little nocturnal friends? asks Ricky Whelan.

While female bats can form large maternity roosts in attic spaces in buildings and other suitable sites, bat roost boxes provide new or additional roost sites for bats in areas where more natural roost sites might be limited. Roost boxes are more likely to attract a few roosting individuals.

Whilst Ireland boasts nine resident species of bat, it's likely that your roost box occupants will be one of three species; soprano pipistrelles, Leisler's bats, or brown long-eared bat. Irish bat species are very small in comparison to their foreign cousins so only require a small space to safely roost.

A box that provides a safe, cosy spot will tick all the boxes. Bat boxes will also normally have a landing stage, this is where the bats land before crawling up into the roosting space. Bat boxes can be fixed to trees, walls or free standing posts if the site lacks existing structures. Put them as high as possible with no objects below as bats drop out of the roost entrance before taking flight. Placing the boxes as high as possible will also help avoid predators. Bats need a reasonable clear flight path to and from boxes so place them where there are few obstacle to negotiate - boxes buried beneath lots of overhanging branches or vegetation are unlikely to be occupied. Bats are sensitive to light pollution so place roost boxes in a dark part of the garden/property away from outdoor lighting (sensor lights etc). Position boxes where the box will get some sun for at least part of the day, this helps keep the boxes and bats warm.

Bat boxes are available commercially from a variety of sources. Commercially available bat boxes are made from a variety of materials with wood and woodcrete (wood shavings mixed with concrete) most commonly used. They are available in many shapes and sizes from structures very similar to a traditional bird box to very large structures with multiple compartments. There is also a myriad of designs available to suit all budgets.

You can also build your own bat roost boxes using wood. Use rough sawn, untreated timber at least 20mm

 Bat boxes, credit Ricky Whelan

 Kent bat box plans

thick. Rough sawn timber is inexpensive and provides enough grip for bats to hold on to and climb up. Untreated timber is essential as many chemicals are poisonous to bats so a good rule of thumb is avoid treated timber or treating the timber afterwards. You can always add strips of felt or similar to the roof to help rain-proof the box and make it last longer. The Kent bat box design is a simple design and a good DIY option. The Kent bat box was designed by the Kent Bat Group in the UK and is a proven design that will successfully house roosting bats.

Is there a practical conservation project you would like to see covered? Email iwteditor@gmail.com 8

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IWT NEWS

IWTNEWS Activity Update

By Kieran Flood, IWT Conservation Officer.

 Photo of winners, credit Department of Culture Heritage and the Gaeltacht

Together for Biodiversity Award This spring we were at the National Biodiversity Conference where we presented the winners of our Together for Biodiversity Awards with their prizes at a ceremony presided over by Dublin Port Company chief executive Eamonn O’Reilly and Minister Josepha Madigan.

All 18 of the competition finalists were at the conference to communicate their fantastic work to the attendees. The work carried out by every competition entry was the most important aspect of the awards scheme and we would like to thank everyone who entered. We would also like to thank Dublin Port Company for their generous support and the National Biodiversity Conference organisers (the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Irish Forum on Natural Capital).

Category B: People Together for Biodiversity Award - Large Budget Project Moore Community Council CE Scheme with ‘The Ballydangan Bog Red Grouse Project’

AWARD WINNERS

Category F: Working Together for Biodiversity Award Gas Networks Ireland with its ‘Biodiversity Enhancement Programme’

Category A: People Together for Biodiversity Award - Small Budget Project Baile Slachtmhar Bhéal an Mhuirthead with ‘It’s all About the Sees and the Seas’

Category C: Local Biodiversity Champion Award Tommy Earley for sharing the biodiversity on his farm in Roscommon Category D: Learning Together for Biodiversity Award St. Colman’s Community College, Midleton, Co Cork for its ‘Biodiversity in our School and the Wider Community Project’ Category E: Farming Together for Biodiversity Award Oliver and Pat Nagle who are working within the Burren Programme

Read on to find out more about the work of one of our winners - Baile Slachtmhar Bhéal an Mhuirthead. To learn about the work carried out by all our finalists see www.iwt.ie/biodiversity-awards/

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IWT NEWS

 Herb garden, credit Mary Keeneghan

 Willow tunnel, credit Mary Keeneghan

 Lapwing, credit John Reilly

 Bee on sea holly, credit John Reilly

 Curlew, credit John Reilly

 Twite, credit John Reilly

It's All About the Bees and the Seas Margaraet Tallott from Baile Slachtmhar Bhéal an Mhuirthead, winner of the People Together for Biodeiversity Award – Small Budget Project, provides insight on the aims and objectives of the project.

Belmullet Tidy Towns was delighted to have been awarded first place in this year’s Together for Biodiversity Awards – Category A. The overall aim of this unique project, ‘It’s All About the Bees and the Seas’ was to create more awareness of the wealth of biodiversity in our area.

Belmullet is situated on an isthmus between Blacksod and Broadhaven Bays in the heart of the Erris Gaeltacht in Co Mayo. Belmullet Tidy Towns has been endeavouring for some years to create awareness of the wealth of birdlife and marine life such as curlew, twite, lapwing, corncrake, to be found on our doorstep. In recent years, we have become more aware of the importance of bees for pollination and are concerned about the decline in bee populations. The Mullet Peninsula is home to Ireland’s rarest bee – the great yellow bumblebee – and also to the belted beauty moth. In our efforts to avoid the extinction of these species, we are taking some specific measures to preserve and promote their growth. Our biodiversity plan operates on a cycle of learn, do, review.

Some of the activities undertaken by the group include: guided walks with Birdwatch Ireland; hosting a 'Leave No Trace'

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course; leaving grass swards uncut to allow wildflowers to grow; planting a willow tunnel; creating a herb garden; planting native hedgerows; creating a community vegetable garden; collaborating with the Erris Beekeepers Association; participating in regular 'Clean Coasts' events; working with local schools and youth groups; cutting down on the use of chemical weed killers; hosting heritage and nature trail events; and organising an annual 'Midnight Corncrake' Tour on the Mullet Peninsula in conjunction with Ballycroy National Park.

As part of our vision for the future we have adopted the great yellow bumblebee and the belted beauty moth as flagship projects and are busy planning the next stage of our biodiversity cycle which will include, a ‘Bees and Seas’ photographic exhibition in our local arts centre Aras Inis Gluaire in July and bringing biodiversity training to a much wider audience of young people, farmers, gardeners, accommodation and tourism product providers. In doing so, we hope to create a more sustainable future for both residents and wildlife in Belmullet and on the Mullet Peninsula, where we are all endangered species!

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IWT NEWS

 Ecosavers team; Aoife Leonard, Naomi Osas, Niamh Cowley, Avril Bowe, Gloria

Flangan, Jenny Reid, Dunshaughlin Community School, credit Megan Regan

Ecosavers Ecosavers Bank is a student-run bank based in Dunshaughlin, Co Meath with a focus both on saving money and the environment. The initiative was set up as part of the AIB Build a Bank Challenge.

The AIB Build A Bank Challenge encourages students to give back to their school and community, with participating teams engaging with their local communities and a variety of charities. Dunshaughlin Community School chose to raise money for the IWT.

WHY DID YOU START THE ECOSAVERS BANK? Our aim was to create a school bank that promoted the message of saving money and how it connects to an eco-friendly lifestyle. We felt that our school could change for the better with a bit of help.

WHAT DID YOU DO? We tried to get our students involved by organising events and fundraisers that helped our students become more environmentally aware.

WHY DID YOU PICK THE IWT? We came across The Irish Wildlife Trust when trying to find inspiration for our brand. We thought the aims and work of the IWT and wildlife conservation in Ireland in general were very important and we wanted to showcase the important work the IWT does to our fellow students. We decided to fundraise money for their cause.

HOW DID YOU RAISE THE MONEY FOR THE IWT? We decided that a clothes collection would be most appropriate as it repurposes old clothes as well as helping us raise money for The Irish Wildlife Trust. We ran a campaign in school and in our village, encouraging people to clear out their old clothes. We ended up collecting over 800kg of clothes and raising €400.

Why not join our mailing list to get monthly updates on our campaigns and events?

Just head over to the IWT website home page to sign up or drop is a line at enquiries@iwt.ie.

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16/05/2019 13:07

IWT NEWS

Campaign Update

By Pádraic Fogarty, IWT Campaigns Officer

New project to push for bigger and better MPAs

Nearby dredging causing shells and

starfish to wash up on Portmarnock Beach, credit Gill Burdon

Common dolphin, credit Deirdre Fitzgerald (Bantry Bay Kelp Forest Campaign)

Last December, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed announced that trawling by large boats within six nautical miles (nm) of the coast would be prohibited by 2022.

The IWT has welcomed this move as probably the most significant development in marine conservation in Ireland to-date. It was supported by inshore fishing organisations (namely boats - typically small and low impact which operate within the 6nm zone) but has been opposed by the industrial fishing sector (large boats which have by far the greater environmental impact). They have threatened to sue the state in the face of what has been a very popular decision and one which has obvious benefits for marine protection.

Although this is a very significant step, we are still a long way from robust protection of our seas. Even with the ban in place in three years’ time, bottom scraping for scallops and hydraulic suction dredging for razor clams will still be permitted. Issues around the overexploitation of marine life and the negative effects of certain types of aquaculture, including mechanical harvesting of seaweed, will not be addressed.

We still need legal protection for rare and threatened marine species such as sharks and rays, some of which are critically endangered and are subject to no protection measures.

Beyond 6nm we are continuing to see the overfishing of commercial fish populations, socalled ‘bycatch’ of unwanted organisms (including protected species like dolphins), bottom trawling of large areas of seabed, untrammelled use of seismic blasting in the search of fossil fuels and pollution from landbased activities. Above all, Ireland is currently

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failing miserably in meeting international goals for the designation of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).

Earlier this year the IWT announced that we have embarked on a collaboration with wellknown Irish NGO Coastwatch and the European advocacy group Seas At Risk, to push for more, bigger and better MPAs in Ireland. At the moment we have nominally protected only around 2% of our seas through the EU’s Birds and Habitats Directives. These regulations are designed to protect very specific species or habitats and this sometimes fails to protect the full biodiversity of a particular marine area (e.g by allowing bottom dredging or other harmful fishing practices). They also do nothing to protect some of our most threatened species which don’t appear on these directives, such as the angel shark or white skate (both critically endangered). So even this 2% does not confer full protection. Ireland has committed to the global goal of reaching MPA status for 10% of our marine area by 2020 and despite a promise from Simon Coveney when he was Minister for the Marine in 2017 that we would have legislation for the designation process, we are still waiting. We are global laggards in this regard. And while the Irish government struggles to catch up, the rest of the world is aiming for 30% protection by 2013!

Our vision is for large, well-managed and fully enforced protection across Ireland’s marine area, both in the shallow inshore zone as well as offshore and deep water areas. We acknowledge that most Irish fishermen and women work in small boats and with low-impact gear (e.g. pots) and this is perfectly compatible with marine

Wildlife Bantry Bay, credit Deirdre Fitzgerald (Bantry

Bay Kelp Forest Campaign)

protection as long as there is a robust management framework. We hope to work with fishing communities in those areas to ensure that MPAs can work for people and nature. In the offshore zone, beyond 6nm, we will be pushing for large no-take zones, perhaps covering 50% of the seas. There are serious issues with the industrial fishing fleet, from illegal activities to poor supervision, and the IWT would like to see no-take MPAs combined with forceful regulation of super trawlers and an end to all bottom trawling. We believe this is not only possible but essential if we are to protect our oceans, stabilise the climate and keep Earth habitable. This is no exaggeration.

Ocean phytoplankton – tiny plants which produce 50% of the oxygen we breath – declined by 40% between 1950 and 2010.

Earlier this year scientists reported that oxygen in some parts of the sea has fallen by 40% in 50 years, literally suffocating marine life. Time is running out, the need to protect the seas is urgent. MPAs are the most effective way of turning things around – we just need to get on and do it!

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 Eileen Lynch and Frank Dorr at climate change protest in Cork

EDUCATION

THE POWER OF

ONE

Jenny Quinn reflects on how a 16-year-old Swedish student’s campaign for change has sent ripples across the globe.

T

he recent student-led climate change strikes that took place in numerous countries across the globe, including Ireland, gained a lot of media attention and were triggered by one person – 16-year-old climate activist, Greta Thunberg. Thunberg, from Sweden, organised her own climate change strike outside the Swedish Parliament back in August 2018. She has since become a social media sensation and has kick-started a global campaign of school strikes which is known as Fridays for Future and involves tens of thousands of teenagers taking time off school on a Friday to urge their governments to do more to tackle our changing climate. As the name suggests, this is not a once off type of campaign, it is proposed that students around the world take time off school every Friday to strike.

This caused me to reflect on a somewhat tired yet prominent debate in the field of environmental protection and activism: individual versus collective action. Many academic papers and media campaigns have discussed and promoted the importance of individual action, after all what is a group, community, city, nation etc. but a collection of individuals? This is why we are urged as individuals to recycle and generally ‘do our bit’ for the environment. Then there are those who are sceptical of individual responsibility and action, particularly in the

realm of climate change. They view the issue (climate change) as solely the responsibility of big business and industry, those with the actual carbon footprints and the large scale influence. This way of thinking tends to render individual action, such as household recycling, futile.

However, if we find ourselves too deep in this debate, we run the risk of overlooking the powerful influence individuals can have over other individuals which can ultimately lead to large scale change. In this way, it may be more worthwhile thinking about climate change action in terms of the individual and the collective being inextricably linked as opposed to being mutually exclusive and pitted against each other. Of course, as individuals we all have a responsibility to become well informed about the message we choose to put out there before exerting our influence.

Although hailed by many as being a climate change superhero, Thunberg is not without her critics. Some feel that she is too young to know about the complexities of climate change and therefore unfit to be a true leader and simply hasn’t done enough to be worthy of a Nobel prize (there is talk of her being a potential recipient). In addition, many are wary of her promoting taking time off school. Whatever your opinion, it is difficult to argue the fact that Thunberg, one individual, has become a powerful influence in the realm of climate change action.

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FIADHÚLRA

Féileacáin áille, Cois Cuain le Colm Ó Ceallacháin

Ar an Oileán Mór i gCuan Chorcaí, beagán soir ó bhaile an Chóibh, atá cuas beag Chois Coinne suite (nó Cuas Seanaigh, nó Cuas Sionnaigh, dhá leagan eile den logainm arbh é ‘Cuskinny’ an leagan Béarla de). Duirling bheag idir dhá ghob talún atá ann, loch ar a cúl agus sruth fíoruisce ag rith go farraige uaidh. Tearmann dúlra é an loch is an talamh máguaird, áitreabh luachmhar do mhórchuid éan, ach is ar thóir féileacáin a bhí mise aon uair a thug mé cuairt ar an áit le linn shamhradh 2018.

Tá atlas féileacán á chur le chéile ag Bithéagsúlacht Éireann as seo go dtí 2021, bunaithe ar bhreathnóireacht an phobail ar fud na tíre ar fad. Is fiú go mór súil a chaitheamh ar shuíomh gréasáin an atlais mar

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a bhfuil gach contae roinnte ina chearnóga eangaí. Ar choincheap simplí an traschreasa atá an t-atlas bunaithe, mar a shiúltar cúrsa ciliméadair nó mar sin méid áirithe uaireanta i rith na bliana. 173 breathnóir a bhí cláraithe leis an tionscnamh faoi shamhradh 2018, ach tá cearnóga go leor ar fud na tíre fós uaigneach is gan éinne i mbun suirbhé iontu go fóill. Má tá fonn ar éinne tabhairt faoin suirbhé amach anseo níl le déanamh ach cearnóg a thoghadh, is do rogha cúrsa a chlárú ar shuíomh an atlais áit ar bith ar an gcearnóg sin. Fút féin atá sé do chúrsa a mhapáil ansin, ar léarscáil satailíte, le cabhair uirlisí bogearraí an tsuímh. Tá an chuid is taitneamhaí den suirbhé romhat go fóill ar ndóigh, mar go gcaithfidh tú do chúrsa a shiúl anois!

 Gormán coiteann

Iarrtar ar bhreathnóirí a gcúrsa a shiúl cúig huaire i rith na bliana le linn dhá phríomhshéasúr póraithe na bhféileacán – faoi dhó idir an 22 Aibreán agus an 16 Meitheamh, agus faoi thrí arís idir an 1 Iúil agus an 31 Lúnasa – agus nóta a choinneáil d’aon fhéileacán atá le feiceáil i bhfoisceacht chúig méadar duit ar feadh do shiúlóide. Is féidir do chuntas a íoslódáil ar shuíomh an tsuirbhé tráth ar bith ina dhiaidh sin.

Dála go leor gnéithe eile den fhiadhúlra, tá speicis d’fhéileacáin nár mhair anseo riamh cheana ag leathnú ar fud na tíre le blianta beaga anuas. Ina measc siúd tá an Camóg, nó an conach foluana, féileacán a chonacthas i dtrí shuíomh faoi leith i gContae Chorcaí anuraidh. Bhí éagsúlacht áitribh sa chúrsa a

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FIADHÚLRA

 Grianghraif, le caoinchead Christine Cassidy

5 Áilleán

5 Barr buí

 Bánóg uaine

5 Stiallach uaine

5 Fritleán dúghlas

5 Aimiréal dearg

5 Péacóg

roghnaigh mise do mo shiúlóid, idir ghiolcach an locha agus dhuirling an chladaigh, agus neart bláthanna ag fás sna gairdíní ar chúl an chúrsa. Bhí sé deacair gach féileacán a aithint ar dtús, ach le cabhair mo threoirleabhair agus trí choisíocht mhall i dtreo aon fhéileacán a bhí ag tógáil na gréine, chuaigh mé i dtaithí orthu de réir a chéile. 11 speiceas a d’aithin mé le linn an tsuirbhé, cinn chomónta iad ar fad, ach cuireann gach breathnú leis an bpictiúr iomlán a bheidh le feiceáil amach anseo de dháileadh na bhféileacán in Éirinn.

Cé nach n-áirítear leamhain sa suirbhé seo, ba é an radharc ba dheise a chonaic mise lena linn ná cúpla leamhan den chineál conach foluana, cuairteoirí ócáideacha

chugainn le linn na dea-aimsire, is iad ag faoileáil os cionn na mbláthanna, ag sú an neachtair. Chabhraigh sé, ar ndóigh, go raibh an aimsir go breá ar feadh an tsamhraidh ar fad. Ní raibh leisce ar bith orm dul ag siúl sa dúiche álainn seo, go háirithe nuair a bhí a fhios agam go mbeadh snámh sa chuas i ndán dom ina dhiaidh. Ag tabhairt achoimre dó ar obair na bliana, luaigh comhordaitheoir na scéime teirce na dtaifead le linn chéad shéasúr póraithe na bhféileacán, agus an méadú a tháinig ar líon na dtaifead le linn an dara séasúir. Ní hionadh sin mar gheall ar bhreáthacht na haimsire i rith Mheitheamh agus Iúil 2018. Ní foláir nó gur mheall an tonn teasa amach faoin aer sinn, idir chláraitheoirí is fhéileacáin. I measc na

bhféileacán ba choitianta bhí an Gormán Coiteann agus an Chopróg Bheag. Go deimhin tá gach seans gur tháinig an tríú glúin den Chopróg Bheag ar an bhfód anuraidh, a liacht sin acu a bhí ag eiteallach thart go fóill faoi Oíche Shamhna. Mholfainn d’éinne ar suim leo an dúlra, nó a dtaitníonn píosa spaisteoireachta leo fiú, tabhairt faoin suirbhé seo i mbliana.

Eolas

Tá a thuilleadh eolais le fáil ag an nasc seo: www.biodiversityireland.ie/ record-biodiversity/surveys/ butterflyatlas/get-involved/

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16/05/2019 13:10

BRANCH FOCUS

Across Country THE LATEST UPDATES FROM

the

News and updates from IWT branches across Ireland.

Green infrastructure and community in Portlaoise An update from IWT Laois Offaly

Early spring always means one thing for our conservation volunteer events in Laois and Offaly: tree planting, and lots of it. Over the last few years we have partnered with different community groups and landowners across the two counties to plant thousands of native trees. This year we teamed up with the large residential community in Kilminchy, Portlaoise over the course of three weekends in March to plant over 1000 native trees across their estate (a big thanks to Trees on the Land for supplying the trees).

Kilminchy Estate was one of the largest residential developments built during the boom years with over 720 houses, apartments, a commercial centre and care homes all making up this new community. Alongside this there is also a large amount of green space (although most of this is cut grass), and three manmade lakes. It was these areas that have been the focus of a new masterplan for the estate. This plan explored opportunities on how the use of green infrastructure design could maximize economic, social and environmental benefits for the community.

The proposals, if fully developed, would see the creation of four acres each of a new wildflower meadow and native woodland, a

 Laois Offaly IWT branch members

new natural play park, improved access and interpretation, a range of new biodiversity enhancement features, and much more.

The trees were planted with the help of about 40 volunteers of all ages from the community in areas identified in the plans.

On my last visit there in mid-April, it was great to see the new buds appearing on the saplings and the wildflowers growing up underneath the new trees where the grass is being left uncut. Two young children were sitting in amongst the trees picking some of the dandelion flowers, which is wonderful to see and something that has become less possible in this age of manicured lawns.

We were also happy to be involved with the creation of new wildflower meadows in the estate. One of these was created last year when we partnered with the management agents from the commercial centre to convert a steep mown grass bank to meadow. We followed a very simple process: 1) change

 Tree planting in Kilminchy

the cutting regime to a simple cut and lift at the end of the year, the fringes along the footpaths were kept cut as normal; 2) enrich the meadow in the autumn using locally harvested wildflower seed collected during the summer, some of which was grown on by local volunteers so that they could be planted in as plug plants; and 3) install some small signs to inform the public. During my recent visit I was delighted to see yellow rattle seedlings coming through, and the wildflower plugs planted were also thriving.

This simple process is a great way of involving the community throughout the entire season and helps change the culture we have created in this country for ‘neat and tidy’ green spaces.

This project is a great example of how properly designed green infrastructure can deliver multiple benefits for a community and at the same time protect and conserve our native wildlife.

To see more details on our upcoming events please visit our Facebook branch page: www.facebook.com/IWTLaoisOffaly 16

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NORTHWEST

Notes Northwest From the

The Wonder of Wheatears

by Lindsay Hodges

Sunday morning, mid-March, we start up the lane that winds helter-skelter to the top of the escarpment. Although the skylarks fill the air with sound, there is only one subject of our worship this morning: wheatears.

Stopping a third down from the peak, the car makes the best hide for this location. We settle in beside a sheep fence that overlooks the steep drop down and wait. The horizon is so broad from here. A green undulation of hills and valleys to the left and the lough opening up to the far right. The habitat beneath us sports rocky outcrops peeking through scutch grass and dense tracts of fern.

The sheep are high above me to the left, nimbling up sheer slopes like the gradient was nothing.

A raven calls from the clifftop, then a second answers, their shadows patterning the scree slopes. There’s not another soul around.

It can be brutal up here in the wrong weather, the wind sharp and eye watering, thick cloud dipping so low and dense you could cut a slice.

But today it’s perfect, just warm enough for the first emerging butterflies and a steady drone of inquisitive bees.

It doesn’t take long before they appear, two pairs of wheatear who have made their home here high above the town. All of a sudden the air is full of wings, white rumps flashing in all directions and shadows dancing on the lichened limestone boulders. There is a

scrap for territory here, males agitating for the best crevices and the females not averse to a wing-flap either.

These birds are of the Northern variety and in superb condition, extraordinary in this morning light despite their recent migration ordeal, an astounding night flight reaching Ireland through Spain from Africa. We zoom the camera in to get a closer look. One female boasts a myriad of cream and light brown hues, like ripening wheat sheaves and sun-dried freshly turned soil. A male, who lands on the boulder behind her, is resplendent in black bandit eye-mask and stunning grey-blue head and shoulders, matching the thin slice of lough just visible in the distance.

That they reach our shores at all is nothing short of a miracle. When we think of the migration of birds, it is the flock approach that first comes to mind with swans, geese and waders travelling together in autumn for overwintering, a sense of community and safety in numbers in their journey. But the reality of such tiny birds weighing only eight ounces

Pair of wheatears, credit Christine Cassidy

Wheatear, credit Christine Cassidy

making a solo venture of such epic proportions beggars belief, taking incredible stamina, belief, instinct and exceptional courage.

They prefer upland, often rocky habitats and after a quick breather at the first coastal high points, returning birds head straight for their traditional nesting areas. Sometimes their sites are so specific that when you find wheatears back at the exact same spot you know it is the same birds you watched last year. When this happens, as it did for us, the connection feels intensely personal and incredibly moving. They are such remarkable birds, each fresh glimpse remains as exciting and thrilling as the first. Welcome home, old friends.

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WILD IDEAS

Healthy Sea Healthy Seals S Emilie Michael, Events Manager and Assistant Animal Care Manager at Seal Rescue Ireland (SRI) details the important work carried out by the volunteers and staff at SRI and highlights the dangers seals face in Irish waters and seashores.

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eal Rescue Ireland is the only seal rescue and rehabilitation centre in the Republic of Ireland. The visitor centre and seal hospital are staffed almost entirely by volunteers hailing from all over Ireland and the world who have joined efforts to dedicate their time, energy, skills and passion to rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing Ireland’s two native seal species; the common seal and the grey seal. Seals are rescued from all across the Irish coastline, a task that is made possible due to the 900+ strong network of volunteers who have been trained and certified by SRI to safely perform rescues.

SRI operates a 24/7 hotline for the public to report sick, injured or orphaned seals. Once reported, SRI must assess the situation as it is extremely important that they ensure healthy pups are not taken away from their mothers. Volunteers will often observe a seal for hours, from a safe distance, to ensure they are only rescuing animals that would be unlikely to survive without aid.

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WILD IDEAS Tikka, Panoramix, Frodo, credit Shauna Murphy

DWSS Postcard Falafel, credit Shauna Murphy

WHAT’S THE PROBLEM? The most pressing threats to seals in Ireland, resulting in the need for human intervention, are often the same threats that our planet faces as a whole: climate change, plastic pollution, water quality issues and human disturbances. Environmental degradation from human activity threatens our marine ecosystems and all life within.

Injuries and exhaustion due to storms have recently become a leading cause of pup strandings in Ireland. The ever increasing severity and frequency of storms and powerful waves, which are an effect of climate change, often coincide with the height of grey seal pupping season.

At that time, young pups are too weak and inexperienced to handle strong storm surges which can sweep them from beaches and separate them from their mothers. An especially bad example occurred in October 2017, when Hurricane Ophelia and Storm Brian occurred in rapid succession. As a direct consequence, SRI received a massive increase in seal reports which stretched the capacity at the SRI hospital with a record 66 pups in care at once!

Reports of seals becoming injured from fishing lines and other ocean plastics are also on the rise. Maui and Merida were two such cases, each found entangled in fishing gear which had not been responsibly discarded. Both were successfully released after removal and rehabilitation, however both will bare marks of their interaction with plastic for the rest of their lives. Maui now has deep scars encircling

Tristan, credit Tony Penkert

Pudding, credit Shauna Murphy

his neck and Merida lost an eye due to the severity of her entanglement.

However, some seals aren’t so lucky.

In 2014 a seal named Karma was rescued by SRI and seemed to be on the road to recovery. When she mysteriously passed away an autopsy was performed which revealed a plastic crisp packet stuck in her stomach. As opportunistic predators, seals naturally feed on a wide variety of prey of various shapes, sizes and colours. The reflective coating of the crisp packet had likely been mistaken for a fish, tragically illustrating the damage just one piece of marine plastic can do for an unsuspecting seal.

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16/05/2019 13:55

WILD IDEAS

 Commons in the pool  Maui in his bath

 Pistachio (grey

seal) resting on her bath in kennels

 Merida (grey seal) in

 Maui (grey seal) in the pool

the pool post-surgery

“Seals are referred to as a ‘bioindicator species’ because the health of their population directly indicates the health of the marine habitat in which they live.”

Plastics aren’t the only substance which can pollute the marine habitat and put seals and other sea life at risk. From oil spills to raw sewage, landfill leaks to pesticides and fertilizers, all toxins from land eventually run off to accumulate in the ocean. Although illness is a normal part of life for any animal population, a healthy immune system is designed to overcome infection and lead to recovery. However, if a seal’s immune system is weakened due to pollution in their environment, otherwise minor conditions (like a cold) can become severe and potentially prove fatal. Seals are referred to as a ‘bioindicator species’ because the health of their population directly indicates the health of the marine habitat in which they live.

Although most of these threats come from the effects of human activities, some threats come directly from humans. Approaching a pup on the beach is a key cause in many orphan cases at SRI. If the mother is nearby and observes humans too close to her pup, she will often consider it too dangerous to return and will abandon it. Pups that are prematurely orphaned will not survive on their own. SRI recommends remaining 200m from seals resting on beaches.

Grey and common seals are not only beautiful and intelligent animals, but they are ecologically significant to biodiversity as a native keystone species. As top predators in Irish waters, they have a huge affect on

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 Churro (grey seal) moving

from kennel to pool

 Release from North Beach Courtown

the health and balance of the food web. They have countless knock-on effects on all the other complex relationships in their habitat, from large fish to microscopic zooplankton.

WHAT CAN WE DO? There are countless actions humans can take in everyday life that can reduce harm to both seals and the planet. Individually, it means anything from using a reusable coffee cup to supporting renewable energy. Eating locally, ethically and sustainably sourced food has an enormous positive impact on the land, oceans and economy. People can also respect wildlife from a distance and encourage that behaviour in others.

A huge part of SRI’s work is to share the message that a healthy sea means healthy seals. To find out ways to support SRI’s work, visit the website at http://www.sealrescueireland.org/ or visit the centre for a free tour to meet the pups.

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Competition

COMPETITION

We’re offering Irish Wildlife readers the chance to win one of two fantastic books!

Naturama by Michael Fewer with illustrations by Melissa Doran Naturama is a breathtakingly exciting new book that introduces you to Ireland’s flora and fauna with every changing season. Beautifully written by accomplished writer, Michael Fewer, and skillfully illustrated with Melissa Doran’s captivating drawings, Naturama is a book which will encourage every reader, young and old, to get out there and see what they can find. Each page is a discovery of the magic of nature right on your doorstep, from the back garden to the local park and the countryside. Even the smallest garden is a vast canvas of nature with its worms, insects, flowers and birds. Listen to the blackbird’s song, spot an madra rua in your local town, discover why the ash tree is good for making hurlies, count a snail’s 27,000 teeth, watch stags fight and spot jellyfish at the seaside, laughing as you discover the meaning of their Irish name, smugairle róin! It’s time to get kids away from the screens and into the world, put your boots on – it’s time to go outside!

See The Wood From The Trees by Marion McGarry & Dermot O’Donovan published by Artisan House Connemara 2018 Stunningly designed and highly visual, See The Wood From The Trees documents the story of trees felled by storms in Áras an Uachtaráin and subsequently gifted by President Higgins to the National Centre for Excellence in Furniture Design and Technology, GMIT Letterfrack. The book contains a thoughtful foreword by President Michael D. Higgins, an introduction by architect and broadcaster, Duncan Stewart, and the book’s excellent expressive visuals are complemented by The Farmleigh Tree Alphabet poems by Theo Dorgan. The book is available in bookshops while the special and deluxe limited editions are available directly from Artisan House. www.artisanhouse.ie

We have two copies of Naturama and two copies of See The Wood From The Trees to give away. To be in with a chance to win, just answer the following question: Where in Kerry were the wild flowers photographed by Jessica Hamilton?

Please send your answer along with your name and address as well as the title of your preferred book to iwteditor@gmail.com by the 30th of June 2019.

Spring ’19 Winners: In our spring issue, we gave our readers the chance to win copies of The Sea Garden – A Guide to Seaweed Cookery and Foraging by Marie Power and Bliain na hAmhrán by Tadhg Mac Dhonnagáin.

The question asked was: In what county is Mount Briscoe Organic Farm?

The answer was: County Offaly The winners are: Éadaoin Ní Bhraoin, Co Dublin, Fidelma Carroll, Co Dublin (Bliain na nAmhrán) and Darren Ellis, Co Wicklow, (The Sea Garden - A Guide to Seaweed Cookery and Foraging).

Congratulations and many thanks to all who entered!

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FEATURE

BIOLOGICAL ANNIHILATION John Gibbons, an environmental writer and commentator, gives chilling details on the impact we are having on our planet and warns that the battle to conserve what remains of our intact natural heritage has never been more important.

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Variagated yellow archangel taking over a patch of native bluebells in woods near Durrow, Co Laois, credit Martine Brennan

FEATURE

V

eteran Harvard biologist, Prof E.O. Wilson first achieved fame through his study of the complex social and communal lives of ants – myrmecology, to give it its proper title.

Wilson, who turns 90 this summer, is also known as ‘the father of biodiversity’.

Apart from his stellar career as a scientist, he is also a gifted writer and commentator.

In his 2002 book, The Future of Life, he wrote presciently: “An Armageddon is approaching at the beginning of the third millennium. It is not the fiery collapse of mankind foretold in sacred scripture. It is the wreckage of the planet by an exuberantly plentiful and ingenious humanity.” It’s a phrase that has stayed with me since I first encountered it.

In the five decades or so since 1970, the number of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish in the wild has plummeted. Two thirds of the land-based wild creatures alive on Earth when I was in primary school have vanished, swept away before the profligate ingenuity of one apex predator of unparalleled ferocity.

It is truly breath-taking to consider that in less than half a century the havoc we have wreaked on the natural world is fast approaching the devastation wrought by the asteroid impact in the Yucatán peninsula just under 66 million years ago.

The global mass extinction event that followed this catastrophic impact caused around 75% of plant and animal species on Earth (including, most famously, all

non-avian dinosaurs) at that time to go extinct.

“This global trend suggests we are degrading natural ecosystems at a rate unprecedented in human history,” according to the World Wildlife Fund, which crunches the numbers annually in its Living Planet Index reports.

Wilson identified the rapid destruction of natural habitats, spread of invasive species, pollution, continuous population growth and over-harvesting as the principal threats to the living planet upon which all life, including human life, depends. Wilson examined the complex interactions that make up the web of life that supports us, and why it would be an act of enlightened self-interest for humanity to learn the limits of its power

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FEATURE

and the existential dangers entailed in inadvertently crippling the biosphere.

This realisation animated Wilson’s 2016 book, Half-Earth, in which he put forward the radical idea that half the land on Earth (and much of its oceans) would have to be designated as human-free natural reserves in order to preserve biodiversity and to allow natural systems upon which we depend to continue to function.

This idea is as sensible as it is impossible to implement. Human incursions are instead penetrating further into the ever-diminishing remaining sanctuaries where wildlife cling on to existence. Consider these statistics: today, some 60% of all mammals on Earth, by weight, are livestock, mostly cattle and pigs, 36% are human and just 4% are wild animals. So, humans and our farmed animals and pets comprise 96% of all vertebrate life on Earth.

By far the most common bird in the world today is the farmed chicken. In fact, chickens now comprise 70% of all the world’s birds.

The picture for invertebrates is not much better. Insects are among nature’s great survivors, but even this kingdom is beginning to crumble under the sustained assault of intensive farming and its toxic haze of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides.

A 2016 study in Germany identified a stunning 76% collapse in the total number of flying insects compared to a baseline study carried out just 25 years earlier, in 1991. Unsurprisingly, equally dramatic collapses in populations of farmland birds have been tracked right across Europe, including in Ireland.

Our fellow species have thus far borne the brunt of this dramatic reshaping of the surface of the planet to provide for the needs and wants of a single species. It is difficult to imagine that, having sown the storm, human health and welfare can expect to escape the gathering whirlwind of a destabilised global climatic system.

More than 90% of Ireland’s supposedly ‘protected’ habitats, which include native grasslands and peatlands, are in poor condition, according to the 2017 National Biodiversity Forum. It tracked major declines in already threatened bird species, while noting that one-third of Ireland’s wild bees face extinction.

The forces driving this collapse in Irish biodiversity include intensive agriculture, commercial forestry, peat cutting, invasive

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5 Bandon River, Co Cork, credit Ecofact Ecology

5 Mountain fire, Gleann Bheatha, Co Donegal, credit Aodh Ó Fearraigh

species, water and air pollution. The ongoing disruption to natural systems caused by climate change adds to the growing challenges for survival faced by wildlife all over the world.

A paper in the journal of the US National Academy of Sciences last year introduced the term “biological annihilation” to describe the rate and scale of global biodiversity loss.

“The situation has become so bad it would not be ethical not to use strong language,” according to co-author Prof Gerardo Ceballos. The study concluded: “Humanity will eventually pay a very high price for the decimation of the only assemblage of life that we know of in the universe.”

Of the many threats to biodiversity outlined above, you will note that climate change (or, more accurately, climate breakdown) is at this point still a relatively minor player. This is, unfortunately, unlikely to remain the case for much longer. A 2018 study published by the US National Academy of Sciences examined the Luquillo rainforest in Puerto Rico. It has benefitted over the years from extensive protection and it appeared, at least to the untrained eye, to be in pristine condition. Yet, the study found a staggering 90-98% collapse in the number of arthropods in the forest, compared to the mid-1970s.

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5 Invasive rhododendron in

Killarney, credit Trevor Halpin

5 Tree destruction along the Unshin river, Co Sligo, credit Michael Bell

So, what happened? The rainforest’s temperature has increased by 2 degrees centigrade in the past three decades as a result of global warming. This seemingly small temperature shift has been enough to disrupt and in many cases, destroy, the forest’s food web. Unexpectedly, the neardisappearance of arthropods from the rainforest has seen populations of lizards, frogs and birds decline sharply.

The battle to conserve what remains of our intact natural heritage has never been more important But, as the fate of the Luquillo rainforest clearly illustrates, nature conservation without climate stabilisation simply won’t work, and every hard-won gain

5 Invasive rhododendron in Killarney, credit Trevor Halpin

that conservationists make will, sooner or later – quite possibly, sooner – be wiped out by climate breakdown.

Amid the gloom, 2019 has seen some green shoots in terms of the long-overdue public and political response to the unfolding crises that threaten the biosphere. The emergence of the children’s climate strike movement, inspired by the charismatic Swedish teenager, Greta Thunberg has helped to wake the public from its slumber on ecological awareness, as well as propelling it well up the political and media agendas. The ‘Extinction Rebellion’ movement, modelled on historic campaigns using peaceful street-based civil disobedience, has galvanised the sense that a tipping point

in attitudes to the climate crisis may be fast approaching.

However, seasoned campaigners are acutely aware that there have been many false dawns in recent years and remain sceptical that the likely government and corporate response to this crisis will be one of ever more sophisticated greenwashing.

The unpalatable fact remains that the seemingly unstoppable march of growth-based global consumerism is on a collision course with the immovable limits of a finite, battered biosphere. And, since physics doesn’t negotiate, humanity is either going to have to accept a radically limited future or face the very real prospect that this is indeed our final century.

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16/05/2019 14:01

IRELAND’S FURRY INTERLOPER Pine martens have taken to making themselves at home in abandoned and often conserved buildings, but as a protected species, the trespassers can’t be moved on easily, Gordon D’Arcy recounts.

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5 Pine marten, credit Christine Cassidy

EXPLORING WILDLIFE

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ne of Ireland’s most important revivalists – Michael Cusack, founder of the GAA - was born and reared in the Burren. His pre-famine thatched home is tenderly conserved for the thousands of visitors who come annually to pay homage to the man. In late March, however, prior to the tourist rush, it became evident that this precious place of pilgrimage had been violated. A large hole had been dug through the thatch and its strong protective mesh. “Ah, the martens,” declared the curator, wistfully. A pair of the mustelids had burrowed through the thatch and “taken over” the roof space as a den in which to rear their young. “We can’t touch them - protected animals - unless the ranger can catch them before they are properly installed.

Otherwise we will have to wait until the kits are reared before we can patch the roof and clean up their mess,” the curator explained.

Some years ago I was taken to another similar site on the edge of the Burren national park. Here the devastation was even more evident.

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EXPLORING WILDLIFE

 Pine marten, credit

Ronald Surgenor

5 Pine marten, credit Ronald Surgenor

The martens, now irreversibly installed, had created two enormous holes, an entrance and an exit, in the thatch of the unoccupied cottage roof.

One of the most iconic film sequences of the Burren by the late Eamon de Buitlear is of pine martens entering and exiting a riverside cottage in the Caher Valley – through the chimney!

Even after the cottage was restored and reoccupied the martens continued to visit the location though confining themselves now to the garden and to feeding on scraps left out for them.

Enchanting company these animals are in the wild but there is no denying their destructive capability once inside a building.

A young couple restoring an old house in an idyllic woodland location in east Clare bitterly recounted the “nightmare experience” of trying to evict their non-paying tenants, a family of denning pine martens. Installed in the attic, the martens scuttled incessantly around the house, squealing and growling indignantly at the newcomers, appearing threateningly at the windows and generally “stinking the place out”.

Nor are pine martens respecters of grandeur.

Enniscoe House, one of the finest Georgian

residences remaining in the west of Ireland (featured recently in RTE’s Lords and Ladies) and described in Ireland’s prestigious Blue Book, once had its furry interlopers. Prior to the late 1980s when it was restored and occupied by the present incumbents, it accommodated a family of pine martens. On a visit to the house in 2004 the owners recounted their “adventures” with the animals which appeared to have the run of the house. They were frequently seen dashing around the rooms or running across the pelmets covering the curtain rails. Despite the undoubted inconvenience the owners were quite philosophical about their uninvited guests doing little or nothing to evict them during breeding time. Martens are still to be found at Enniscoe but now only in the extensive woodlands of the estate.

When Enniscoe was built in the late 18th century pine martens would not have presented such an existential problem. The estate gamekeeper would have been employed to ruthlessly trap and kill any predators including pine martens that constituted a threat to game on the estate. Arthur Stringer was the gamekeeper to the Portmore estate adjacent to

Lough Neagh some three hundred years ago.

In his An Experienced Huntsman (1714) we have access to a remarkable manual describing the methodology of hunting a variety of unfortunate creatures, including martens. It is clear that these mustelids were still common in Ulster’s woodlands at that time. Stringer’s first–hand experiences, locating the animals (often roosting in hollow trees), cutting off their escape with hounds, and ruthlessly killing them when grounded is a sad narrative indeed.

It was by these methods that the pine marten was brought to the brink of extinction by the early 20th century. Interestingly, Stringer makes no reference to the mustelids taking over abandoned buildings. Presumably in the early 18th century when vestiges of the original forests remained the marten was still essentially a creature of the wildwood.

My most memorable experience with pine martens was in the open Burren with wildlife photographer John Hayward. A pair of the animals had made their home half-way up a limestone cliff behind a scrawny holly tree.

Here, undisturbed by humans they reared three kits, one of which was unfortunately killed by a fox. In the absence of old hollow trees inaccessible rock crevices must have always been viable denning alternatives. The rocky Burren continues to be a stronghold for the marten but it appears that the expansion of commercial forestry in the past half century has facilitated its spread (and repopulation) to almost every county.

It is nevertheless ironic, that this, our most elusive mammal, (many Burren inhabitants have never seen one), has turned the tables on its former persecutors by often taking on the role of a squatter.

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SUMMER FOCUS

Rebellion The time for action is now. Billy Flynn discusses the demands being made by the Extinction Rebellion movement, an apolitical network urging immediate action from governments to mitigate the current climate and ecological emergency.

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T

his is an emergency. So states the homepage of Extinction Rebellion, a movement that has burst into prominence over the last two weeks before this article was written (April, 2019). The scale and nature of Extinction Rebellion’s actions in this time do indeed convey the urgency that is driving them on. Extinction Rebellion describes itself as an international apolitical network using nonviolent direct action to persuade governments to act on the climate and ecological emergency. The direct action that they describe seems to have taken the world by surprise. Last week in London, activists brought large parts of the UK capital to a halt by blocking roads and bridges as they expressed their feelings and demands to the attention of the UK and world media.

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5 Climate change protest in Dublin, credit Eoin Campbell

What are their demands? They are three-fold. Firstly, that governments “tell the truth” and declare a climate and ecological emergency and communicate the urgency for change. Their second demand is that governments “act now” to halt loss of biodiversity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to ‘net zero’ by 2025. Their third demand is that governments must create and be led by the decisions of a Citizens’ Assembly on climate and ecological justice.

These are ambitious demands indeed. Extinction Rebellion Ireland lists six demands, some of which are largely in line with their UK counterpart’s. The other demands include the enabling of microgeneration of energy (e.g. from solar panels or wind energy), investment in public transport in order to make “serious improvements” to our public transport and cycling infrastructure as well as more charging points for electric vehicles. Extinction Rebellion Ireland also calls for an end to all oil and gas exploitation and for no new fossil-fuel based infrastructure (e.g. pipelines or refineries) to be created. The final demand calls for the Irish government to meet its treaty obligations under the UNFCCC agreement (the Paris Accord).

Reaction to these demands has been mixed, as has the reaction to the nature and style of the movement’s direct actions to date.

In the UK, these have largely been (to date) the disruption of

transport within larger cities by the assembly of protestors and by their installation of items on bridges, roads and roundabouts. These installations have included items as diverse as a pink boat and a skateboard ramp. Here in Ireland, direct action has included rallies - a protest march bringing Dublin city centre to a standstill on Good Friday - and a ‘Die-In’ on Grafton Street.

The actions have not been universally welcomed. Some critics have said that the disruption of public transport systems runs counter to the demands and overall aims of the protesting groups.

London’s Lord Mayor has called on the protestors to desist, citing the disruption of the city as too high a price to pay for public awareness. However, these dissenting voices have been drowned out by the greater majority that have welcomed the actions. In the immediate aftermath of the protests, The Journal (www.thejournal. ie) carried out a survey asking if readers supported the Extinction Rebellion protests. The results showed that 55.3% of respondents said they did support them with only 37.7% stating that they did not.

The non-violent nature of the direct actions has won them support. Footage of London policemen trying out a skateboard ramp amused many. Less amused at the scale of the protests was their boss, the head of London’s Metropolitan Police, who had to direct her officers to carry out mass arrests of up to 1,000 protesters as well as call in 200 officers as reinforcements from other areas.

She stated that she had never seen protests (that required police response) of this scale and the dynamic nature of the action made this exceptionally difficult to police.

For many young people, this has been their first experience of direct action. It is noteworthy that the young (and indeed the very young) are to the forefront of the Extinction Rebellion movement. Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old student, has been a rallying point for both young and old as she has so starkly laid out the choices that we must face up to if we are to avoid climate and ecological catastrophe.

This is only the beginning for the Extinction Rebellion campaign, it seems. Movement spokesman Eoin Campbell says that further actions are being planned. These will target government and industry. Asked whether disrupting public transport is contrary to their aims he says that while you must disrupt to get attention, every effort was made to keep the Luas lines free during the Good Friday protests in Dublin. Asked whether the group’s actions might extend to disrupting air travel he was unequivocal; air travel being by far the worst transport option when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, yes, our airports and airlines may well feel the heat from Extinction Rebellion in the near future.

For the last two years, when the environment has made the news it has been for all the wrong reasons. Damning reports on the lack of government action have followed dire predictions for the consequences of doing nothing. It finally feels like we are doing something. It may be disruptive for some. Decarbonisation of entire countries in a half decade might seem wildly unrealistic. However, we know both a radically different government approach and public attitudes are needed for there to be any hope. We will need to disrupt a lot more if we are to reach any of the targets that we need to reach. If we stay silent, we will be just as responsible for our leaders’ inaction.

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WILD SPACES

Grey

From toGreen Martina Caplice highlights the importance of rewilding our urban coastlines and the essential work being carried out by the Ecostructure project.

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think every one of us has at least one fond memory of long summer days spent at the beach. Those wonderful times with the smell of the sea in the air, sun drying salt water on our skin, sandy sandwiches and that longed for fizzy drink after hours of searching rock pools. What made these days so magical was the wildness of the beach and all of its intriguing creatures, that when the tide is out we get to glimpse into half their lives.

Wouldn’t it be fantastic to be able to bring that wildness back to the urban coastline and relive those memories every time we went for a walk on a pier, or took a visit to a harbour? This might just be possible.

In 2018 I was fortunate to work as a research assistant with marine and social scientists from the Ecostructure project, a partnership between

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University College Dublin, University College Cork, Aberystwyth, Bangor and Swansea Universities. The desired outcome of this project is the promotion and testing of ecologically-sensitive designs that will enhance marine constructions. These enhancements will encourage more recruitment of marine organisms and may help to mitigate some of the harmful impacts of climate change on the Irish Sea coastlines in Ireland and Wales.

Harbour walls and breakwaters are often poor habitats for marine wildlife. Research has shown that artificial structures are lower in numbers of marine plants and animals than the natural shorelines they have replaced. This is due to artificial structures not providing enough shelter from the pressures marine wildlife face in intertidal zones, such as high temperatures, wave action and refuge from predators. The Ecostructure project is looking for ways to provide a more dynamic habitat built into or onto manmade structures in order to increase their overall biodiversity. It aims to bring a piece of the wild and the life that comes with it, back to our artificial coastlines.

The enhancements that are used to create these new habitats include exciting designs from UK company Artecology Ltd, which has created artificial rock pools called VertipoolsŠ. These are bolt-on bowls of bio receptive concrete that look like holy water fonts, or once they become

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Barnacles, Semibalanus balanoides, credit Martina Caplice

WILD SPACES

Common blue mussel, Mytilus edulis, a likely recruit to the

Ecostructure enhancements, credit Martina Caplice

Further information:

Closed beadlet anemone and a chiton, are both marine

animals often found in rockpools, credit Martina Caplice

inhabited, resemble bracket fungi straight out of a marine version of the animation FernGully. These Vertipools© become safe havens for marine animals such as small fish, crabs, bivales, and marine snails once the tide is out, as well as providing anchor points for seaweeds.

They hold seawater at low tide reflecting rock pools on natural shorelines, providing shelter, moisture and even food for the animals and algae that live in them. They are added to the blank vertical surface of seawalls where otherwise there would be no place for wildlife.

Other exciting designs have come from Reef Design Lab in Australia, which developed grooved tiles with varying depths that help to provide a complex surface for marine life to attach to. These tiles have been tested worldwide, including in Dublin Port, as part of the Sydney Institute of Marine Science led World Harbour Project. They have been shown to recruit various species of seaweeds, barnacles, limpets, and isopods, along with many other marine invertebrates.

In addition to these two adaptations there have been pits and crevices of different sizes and depths drilled into the already existing rock surfaces of the adjacent rock armour/rip rap. They are simple alterations that provide valuable habitat for marine life of varying ages and sizes.

Marine animals take shelter in these cooler, wetter hideouts away from predators as well as other biological and physical stresses.

Check out www.ecostructureproject.eu/ Ecostructure is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Ireland Wales Cooperation Programme 2014-2020. The project will raise awareness of eco-engineering solutions to the challenges of coastal adaptation to climate change.

There are several sites in Ireland - including Malahide Marina, Co Dublin and Kilmore Quay, Co Wexford - and Wales where trials of all the enhancements are taking place. Kilmore Quay is a site rich in maritime culture and heritage. This makes it an excellent location for this project to be carried out, as it is a site where the impact of a changing climate and the ongoing modification of our coastlines associated with human activity can be observed. Not only can this be seen but also how it affects the day to day life of the local community.

Keep an eye out for the launching of the Ecostructure Observatory webpage where there will be opportunities to submit photographs and get involved in some quick surveys about these enhancements. The Ecostructure project would like to encourage local community groups and interested individuals that use the harbour all the time to get involved. Relive those fond memories or make new ones by keeping an eye on what’s living there. Observe how these enhancements look on the manmade structures? And watch while they bring back that wild element to the artificial coastline?

The Ecostructure project has a vision for a brighter, greener future and they are creating it! If I close my eyes, I can see it when I stand on a pier listening to the waves. I can see a future where manmade structures are no longer grey and sterile, but green and wild.

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FIELD REPORT

An exploration of Pollardstown Fen Mary Gibson describes in vivid detail the natural beauty of Pollardstown Fen in Co Kildare.

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hen you’ve had enough of the noise and weight of days amongst human life. When you long for air that catches the back of your tongue and is chilled and pure. Or yearn for solitude to clear your busy head and surround yourself with beauty, ancient and free. Then go to Pollardstown Fen.

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From Kildare Town, head off past Melitta Park and brush by the edge of the Curragh Racecourse. Drive the back road out of Newbridge, towards the racecourse and there you’ll be.

The fen was unknown to me when I first came to live in Kildare. Almost on my doorstep, sat a wild habitat which began after the last Ice Age about 11,700 years ago. It’s called a valley fen, because it developed on the floor of a shallow valley as the ice sheet receded. Glacial deposits and unique groundwater flow patterns gave the fen its beginning.

Pollardstown is the largest remaining spring-fed fen in Ireland. It draws mineral rich water from the Curragh aquifer nearby. Where the aquifer spring meets the fen its waters appear clean and crystal clear. The slope of the landscape is gentle and water movement is not apparent to

the visitor who comes here. It is estimated the fen covers about 220 hectares. The combination of calcium-rich water and alkaline peat soil results in a habitat supporting some of the rarest and most endangered species in Europe. Alone in Europe, Ireland not only has a third of the total population of a rare snail species such as Vertigo Angustior, but finds itself with three snails listed for protection by the EU Habitats Directive.

Walking in from the car park towards a wooden boardwalk, the initial view is of feathery fronds of tall Cladium reeds. Walk onto the wooden planks above the peat-like soil and slabs of porous, calcareous tufa rock below. I have stood there, in winter frost or spring-time mist, sensed a peaceful blanket wrap itself around me and worries slip away. Usually deserted, the wooden walkway winds through only part of this

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Pollardstown Fen, credit Mary Gibson

Storm damaged but still standing, credit Mary Gibson

FIELD REPORT

vast marsh. Different in every season, it is the beauty and the peace here that delights me most. One of the most vulnerable landscapes left to us.

Fen vegetation includes black bog rush and saw sedge which is unique to Ireland.

Pollardstown also supports a number of rare and threatened plant species including the fly orchid and other insect-eating plants.

I love the sounds of their names - tufted and slender sedge, blunt flowered rush, Western bladderwort, sphagnum moss, broad-leaved bog cotton.

The summer in Pollardstown is a good time to visit and spot disparate birds bobbing on the water and dashing about amongst the reeds. This past summer was perfect for watching visiting sand martins swooping from a clear blue sky, low over the open water, hunting for insects.

Skylarks also nest amongst the reeds on

the fen. I try to identify various birds by their songs, as they call and sing loudly guarding their territories.

In winter, resident birds are joined by migrating wildfowl, including mute swans, herons and little grebes as well as coots, with their black plumage, moorhens and marsh hens, reed buntings, water rails, snipe, sedge warblers and members of the duck family such as the pintail and tufted duck.

I have seen fen mammals like the otter splash into the water from the slopes along the banks and native Irish hare gallop away, once they’ve checked me out, balancing on their strong hind legs. The tiny pygmy shrew is there somewhere but I have yet to see one. It is the only shrew native to Ireland and is Ireland’s smallest mammal.

It weighs at most about six grams!

Amphibians, those slithery creatures that

Walking the wooden boardwalk, credit Mary Gibson

love the land and water equally, are completely at home in this moist and flyrich environment. The common frog and smooth newt hang about the reeds and rushes waiting to pounce. Dragonflies, damselflies and the orange tip, tortoiseshell and common blue butterflies tip and tilt over still waters below or rest on the fluffy bog cotton.

No fishing is allowed here, but underneath the water on the muddy bottom of the fen lurks the Brook lamprey, a fish species sometimes mistaken for a small eel.

The white-clawed crayfish, which is a small lobster-like crustacean, is hiding there also.

So when the day is clear and bright or when you need to step off life’s roulette wheel for a while. Get on your bike, put on your walking shoes and go to see a place where you’ll see mother nature at her very finest.

Go for a gander along the wooden boardwalk. Rest in silence on one of the benches scattered there. Bring a sketch pad or a notebook to draw or write in. Pack a snack and a drink. Stay as long as you like in the stillness, just listening to nature’s wild music. Enjoy the free beauty of Pollardstown Fen, a 12,000 year-old, rare, natural habitat, before it’s gone forever.

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MEMBERS’ LETTERS

OVER TO YOU Our members have been busy exploring and making exciting discoveries this season.

We love to hear from our members, so remember to keep in touch with all your stories, photos and questions from your adventures!

Dear Editor, I wish to put a few lines together regarding a recent visit to Killarney National Park.

I visited on 10th March and was there for dawn as I have always found that to be the best time to see wildlife before the heavier footfall of visitors begins. In the past I have always enjoyed visits and have been lucky to have had encounters with white-tailed sea eagles, otters, red squirrel, fox, rabbits and of course both red and Sika deer. The scenery is always amazing and despite the well-known issues with invasive species, I love to visit regularly. While the park is generally clean, there is always some form of washed-up detritus on the lake shores and carried along by the steams, as is problematic everywhere. A lot of this rubbish is made up of plastic waste such as bottles, sweet/crisp bags, six pack rings, cans, picnic waste, tie wraps and often larger plastic bags such as fertilizer and shopping bags. It is hard to view it without feeling an overwhelming despair at our behaviour as a species.

While watching some female Sika deer on 10th March, this despair was really brought home to my daughter and I when we saw an approaching group of both male and female Sika running away from a poor unfortunate stag who had managed to get a tangle of blue twine/ rope stuck on an antler which was tied to a large plastic bag. I can only imagine that the billowing, rattling bag was terrifying the other deer and that they were running in fear from this poor unfortunate male who was unable to free himself of the frightening attachment. It was a sad encounter and it really showcased all that is wrong about the wanton littering we do and our disregard for nature as well as our disconnect between the two. We really need to do better by the creatures we share this planet with. They don’t deserve to be blighted by our neglect and ignorance. This encounter left me feeling thoroughly ashamed. A recent photo taken by Colm Ryan in the Phoenix Park showing the same problem

Yours sincerely, Bernie Carney, Cobh, Co Cork

TOP TWEET from Bryan Kennedy @encyonopsis (April 14th) Crustose lichens on a rock akin to a map of townland boundaries.

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MEMBERS’ LETTERS

Dear Editor, Early this morning (27th March 2019) there was a badger in the garden in Blackrock. I have often seen foxes in the garden (recorded on web cams and night cameras) but never a badger.

Would this be a once off thing or could it return? If it should come back what food could be left for it? I don’t generally have worms around so what could I do?

FACEBOOK PHOTO OF THE MONTH

With best wishes, Conleth Hanna, Co Dublin Dear Conleth, You can feed badgers fruit, dried dog food or plain nuts (such as peanuts for birds). However, they should only be fed sparingly to avoid them becoming reliant on the food you put out, so feed them small amounts, but not too often. It is an excellent idea to leave water out also.

Badgers may do some digging to get worms, and they feed on other insects also (so might enjoy a handful of mealworms). They will also uproot plants, especially bulbs to eat. They might break into a mature compost heap to get at worms. If the soil in the garden is good, worms are probably there already.

Badgers do roam, but not far from their setts, so this could be a badger that has a sett nearby. If there is parkland or woodland nearby, this might be where it has come from.

Congratulations to David Ahern, winner of our March Photo of the Month competition for his enchanting capture of this red deer calf.

IWT

Credit, Cian Cardiff

Dear Editor, A walk in our local forestry at Warrenscourt is always a joy - a terrain of hills, trees, river and streams with views of the lake on private property.

All was once part of the estate of Sir Augustus Warren, one of the ascendancy class in this area of mid-Cork.

Each walk brings new sights; the first primroses of spring, next the frogspawn, then a carpet of bluebells on the forest floor. Sometimes a red squirrel will alert you as it jumps from branch to branch or the sight of deer who have the ability to slip away like a morning mist.

Birds are in abundance, the elusive jay amongst them and the cry of a buzzard as it circles nearby fields. I thought I knew every species in this favoured place until just this week, for the first time ever, in my almost 60 years, I spotted a treecreeper. It was the little bird’s whiteish underparts which caught my attention as I struggled to identify it. As its name implies, the treecreeper literally creeps up the bark of the tree, pecking at insects. It crept with amazing proficiency and then it was gone. So mesmerising was this little bird, I forgot to take a photograph.

Just shows you learn something new every day!

Yours sincerely, Bridget Goulding, Kilmurray, Co Cork

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 iwteditor@gmail.com Irish Wildlife Summer ‘19

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5Beech lined lane from an abandoned farm, credit Joanna Hodghton

ON LOCATION

RECLAIMING SPACES The community of Killanne has come together to reclaim spaces within the local area to improve wildlife habitats, writes Joanna Hodghton.

K

illanne Development is a small community group in Co Wexford. As well as organising events such as Easter Egg Hunts, Tractor Runs and the annual Patron, we have spent the past few years trying to make the centre of the village more wildlife friendly. The old pub car park, which was regularly sprayed, has now been left to nature and has become a haven for insects and birds and what had been a bare strip of ground leftover after houses were built, has been turned into a community garden with fruit trees, pollinator friendly planting, a mini pond, frog lodge, bug hotel and information boards.

Realising that before we could effectively help the local wildlife, we had to know what was actually there. We started to survey as much of the village and surrounding area as we could, recording on the National Biodiversity Data Centre website all of the plants and animals we recognised and trying to photograph those that

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we didn’t for future identification. We now have a far better understanding of what each segment of the village contains, which means we are less likely to inadvertently destroy an existing healthy habitat just so we can plant something which looks pretty for a couple of months in the summer. Using social media has meant we have been able to show both local people and those further afield, some of the less common things we have come across, including greater spotted woodpecker and smooth newt, in the last year.

One of the things we quickly realised when we began surveying, was that in the past, Killanne and the 10km square which it occupies (S84) had very little recorded. Even relatively common insects such as the gorse shieldbug were ‘new’ for the area, as were the 10-spot and cream spot ladybird. Because of this lack of historic recording we have no way of knowing what, if anything, we have lost from the area over the years.

Hopefully future generations will be more aware of the range of biodiversity that exists in Killanne.

Alongside the casual recording of our sightings, we also take part in bumblebee and butterfly surveys and solitary bee nest site monitoring, all of which have increased our understanding of how the management of different areas can affect wildlife, from hedge cutting, to removing moss in the graveyard.

Killanne itself is probably best known as the home of John Kelly from 1798 and more recently the Rackard brothers of hurling fame, but we have discovered that it is also home to many different creatures, from solitary bees which nest in their thousands in the old graveyard and the beautiful mountain bumblebee which lives on Blackstairs, to the marsh fritillary butterflies in the bog and of course, my personal favourite, the beautiful but usually camera shy common lizard which, if you are really lucky and patient, can be found basking in sunny hollows along some of the quieter lanes, during the warmer months.

Irish Wildlife Summer ‘19

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

www.marine.ie

Introducing the new Irish Wildlife Trust membership card.

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

Cards valid until February 28th 2020.

Your 2020 card will be printed in our 2020 spring issue.

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Membership Card 2019

Individual members, please fill in your full name. Family members, please fill in your family name. Card valid until February 28th 2020. Your 2020 card will be printed in our spring 2019 magazine. © Irish Wildlife Trust 2019.

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