Irish Wildlife Trust Summer 2021

ISSN - 1649 - 5705 • SUMMER ’21

IRISH IRELAND’S

MAGAZINE OF THE IRISH WILDLIFE TRUST

BEST

WILDLIFE

MAGAZINE

OCEAN SPOTTED IN IRELAND: • COD • PINTALE • GREY SEAL

THE HEART OF WILD DUBLIN

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ARRIVALS & DEPATURES

SAVING EDEN

FRONTLINE

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WELCOME

Chairman’s Comment

ISSN - 1649 - 5705 • SUMMER ’21

I IRISH IRELAND’S

MAGAZINE OF THE IRISH WILDLIFE TRUST

BEST

WILDLIFE

MAGAZINE

OCEAN SPOTTED IN IRELAND: • COD • PINTALE • GREY SEAL

THE HEART OF WILD DUBLIN

ARRIVALS & DEPATURES

SAVING EDEN

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FRONTLINE

Cover credit: Mike Brown

18/05/2021 10:52

Contents page credits: Grey Seal, Romy Stack Swallow chics, iStock JJFORBES46044 Swallow, Mike Brown Atlantic Cod, Alex Mustard Pintail, Mike Brown Whooper Swan, iStock indukas

Published by Ashville Media Group www.ashville.com

All articles © 2021 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

Printed on

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

Please recycle this copy of Irish Wildlife

sn’t it great to have the longer and brighter days back again? After being in and out of lockdowns over the last 15 months, it is a welcome chance for us all to get back out and about beyond our county limits, in a responsible manner of course. During lockdown, many people who had little or no connection with their natural surroundings discovered the joy of nature, be it birds in their back gardens, wildflowers along their local laneways or just the sense of wellbeing that a daily walk in the fresh air brings. Let us all hope that this newly found and revived interest continues and that people continue to embrace nature after the pandemic. The more people engage with nature, the more likely they are to understand and discuss the issues facing our biodiversity. Increased public awareness is key to getting the changes that are needed to help conserve and enhance our habitats and wildlife and to all our members, old and new, I would like to thank you all for your ongoing support that enables us to be to the fore when it comes to giving biodiversity a voice.

Sadly, the reality of threats facing biodiversity were starkly brought to national prominence over the last number of weeks, following the severe fire in Killarney National Park. Whilst illegal burning of our uplands is an annual occurrence nationwide, this year’s blaze in Killarney was particularly grotesque and has yet again shone a light on the total inadequacy of the State to protect such special places. In the immediate aftermath of this fire, speculation as to why it was so severe when compared to others in the past included the lack of proper upland management, the lack of allowing natural/ assisted re-generation of woodlands, piling highly flammable dead rhododendron in woodlands etc.

Until a full investigation (which IWT has called for) is carried out, we may never learn the exact cause (or causes, as is likely the case).

The reality is that there is a high risk of another equally severe fire in the years ahead unless park management takes immediate and scientifically sound actions. Indeed, considering the severity of this fire and the fact that it occurred in a National Park (also a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve), international wildfire experts should be engaged to carry out an independent investigation and to

compile an honest and unbiased report. Otherwise, there is a danger that we will get some elaborate tale about barbeques and winds blowing from the wrong direction whilst the crucial contributing factors such as a lack of effective woodland and uplands management are ignored.

Another environmental issue that has garnered national attention recently was the attempt by prominent politicians, including the Taoiseach, to criticise An Taisce for going ahead with their appeal against the granting of planning permission for a cheese processing plant in County Kilkenny. Public access to environmental information and participation in the planning process is enshrined under the Aarhus Convention and the inappropriate comments by these politicians should be viewed as interference in the planning process.

Despite continuous and cliched criticism from the farming lobbies, groups such as An Taisce and the IWT are not anti-rural or anti-farming. The reality is that the expansion of dairy farming related industries, such as cheese processing, will result in an increase in the national herd which has a knockon effect on emissions, water quality and loss of biodiversity. The granting of permission for this cheese processing plant goes against Ireland’s commitments and obligations to reduce our emissions etc. We recognise the difficulties that farmers face trying to compete and survive in the face of ever-increasing globalisation and we have been, and will continue to be, vocal in calling for a fair and just transition to keep our farming industry and rural Ireland sustainable for people and biodiversity.

This summer edition brings you a variety of informative and thought-provoking articles that will keep you up-to-date with all the latest news and happenings in Ireland and beyond. In the meantime, stay in touch by following us on social media and checking our website for details of upcoming webinars and talks.

Enjoy the read.

Seán Meehan, Chairman, Irish Wildlife Trust

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. Irish Wildlife has a new cover to make it 100% recyclable, so if you do choose to throw it out, please put it in the green bin.

Irish Wildlife Summer ‘21

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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 national and international news from the conservation world.

7. MARINE CONSERVATION

With public consultation on the new report open until 30th of July, now’s the time to have your say writes Regina Classen, IWT Project Officer.

10.

IWT NEWS

Updates on some of IWT’s campaign work.

17. DIVE IN

In a post pandemic world, how do we heal our relationship with the ocean asks Dr Easkey Britton, marine social scientist, surfer and writer.

20. FRONT LINE

Various projects and research initiatives are helping breathe new life into the Wetlands of Laois and Offaly, writes Anne Sundermann.

22. ARRIVALS AND DEPATURES

This migration season, it’s not just the birds that are looking to pastures new, writes Gordon D’Arcy.

24. SUMMER FOCUS

Billy Flynn reviews the second edition of Zoë Devlin’s bestselling wildflower field guide.

26. CITIZEN SCIENCE

An Appeal for Nesting Swallows.

29. FIADHLÚRA

Tagann an trá ón fharraige.

30. WILD IDEAS

The Gearagh and Irish Nature

by Kevin Corcoran.

32. THE HEART OF WILD DUBLIN

As a cherished protected biosphere, recreational activities must be protected at Bull Island to ensure habitats aren’t damaged, writes Donna Cooney.

34. WILD ART

The winners are announced in our wild art competition.

36. COMPETITION

Be in with a chance to win one of two new books.

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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.

The IWT encourages action at a local level and has a number of branches around the country: Dublin: 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

Irish Wildlife is published quarterly by the IWT.

IMAGES THIS PAGE: TOP: Pintail by Mike Brown ABOVE: Bull Island

HAVE COMMENTS? Editor: Pádraic Fogarty Magazine queries email: editor@iwt.ie Information on campaigning and policies email: irishwildlife@iwt.ie Snail mail: The Irish Wildlife Trust, 8 CABRA ROAD, DUBLIN 7, D07 T1W2 Web: www.iwt.ie Social media: facebook.com/IrishWildlifeTrust twitter.com/Irishwildlife instagram.com/irishwildlifetrust/

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. There are lots of ways to get involved, from helping with important admin work in our office to helping us increase membership by volunteering at public 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

Ireland’s first dedicated

wildlife hospital

Ireland’s first dedicated wildlife hospital has been set up by Wildlife Rehabilitation Ireland (WRI) on a large site behind the Tara na Rí pub at Garlow Cross in Navan, Co Meath.

Doors opened for their first casualties on Friday 19th February and according to Dan Donoher, Animal Manager, their first casualties were three young swans, a buzzard, an otter and a fox.

The first patient seen was a vixen from Tipperary who had been hit by a car. She had an injury to her front right leg. She was seen by the vet, bandaged and stayed for three

weeks to recuperate. I'm delighted to say she was a great patient and returned to freedom just yesterday.

“The most common injuries are from road traffic accidents, collisions with overhead wires and fencing, attacks from cats and dogs and unfortunately, incidents of crimes against wildlife are still all too common. The new WRI Wildlife Hospital will initially cater for around five hundred patients a month and will cost approximately €140,000 per annum to run,” says Mr. Donoher.

Aoife McPartlin of WRI said: “We believe that the rehabilitation of our native wildlife is crucial to protecting our environment. By removing an animal from its habitat the delicate natural balance changes, thus impacting not only on the surrounding environment, but all the way up to ourselves. This is what makes our work so important.”

Aoife went on to say there is another important element to what WRI are doing at the hospital and that is in relation to positive mental health. People who have experienced job loss during the pandemic and as a result, depression, have offered their services and have described being able to help on such a positive project as benefiting them greatly. WRI has also recently teamed up with Praxis Care who supports young adults with mental ill health, autism and learning difficulties.

The overall aim is to build a Teaching & Rehabilitation Hospital where WRI can teach not only vets how to care for and treat native wildlife, but also members of the public on how to recognise and help these animals.

It will also include a visitor and education centre with shop, café, playground and exhibition area.

The hospital can take all species of native wildlife, from anywhere in Ireland, thanks to a nationwide team of volunteers. As they are not funded, WRI relies heavily on donations to run the hospital to the highest possible standard. You can donate to Ireland’s only Wildlife Hospital through its Go Fund Me page, via its website www.wri.ie, on its Facebook page, through Paypal and of course in all the other traditional ways.

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CONSERVATION NEWS

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Current Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation weakest in last millennium Researchers from Ireland, Britain and Germany have found that the Gulf Stream System (also known as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, AMOC) is at its weakest in over a millennium, demonstrating a link with human-caused climate change.

Researchers, including those based at ICARUS Climate Research Centre at Maynooth University in Co. Kildare, compiled data taken from archived ocean sediments or ice cores reaching back hundreds of years to reconstruct the flow history of the Gulf Stream System.

They found consistent evidence that its slowdown in the 20th century is unprecedented in the last millennium and probably linked to humancaused climate change. The Gulf Stream System is different from the more familiar Gulf Stream, with which it overlaps. It works like an oceanic conveyor belt moving warm surface water up north from the equator and sending deeper, lower salinity cold water from the north back down south. This system is important as it contributes to the mild winter climate typical in Western Europe Up to now a robust picture about its long-term development was missing. Lead author of the study, Dr Levke Caesar from Maynooth University, said: “Instead of relying just on one data set, we used a combination of several different and largely independent proxy indicators to reconstruct the evolution of the AMOC over the past 1600 years.” The data showed that until the late 19th century, the AMOC was relatively stable. After the Little Ice Age around 1850 ocean currents began to decline, followed by a second more drastic decline since the mid-20th century.

“We used a combination of three different types of data to obtain information about the ocean currents: temperature patterns in the Atlantic Ocean, subsurface water mass properties and deep-sea sediment grain sizes, dating back from 100 to c. 1,600 years. While the

individual proxy data is imperfect in representing the AMOC evolution, the combination of them revealed a robust picture of the overturning circulation,” says Dr Caesar.

The slowdown of AMOC has long been predicted as a response to global warming, according to a number of studies. This is likely the reason for the observed weakening of AMOC. The process driving the Atlantic overturning is what scientists call deep water formation, triggered by the differences in the density of the ocean water: warm, salty water moves from the south to the north where it cools down and gets denser. When it is heavy enough, the water sinks to the deeper ocean layers and flows back south.

Due to global warming, freshwater from sea ice reduction, Greenland Ice Sheet runoff and increased precipitation as well as enhanced buoyancy from local surface warming are diluting the waters of the northern Atlantic by making the surface ocean warmer and fresher, which means it is less dense. This prevents the deepwater formation and weakens the flow of the AMOC. The weakening has also been linked to a unique substantial cooling of the subpolar North Atlantic over the past hundred years. This so-called ‘cold blob’ was predicted by climate models as a result of a weakening AMOC, which transports less heat into this region. In Europe, a further slowdown of the AMOC could imply more extreme weather events like a change of the winter storm track coming off the Atlantic, possibly intensifying them. Other studies found possible consequences being extreme heat waves or a decrease in summer rainfall. Exactly what the further consequences are is the subject of current research.

Dr Caesar explains: “As the current weakens, less heat is being transported into this region. Of course, the yearly variations of the sea temperatures are also influenced by the atmosphere, but the weaker Gulf Stream System sets kind of a long-term cooling trend for this region (which is even more pronounced when we compare it to the general global warming trend).”

“If we continue to drive global warming, the Gulf Stream System will weaken further - by 34 to 45% by 2100 according to the latest generation of climate models,” concludes Prof Stefan Rahmstorf from Potsdam University, Germany. “This could bring us dangerously close to the tipping point at which the flow becomes unstable.”

Shown are the linear trend of sea surface temperatures (SST) divided by the global mean SST trend (to

assess which regions warm faster and slower than the global mean, respectively). The trends in the sea surface temperatures show one outstanding region of below-average warming (normalised trend <1) and even cooling (<0) in the subpolar North Atlantic. Another striking feature is an above-average warming in the vicinity of the Gulf Stream, which in some regions is enhanced by a factor of four to five over the global mean warming (which is also linked to the weaker Gulf Stream System).

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MARINE CONSERVATION

Seapen in Sea Lough, Alex

Mustard. Sea floor sediments act as carbon sinks and offer habitat for so-called epibenthic (species that life on the seafloor) organisms such as this seapen. Seapens are very vulnerable to damage from bottom trawling or dredging.

With public consultation on the new report open until 30th of July, now’s the time to have your say writes Regina Classen, IWT Project Officer

Expanding Ireland’s

Marine Protected Area Network Irish Wildlife Summer ‘21

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MARINE MARINECONSERVATION CONSERVATION

Background Currently, only a very small proportion (2.1%) of Irish seas are nominally protected. The government considerably missed its target to protect 10% of Irish waters by 2020. Now, the new target is to protect at least 30% of the Irish marine region by 2030. This is in line with the EU Biodiversity Strategy which is supported in the Programme for Government.

At the moment, Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) consist of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Special Protected Areas (SPAs). You can find these types of protected areas dotted all around Ireland, including around our coastline and a few far out at sea. These areas have a bad reputation among fishermen for having been designated top-down by Government without much consultation. They have an even worse reputation among environmentalists and concerned locals for being utterly meaningless tick-box designations with little management and effectively no demonstrable benefit for biodiversity (the environment is in fact deteriorating inside these areas). This is an EU-wide problem, as these areas were designated under EU law and Member States have been reluctant to implement the underlying legislation properly. After several court cases taken by environmental groups, countries like the UK have finally implemented some useful management measures, but proper protections are still few and far between. Earlier this year, Greenpeace dropped several large granite boulders into an MPA to stop protected sandbanks from being pillaged by bottom trawlers. The UK, however, has already designated nearly 30% of its seas as protected areas in a network of SACs, SPAs and nationally designated sites. This means that environmentalists there can now push to get better management of those areas. Ireland, however, is about a decade behind in designations, so it’s important we get it right first time. We simply don’t have a decade to argue over management measures of poorly designated sites – the biodiversity crisis is affecting our ocean too and we need to act fast.

This is where the new MPA report comes in.

Commissioned by the Government, The detailed and informative 200 pages (+annexes) report on 'Expanding Ireland's Marine Protected Area Network' was written by a group of academics and MPA experts. ', which will inform the process of new MPA designations.

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What does the report say?

The report gives a very thorough overview of the present situation in Irish waters and lays out the gaps and weaknesses of our current MPA network. The report also identifies benefits and socioeconomic impacts of MPAs and sets out a clear path to expanding Ireland’s network of protected areas with a series of good recommendations. We particularly like the notion that Ireland needs a new MPA agency which will coordinate the designation and management among different government departments. We also fully support calls for more resources and the idea for ‘research and restoration MPAs’, which will be useful to build a scientific baseline of what the marine environment looks like in the absence of any pressures. These research and restoration MPAs would be invaluable reference sites for science and to inform MPA management.

The report also suggests a definition of an MPA which is to be enshrined in Irish law for the first time. According to the authors, an MPA is “a geographically defined area of marine character or influence which is protected through legal means for the purpose of conservation of specified species, habitats or ecosystems and their associated ecosystem services and cultural values and managed with the intention of achieving stated objectives over the long term.”

Why we need MPAs MPAs are now more important than ever.

Sea life faces many threats, from industrial fishing and aquaculture to renewable

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MARINE CONSERVATION

Cod in Kelp, Alex Mustard. Kelp form

underwater forests which offer vital nursery and spawning habitat for sea life

energy production, pollution and climate change. We want the Irish government to achieve their target of protecting at least 30% of Irish seas by 2030 – but we want to see a network of highly protected areas that are coherent, representative, connected and resilient and that facilitate ocean recovery.

If you have been following our Bigger & Better MPA campaign, you will be aware that Ireland’s current protected areas do none of these things. The report’s authors go into detail on the health of our marine environment and aptly describe the ‘sliding baseline syndrome’ which occurs as the threshold of what we consider to be a ‘normal’ ecological condition is constantly lowered. While the current status of Ireland’s marine environment is extremely degraded compared to historic baselines, most people do not realise that these

conditions are abnormal because they have never experienced them any differently.

This is an important admission because we need MPAs not only to protect, but indeed restore and recover what has been lost over decades of industrial fishing.

A groundbreaking study published in March 2021 found that bottom trawling released as much carbon as the entire aviation industry. Marine sediments are the largest carbon sinks in the world and would normally remain undisturbed for long periods of time. Fishing gear that gets in contact with the seafloor, however, can release this carbon. Crucially, the study noted that if we protect certain areas of the ocean from harmful fishing, we can safeguard marine life, boost seafood production and reduce climate emissions.

That’s a lot of win-wins!

Our plans to highlight this consultation We want to make sure that the public is as engaged in this consultation process as possible and we will hold the Government to account should it fail to deliver on marine protection once again. The Irish Wildlife Trust is therefore calling on everyone to make a submission to this public consultation. Our decision-makers need to know that healthy oceans are non-negotiable if we want to tackle our twin climate and biodiversity crises.

To make engagement as easy as possible, we summarised our views of the report on our website at www.iwt.ie/action. You can simply copy and paste our draft submission or send in your own thoughts. Step by step instructions and a link to the official consultation and report can also be found on our website. The deadline for the consultation is 30th of July 2021. We hope you’ll get involved!.

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IWT NEWS

A C T I V I T Y U P D A T E By Kieran Flood, IWT Coordinator

IWT YouTube Channel 10

If you’ve exhausted Netflix or Disney Plus during lockdowns then why not check out the Irish Wildlife Trust YouTube channel.

While we don’t have the same volume or budgets – in fact, virtually all our videos have been made voluntarily – we do have over 65 videos on everything from campaigns, reports and education.

Most of the videos are short but we do have longer videos such as ‘Evolution – 40 Years of the Irish Wildlife Trust’ and our recent webinars such as ‘Nature in the City’.

Or for some calm and inspiration, breathe deeply and enjoy ‘Wild Wisdom – wise words inspired by nature’.

YouTube is a one-stop shop for all our videos over the last decade or so. Our other social media platforms receive far

more video views than YouTube but it can be difficult to scroll back through and find particular content on those. On YouTube, it’s all on one page. Plus we have created Playlists – collections of videos on particular themes – such as ‘wildlife photography’ and ‘webinars’.

If you have a smart TV, you should be able to watch YouTube by casting from your phone or tablet to the TV. Don’t forget to subscribe to our channel for free to receive notifications any time new videos are added. And feel free to comment, share, like or dislike! But above all, enjoy! Happy viewing.

Go to https://www.youtube.com/ irishwildlifetrust or just YouTube search ‘irish wildlife trust’.

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IWT NEWS

C A M P A I G N U P D A T E By Pádraic Fogarty

 Glenveagh National Park

Light at the end of the tunnel Reform of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) I want to say a big ‘thank you’ to all of you who made a submission on the reform of the NPWS earlier this year – it really is ‘now or never’! In 2010, there was a review of the NPWS carried out by Grant Thornton auditors which went precisely nowhere and we know that the archives are stuffed with wonderful reports with worthy recommendations that were then forgotten about. So, a degree of cynicism is to be expected. Nevertheless, there are factors today which bode well for this process.

Firstly, it is being run by two people who have excellent credentials: Prof Jane Stout of Trinity College Dublin is among our leading academics and has not been shy in laying out the facts of our biodiversity emergency. Dr Micheál Ó Cinnéide is a former director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and someone who has valuable experience of the workings of the political machine. In the department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (in which the NPWS sits), Minister Malcolm

Noonan is the right man in the right place.

While the Green Party’s position in the government is weak overall, the role of its ministers has so far been outsized. The consultation also appears to have garnered a lot of public interest, with at least 1,000 submissions in the week before the deadline.

Public pressure for change in a process of this nature is hard to ignore. Finally, the facts surrounding the loss of biodiversity have never been more appreciated. While they have been known for a long time, there is evidence that this knowledge is seeping into society in a way that has not happened before. So if we can’t get it right this time, it’s unlikely we ever will.

In our submission, the IWT made the case for an independent, well-resourced and ambitious nature conservation agency (the full text is available on our website).

Independence is vital as history has shown that since the formation of a nature conservation function in the government back in the 1970’s, there has not been a single 10-year period where it has not been shuffled from one government department to another. The NPWS has not been an agency out on its own but rather a diffuse function within the responsible department

and so subject to the interests of the minister of the day. This has ranged from energetic on occasion to entirely non-existent, as under the decade of Fine Gael rule. But creating a new, independent agency is likely to meet with resistance. Government ministers do not generally like to be criticised or held to account by other arms of the state.

Within its confines the EPA does this job well, clearly communicating facts while maintaining its own integrity. Any new agency would need to be fully accountable to the Oireachtas and so the role of the Joint Oireachtas Committees (JOC – see later article in this section) will be key. Funding shouldn’t be so controversial. Even with the substantial increase in funding announced in the last budget, the NPWS resources are measly and nowhere near what is required if we are to meet minimum legal requirements.

As ‘Irish Wildlife’ was going to print, we were expecting publication of the review.

The summer will provide time to study its conclusions. But we can’t afford to sit on another report for long and we will be keen to see how any recommendations are to be implemented. More to follow in future issues of this publication!

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IWT NEWS

C A M P A I G N U P D A T E By Pádraic Fogarty

IWT at the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action In early May, the IWT was invited to appear before the Joint Oireachtas Committee (JOC) on Climate Action. These committees are made up of senators and TDs from all political parties and independents. This particular committee is interesting as climate is such a cross-cutting issue, affecting all aspects of government policies including housing, agriculture, transport and biodiversity. The committees have proven their worth in recent months by providing scrutiny of key legislation, most notably the Climate Action Bill and the Marine Planning and Development Management Bill. The committees have the authority to call in expert witnesses and officials from government departments to provide testimony or answer questions. While they have no statutory ability to change the legislation, they can make recommendations which are then considered in the Dáil. This process has significantly improved the Climate Action Bill from its original starting point last autumn and which went before the Dáil for its first reading in April. The work of the JOC on Climate Action includes scrutiny of the forthcoming Climate Action Plan and particularly when it comes to land use, the cross-over with biodiversity action is substantial. It was in this context that the IWT was invited to make a presentation to the JOC members.

I was joined on the day by Professor Jane Stout of Trinity College 12

Dublin and Dr Liam Lysaght, director of the National Biodiversity Data Centre.

From our perspective, it is important that TDs and senators are aware of the key role they play in the (mis) management of nature conservation in Ireland. Since the last election, there are a number of parliamentarians who bring their own expertise and passion to this debate and that is a welcome change to recent times. But it must be said that many are coming to this issue from a low base. I stressed how the National Biodiversity Forum (on which the IWT represents the Irish Environmental Network) recently castigated the state as “the biggest transgressor of environmental law”. However, I was also keen to stress that the solutions are at hand, including close-to nature farming, investment in wastewater infrastructure, Marine Protected Areas, enforcement of fishing laws, reintroduction of species we have driven to extinction and rewilding of bogs and forests. These are not new ideas but for decades their implementation has lacked that scarcest and most magic of ingredients – political will. Including nature-based solutions as climate action can leverage support for measures that benefit biodiversity, but we also need to see a recognition that nature is worth fighting for in its own right and that the time to act is now.

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IWT NEWS

Agri-Food Strategy The periodic formation of agri-food strategies has been a feature of government policy since the economic crash. They have been formulated by industry for industry, something which the government has seemed to think is a good thing. Strategies are not laws and they tend to come with glossy brochures and woolly aspirations, but they do signal intent and are important in signposting likely trends in coming years. Previous strategies have been unashamedly about driving growth in food and drink exports and in this regard, they have been remarkably successful. The value of exports grew by 64% between 2010 and 2019, from €8.9 billion to €14.6 billion. Some people are doing very well out of this and it is understandable that these people will want to defend their gains.

However, it is also blatantly clear that this bonanza is coming at the expense of the environment. It’s not like nature was in a pristine state back in 2010 but even since this time, we have seen an increase in greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, a deterioration in water quality, particularly in areas of the south and east associated with dairy expansion and a worsening of extinction rates. The latest assessment from BirdWatch Ireland and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in Northern Ireland would bring a tear to your eye. No less than two thirds of all our bird species are on their red or amber lists – that is, heading for the exit.

Work on a new agri-food strategy up to 2030 began under the last government. Out of 32 seats on the committee, the Environmental Pillar (a coalition of environmental groups of which the IWT is one) was offered one seat. At the time, the Pillar fought for greater

representation, with an expert each on climate, biodiversity and water issues. This was rebuffed. In February, prior to the publication of the final strategy, the Environmental Pillar walked away, saying that the drafts produced up to then were entirely inadequate for addressing environmental problems. This delayed the final publication until the end of April.

While the new strategy contains a much greater emphasis on meeting environmental targets, it is still a long way from acknowledging the scale of our crisis and what needs to be done about it. Instead of ditching the discredited Origin Green greenwashing label, it is to be ‘strengthened’.

Above all, the growth delusion continues. Like junkies looking for one last fix, the industry leaders must surely know the consequences of squeezing out more when what we really need is less. Yet the ambition is there to further increase exports to €21 billion by 2030. It’s an addiction that is stripping our country of its natural riches and – on a planetary scale – driving our civilisation to ruin. It is not clear what can break the cycle of denial but right now, it looks like our captains of industry are wilfully setting a course for the iceberg.

A public consultation on this plan is open until June 15th. We would urge you to email your thoughts to 2030StrategyEnvironmentalConsultation@ agriculture.gov.ie before that date. Watch our social media outlets for our submission which will be published in advance of the final deadline.

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IWT NEWS

C A M P A I G N U P D A T E By Pádraic Fogarty

Rewilding and fires in

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IWT NEWS

The end of April saw particularly devastating fires across the country including on the Mourne Mountains in Co. Down and at Killarney National Park where it was reported that up to half the park may have been burned down. A fire in the Stack's to Mullaghareirk Mountains Special Protection Area in Limerick/Kerry saw the destruction of an active hen harrier nest and the foraging habitat for three other pairs. These grimly repetitive infernos come as no surprise. Every spring when there is a dry spell between March and May, there are fires across the hills. They are illegal and have contributed to the collapse of ecosystems on our uplands, poisoned air and water and spewed out greenhouse gases. Yet they have continued because the underlying drivers have not been addressed. These include the burning of land for agricultural purposes and the absence of any over-arching policy or vision for the uplands. The politicians may wring their hands, but this issue will continue until these issues are addressed.

For instance, although the latest fire was particularly large, Killarney National Park has been burned annually in recent years. Those starting the fires clearly feel a sense of impunity. Added to that has been the mismanagement of the Park, something that prevents the natural expansion of the oak woodland (due to overgrazing by sheep and deer and thickets of invasive rhododendron). Much of the park is open heather and moor-grass with some patches of gorse – all of which are highly flammable. The IWT has called for a full investigation into the causes and consequences of this fire but from footage sent to us (and posted to our social media accounts), it can be seen that the oak forest has been largely spared. While trees on the edges or standing out on open ground have been damaged, the flames do not seem to have entered the heart of the forest itself.

Oliver Rackham pointed out in his book ‘Woodlands’ that native oak forest in Ireland and Britain is simply not flammable. This is a vitally important lesson that we must learn from this devastating event. We must move to expand native woodland across our upland areas. This means removing sheep and effectively managing deer.

Legacy conifer plantations must be converted. It may also mean actively planting trees as natural regeneration will be difficult or impossible where there are mats of purple moor-grass. Areas of blanket bog should not be planted with trees but would naturally be wet and open with bog mosses and cotton-grass. In short, the hills must be rewilded.

The fires this year may have brought that one step closer.

Minister Malcolm Noonan, in an interview with the Sunday Times newspaper, said he had written to the Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue urging him to address the so-called ‘eligibility rule’ that sees farmers penalised for having nature on their land. This would quickly unlock the potential for rewilding across large swathes of Ireland. On its own it will not be sufficient to restore wildlife habitat. We need active management measures to restore habitats and fire-proof the hills. This will require investment and the setting out of a vision for our hills, one that is working for nature and people.

Perhaps this year, we are one step closer.

In other good rewilding news, it was announced in early May that a pair of common cranes were nesting on a rewetted bog somewhere in the midlands. If this pair successfully rear a chick, it will be the first breeding of cranes in Ireland for 300 years. It comes hot on the heels of the announcement in 2020 that marsh harriers had bred in Ireland for the first time in a century. Amidst all the bad news, these are wonderful reminders that nature is ready to return if we can only give it the space it needs!

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FEATURE

 Image credit Will Cornelius

IN A POST PANDEMIC WORLD, HOW DO WE HEAL OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE OCEAN ASKS DR EASKEY BRITTON, MARINE SOCIAL SCIENTIST, SURFER AND WRITER

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FEATURE

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e are experiencing a kind of collective trauma. How do we find our way through that? How do we heal?

One of my favourite writers, Robin Wall Kimmerer, has written that if “we restore the land, we restore ourselves.” The same goes for water. If we restore the water, we restore ourselves; restore the ocean, restore ourselves. There is no quick fix and there are going to be many different ways to heal, but I do believe there is healing to be had in our connection to water.

As a surfer and marine social scientist, my life is lived in intimate relationship with the ocean, exploring the power of the ocean to help us reconnect with ourselves, each other and nature. In the crises we face, the loss of our emotional connection with the more-than-human world, especially the ocean in all its wonder and aliveness, is of deep concern.

There is no part of the ocean that remains unaffected by the growing and interconnected pressures from climate change, biodiversity loss and further degradation caused by human activities and pollution. In turn, the impacts of the ocean (and marine environmental degradation) on human health are poorly considered. Not to mention the roll-back on progress made to tackle plastic pollution, with the huge environmental and public health risk posed by the millions of disposable plastic face masks entering our waterways and ocean every minute.

An interdisciplinary European collaboration called the Seas Oceans and Public Health In Europe (SOPHIE) Project, funded by Horizon 2020, has outlined the initial steps that a wide range of organisations could take to work together to protect the largest connected ecosystem on Earth. In a commentary paper published in the American Journal of Public Health, the researchers call for the current UN Ocean Decade to act as a meaningful catalyst for global change, reminding us that ocean health is intricately linked to human health.

The paper highlights 35 first steps for action by different groups and individuals, including individual citizens, healthcare workers, private organisations, researchers and policy-makers, presenting opportunities for new alliances and partnership building. Many of these actions emphasise the need to link knowledge with practice in a way that supports and promotes a culture of care. This is even more relevant in light of the global pandemic, highlighting just how catastrophic the consequences of our societal disconnect from our natural place in the Earth’s systems

is and how essential the restoration of healthy, functioning natural ecosystems are for our survival.

These first steps emphasise how essential holistic collaboration is to make an impact. For example: large businesses can review their impact on ocean health, share best practice and support community initiatives; healthcare professionals could consider “blue prescriptions”, integrated with individual and community promotion activities; tourism operators can share research on the benefits of spending time by the coast on wellbeing and collect and share their customers’ experiences of these benefits; or individual citizens can take part in ocean-based citizen science or beach cleans and encourage school projects on sustainability.

The paper calls on planners, policy-makers and organisations to understand and share research into the links between ocean and human health and to integrate this knowledge into policy. It is commendable that Minister for Tourism Catherine Martin and Fáilte Ireland are finally investing funds into supporting the development of outdoor watersports, recognising the surge in year-round interest in these activities, especially since the pandemic began. The inclusion of the provision for wheelchair accessible facilities is especially welcome. Most of the emphasis is on physical infrastructure such as, “hot showers, changing and toilet facilities, storage, equipment wash-down and orientation points.” All are welcome facilities for the communities identified for funding, and although I agree with Minister Martin that Ireland is world-class when it comes to waterbased activities on offer along our “stunning coastline, rivers and lakes”, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was an exercise in greenwashing.

If we are to “ensure the Irish experience meets and exceeds visitor expectations”, would it not be an urgent priority to also ensure we are not swimming, bathing, paddling or surfing in our own waste? Ireland’s water environments are in crisis with water quality declining and water pollution rising at an unprecedented rate, primarily driven by the intensification of industrial agriculture, biodiversity and habitat loss and raw sewage from towns and cities. More than half of our rivers, lakes and estuaries are in an unhealthy state, failing to meet ecological targets set by the EU’s Water Framework Directive. Last year, there were 350 days when swimming was banned at bathing spots across Ireland. What value can ‘wild swimming’ have when ‘wild’ places don’t exist anymore?

What healing benefit can ‘surf therapy’ offer when raw sewage is being pumped into the sea?

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FEATURE

 Image credit Victoria May Harrison  Left to right: A West Cork beach fouled with algae; Galway Bay

With emerging community interest in local waterways and new river trusts, catchment and coastal groups being established and with this new-found interest from government, perhaps we could encourage policy makers, local authorities and businesses to adopt some of the steps supporting ocean and human health in our communities? Surfrider and various community groups across Europe are pushing for key changes to improve the legal framework in the EU and ensure greater protection of our bathing waters, such as the inclusion of all-yearround monitoring, extension of the monitored areas to include nautical recreational areas and improved public information. Given the growing uptake in citizen science initiatives since Covid-19 began, there is tremendous potential for widespread community engagement and a more participatory approach to managing and protecting our waterways, beaches, coasts and seas.

We can’t be well in a sick sea. There are profound health benefits to be realised from restoring ocean health and protecting healthy marine and coastal ecosystems and I don’t just mean from omega-3 fish oils and the incredible array of natural products from the sea, including medicines and green substitutes for plastics. Evidence shows that ‘blue spaces’ (outdoor bodies of water) are among the most restorative environments for humans. Recent studies show how healthy coasts are associated with lower risk of depression, anxiety and other mental health disorders, as well as greater relaxation in adults and improved behavioural development and social connection in children.

Water facilitates a full-bodied sense of connectedness with life. A recent national study on nature connection for health and wellbeing found sea swimming to be one of the most effective outdoor activities for significantly enhancing this sense of connectedness. This is linked to it being a highly immersive and multi-sensory stimulating activity — taking in all the movement, colour, sounds, sensations and textures through all of the senses.

Going into the water and inhabiting our bodies fully is about being able to cross a threshold and enter into your own world, sometimes being able to leave the worries of our land-life behind for even a moment.

Lucy Jones, author of Losing Eden, describes immersing herself in water as “a portal to another world.” It’s a place where we can feel held by the water, where it is possible to express what we are feeling, to safely release whatever tension we’re holding, without judgement. Simply looking at the sea or listening to the sound of waves breaking has a measurable effect, calming our brain waves and soothing our frayed nervous systems.

With the huge influx of people taking to our waters and sea, there is a real need and opportunity for greater support for initiatives that promote ocean action, awareness and education. For those meeting the sea for the first time it can feel strange, unfamiliar, maybe even dangerous. Like any good relationship it takes time to understand the ocean, to develop the life-enhancing (and life-saving) skills to read the sea and to be safe.

“It’s really important to educate people. It’s not just about your personal experience, it’s about the environment you’re in, knowing the tides, winds and geography of a place,” Caitriona Lynch, co-founder of Ebb and Flow

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Swimming in Galway, explains. “For me, what’s really important is helping people appreciate that it’s bigger than them and their experience. You’re a part of this amazing place and you protect it and mind it for yourself and other people.”

How might we restore our intimate relationship with water in our post-pandemic lives? How might it help us recover from the coronavirus by reconnecting us with what matters most? In healing the ocean, how might we heal ourselves?

‘Blue Health’, the potential benefits for health and wellbeing through connection to water and through these connections, engaging people in protection and conservation, is a ripe place for communities to be helping to ‘build back better’ following the societal upheaval caused by Covid-19.

I believe the pandemic represents a unique opportunity to bring the ocean literacy principle of the interconnectedness between ocean and human health into mainstream culture, where the natural world isn’t some kind of frill but integral to our ability to survive and thrive. Where blue prescriptions such as ocean therapy, for example, are not a novelty, but offer a viable complimentary or alternative healthcare intervention when addressing the psychological distress of not only this pandemic, but climate breakdown and the complex challenges to come.

This will require cooperation and support on a global as well as local scale that we have now seen is possible. It will mean exploring ways that diverse perspectives recombine and accelerating awareness through shared experiences and storytelling of our intimate and emotional connection to the sea that give meaning and value to place – an ideal meeting place for science and arts. It will mean taking direct action in the form of citizen science and political engagement – making climate and the ocean a voting priority and, above all, fostering a culture of care for our ocean.

For more information on actions you can take to improve your health and the health of the ocean, check out my new book: 50 Things To Do

By The Sea..

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FEATURE

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FRONT LINE

 Pintail by Mike Brown

Front Line I VARIOUS PROJECTS AND RESEARCH INITIATIVES ARE HELPING BREATHE NEW LIFE INTO THE WETLANDS OF LAOIS AND OFFALY, WRITES ANNE SUNDERMANN

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n February 2021, the Laois/Offaly Branch of IWT moderated a webinar featuring representatives from notable wetlands in counties Laois and Offaly.

The panelists described their restoration successes and challenges, old and new (you can watch it on the IWT Laois/ Offaly YouTube channel). More than 310,000 hectares of Ireland’s landmass is classified as wetlands, with much concentrated in the heartland in these two counties. Although all are different, each area of peatlands, boglands or river floodplain shows the promise – and the challenges – of these oftforgotten and more often neglected landscapes. Visits to sites such as Abbeyleix Bog, Clara Bog, Lough Boora, Shanahoe wetlands and the Shannon Callows will

instill a sense of the timelessness of these special places.

COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION AT ABBEYLEIX BOG

“Hydrology determines habitat”, according to Abbeyleix Bog Project volunteer Chris Uys. From uplands and bog woodlands to the deepest drainage ditches, the connection between habitat and hydrology, including the composition of the waters, the acidity and the mineral content, inform how these wetland sites are managed.

Old drainage ditches that bisect Abbeyleix show the impacts of land use. The drains were blocked in 2009 and the bog rewetted. A defunct rail line bisects the bog, making it an accessible trail for visitors.

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FRONT LINE

The Abbeyleix Bog Project is a prime example of a community-led conservation initiative, holding a 50-year lease (until 2060) on the 190-hectare Laois bogland. The project’s goal is to maximise the ecological benefits to the local community.

 Bog mosses

INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH AT CLARA BOG

Raised bogs are rare in Europe and Offaly’s Clara Bog “is one of the largest raised bogs in the country”, says the National Parks and Wildlife Services’ Jim Ryan. In addition to its importance as a designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC), Clara Bog is an international resource, providing more than three decades of scientific research. New technology and restoration methods have been developed at Clara, including how best to maintain and install wetlands. Ryan noted that “the bogs were so badly destroyed, that a lot of people have come to Ireland over the years to learn from them.”

ECOTOURISM AT LOUGH BOORA

“What do post-industrial peatlands look like?” asks Alex Copland of Bord na Móna. A cutaway bog exploited for decades, Lough Boora has been restored and reborn. Bord na Móna is no longer funding peat extraction and has committed to restoring the entirety of the bog.

Re-developed as an ecotourism destination for visitors and residents, the Discovery Park at Lough Boora features diverse wildlife, nature trails, events, a visitor centre and a café.

Copeland quips: “Who thought a bit of bog in west Offaly would bring people in?”

BIODIVERSITY MONITORING AT SHANAHOE WETLANDS

Seasonality plays an important factor in the wetlands. The Shanahoe Wetlands of the River Nore in south Laois illustrate annual flooding cycles. Deep floods in winter leave lakes in the floodplain lasting half the year. The drier summer season fosters hay and grasslands grazed by cattle and sheep. Birdwatch Ireland volunteer Des Finnamore notes that “with 50-70% of these farms flooded for weeks and months, society should recognise the service the farmers provide by holding the water on their lands”, instead of the waters draining directly into the River Nore.

Shanahoe’s species diversity is impressive for an inland county. In addition to important avian species such as the golden plover and whooper swans, Shanahoe is home to hundreds of invertebrate (brimstone, small coppers) and plant species (long-leafed orchids).

CREATING HABITAT WITH FARMERS AT SHANNON CALLOWS

Flooding has shaped the Shannon Callows, its bird and plant life making it a special place.

As one of the last unmodified flood plains in Europe, the slow-moving waters of the Shannon are particularly flood prone, from four to six months annually, notes Kathryn Finney, Curlew EIP Project manager for Birdwatch Ireland.

To the untrained eye, the Callows looks like one large, unfenced hayfield. However, more than 60 farmers have plots, using methods passed down through the generations. Finney notes that farmers support the work on the Callows and that the restoration is informed by the farmers’ experience.

Finney’s research shows a decline in bird species such as corncrakes, redshank, snipe, curlew and lapwing. Even with these declines,

the Shannon Callows still offer a seasonal spectacle when thousands of waterbirds return to spend the winter on the flooded pastures of the great river.

COMMON THEMES

The use and overuse of Irish bogs has been at considerable cost to the health of wetlands ecosystems. Peat harvesting offered low-cost fuel, discounting the benefits of natural habitats (effective storage for carbon, improved water quality and breeding habitats for endangered species). There is economic value as well: according to the Irish Ramsar Committee on Wetlands, Ireland’s wetlands biodiversity nets almost €400 million/year and contributes to the almost €350 million gained annually from ecotourism.

In Laois and Offaly, the last decade has highlighted the ecological, cultural and community value of its wetlands. In this era of transition, it is important to collaborate with those who work the land to address climate change impacts, create more biodiverse habitats and promote the use of more natural floodplain management and bog restoration practices, as well as access to nearby communities.

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WILD IDEAS

This migration season, it’s not just the birds that are looking to pastures new, writes GORDON D’ARCY

Arrivals & Departures GORDON D’ARCY WONDERS IF OUR LOVE FOR WILDLIFE, EITHER NATIVE TO IRELAND OR FURTHER AFIELD, COULD BE CAUSING MORE HARM THAN GOOD

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WILD IDEAS

April 3rd, 2021, 9.30am: Distant music, like an

orchestra’s brass section tuning up. Whooper swans! Binoculars at hand and there they were – a long wavering banner glittering in the morning sun, heading northwards to Iceland and home. A week earlier I had watched another northbound flock, this time a joyously vocal, high-flying silvery ‘V’, against a clear blue sky.

How clever these birds are, departing Ireland in the morning, buoyed by a light tail-wind, taking advantage of a high pressure anchored over Ireland. Their flight path would take them from the Donegal coast, out over the north Atlantic, passing west of St. Kilda and onward for 900km. Their 24-hour continuous flight would schedule their arrival at lakes near Reykjavik in daylight the next morning. Such an extraordinary feat of intelligence and endurance for these 10kg waterfowl. Years ago, in October, I had watched whoopers gather at these lakes, waiting for the required tail wind, readying for their return to Ireland. They would depart in darkness but arrive in Ireland in autumnal sunshine.

April 3rd, 2021, 11am: A walk along the shore to

check on other north-bound birds. The wigeon had already gone. Only a scattering of teal remained, paddling in the shallows. The brent geese were fattening up in the saltmarsh. The staccato notes of turnstones and godwits were nowhere to be heard. Only a few piping redshanks and greenshanks remained of the winter hordes. The estuary was emptying. The great evacuation was underway.

Suddenly, two darts flitted across my vision.

Swallows! No doubt about it! Though I was aware that their arrival was imminent (invariably the first week in April) their sudden appearance while my focus was on avian departures came as a shock. These swallows, vanguards from the deep south, had arrived, having traversed two continents. Their arrival within hours of the departure of the swans was uncanny. It was as though the baton had been transferred in the great migration relay. The next two weeks would see the phased installation of the summer migrants. First chiffchaffs and blackcaps, their presence declared amid the emerging foliage by their distinctive songs.

Later, lilting willow warblers and chattering sedge warblers, enlivening the riasc near the house and flitting sand martins, at the river outfall. It would be the end of the month before the latecomers – whitethroats, swifts and cuckoos – would arrive to complete the summer suite.

The great arrival, of course, is not confined to birds. Migration for one reason or another occurs throughout the animal kingdom. A memorable example of this came to my notice as I stood on the edge of the Corrib River, in Galway, many Aprils ago. Like an alien invasion, thousands of worm-like creatures, glinting silvery in the dark water, moved upstream with the incoming tide. These were glass eels returning from their birthplace in the Sargasso Sea some 4,000km away. They would thrive and grow to maturity in the western lakes before embarking on their final epic journey to breed – and die – where they were born.

It is birds however, that are the most obvious partakers in the migratory miracle. They tend to come and go with a flourish, attracting the attention of even the most nature-oblivious people. Sometimes the departure is sudden and unexpected like that of the brent geese.

For the entire winter, their presence on the shore or in the saltmarsh is a given. Then one April day, without a by-your-leave, they are gone. They would fly to Iceland, using it as a stopover, before continuing on their extraordinary journey to their breeding grounds in Arctic Canada.

For the creatures of the natural world, despite the obvious existential hazards, the process of migration is wonderfully unfettered and free. Some secret message stimulated by the reproductive imperative or the promise of food circulates through the species and when the weather conditions are favourable, off they go.

We humans are also migrators. We began our peregrinations with a great northward movement out of Africa around a quarter of a million years ago. Currently, we witness the dreadful forced migrations of peoples due to political upheaval, war and climate change. As the threat of Covid recedes, there will doubtless be a rush to escape from the restrictions of the past year. We will spend hours in front of the screen, planning our escape itinerary, arranging the best deals with airlines. Will there still be a quarantine issue where we’re going? How much will the trip cost? Beyond the eurozone, there will be currency considerations. Disease preventative jabs and malaria pills are a must for the tropics.

What about clothing and sunscreen? Better take a lot, you never know what the weather will be like. Oh! And I nearly forgot – is the passport up-to-date? Will I need a visa?

Haven’t we come a long way?

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SUMMER FOCUS

Finding Your Way to

Billy Flynn reviews the second edition of Zoë Devlin’s bestselling wildflower field guide

Wildflowers

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t really doesn’t seem so long since Zoë Devlin’s ‘The Wildflowers of Ireland – A Field Guide’ was reviewed in these same pages yet here we find ourselves leafing through its first new edition. I say leafing but it’s digitally we are flicking through the gorgeous photographs as the 2021 edition has yet to go to press. When the publicist of Gill Books called to see if I had received the preview copy in PDF format, I took the opportunity to ask how big the book is. No, not the number of pages but the physical size of the new volume. I could tell she was somewhat bemused so I explained that the requirement for easy portability is an important feature for any field guide. She humoured me and dutifully emailed me later that day to confirm that the new edition of ‘The Wildflowers of Ireland’ was every bit as slender and portable, despite having many more species described than its predecessor.

It’s not just the ability to carry a book in a small pocket that makes a field guide valuable. Among its necessary qualities must surely be usability.

When you’re out in the field, be it on a windy upland bog or just at the end of your garden, you want to be able to get to the right species with ease. As an ecologist who never had a minute of formal training in botany, I have no way of counting the hours spent hunched over a diminutive and mysterious plant species trying to find a match in any of the weighty but too often unhelpful guides to wildflowers of Britain wherein no distinction was made between the islands in this geographic region.

Those days are thankfully long gone and the reader can be sure that if it’s in Zoë’s new book, it occurs here in Ireland. This is, however, far from the most important feature of this field guide.

Older wildflower guides that this amateur hefted about the country over the years often get their relationship off to a bad start. You’re out in the field and faced with what appears to be a completely new species to you, take out your tome. Then what? You’ve no idea what group or even family that this little straggly yoke belongs to. Species name? Give me a break. All too often, you would flip through the hundreds of pages until you found something that appeared to match your find.

Forget all that. The second edition of Zoë’s best-selling guide retains its supremely user-friendly system of page headers whose colours match those of the species described. The same header has a simple delineation of flower characteristics such as ‘tiny flowers’ or ‘3 petals’ and ‘long clusters’ or ‘tightly packed heads.’ The author has also stuck to the display of only two species per page, an antidote to the bafflement induced by other field guides which can often present you with a massive line-up of unlikely suspects in minute (however accurate) detail.

The illustrations in the 2021 edition are photographs and as before, all have been taken by the author. It’s hard to say which is more surprising – that Zoë Devlin is an amateur photographer or that she (in common with some of the better naturalists) has no training in botany. On the photographs first – back in the days when I was getting ‘into’ plants, I was warned off photographic guides. Their obvious drawback is that unlike the painter, the photographer can only capture the plant at one stage of its lifecycle. While this is true, the photographs are artfully positioned and more often than not, feature insets of plant details that are particular to the species. Also useful are the backgrounds that offer a glimpse of the plant’s habitat that give context and sometimes reassurance. Maybe it’s because Zoë has come to botany as an amateur that makes her guide so handy for the inexpert user. Certainly, one doesn’t

miss the terminology-heavy and frankly off-putting introductions that add to the heft of expert-written books. Instead, you’ll find simple line drawings of flower forms and leaf shapes and little symbols that give the reader ‘at a glance’ information on the plant in question (like the running stick man that lets you know that Chilean Iris is a garden escape).

So, what’s new in the 2021 edition? For a start, Zoë has added 90 species, bringing more than 620 of our 1,000-odd native species to our attention.

She has also acknowledged the taxonomic changes that have come about through advances in the knowledge of plant genetics so some names and groups have been updated. There are some new photographs too, of course. Retained are the index of common and Latin names (usefully together) and the index of plants as Gaeilge.

Crucially though, the uniquely intuitive character of the first book is carried on here. Since first getting my hands on the earlier edition, I’ve purchased numerous copies for use on field trips and training courses.

More than once I’ve delighted in selecting the two most reluctant and nervous-looking participants, handing the slim field guide to the pair and telling them that if they work together, in five minutes they’ll be able to identify a wildflower that the whole class has just admitted is completely unknown to them. There is little to compare to the looks of delight that accompany a discovery you’ve arrived at yourself, with the help of a friendly guide The Wildflowers of Ireland: A Field Guide 2nd Edition published by Gill Books is out now, priced at €14.99/£12.99 Irish Wildlife Summer ‘21

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CITIZEN SCIENCE

BY RICKY WHELAN & MIKE SHANAHAN

Save our sheds

An Appeal for Nesting Swallows 26

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CITIZEN SCIENCE

 Swallow credit Mike Brown

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e are very lucky to have three species of hirundine that breed here in Ireland, namely the barn swallow, house martin and sand martin. They migrate here from Southern Africa each year to nest in our sheds, on our gables and in sand banks respectively. No doubt our favourite is the swallow – a celebrated summer visitor that provokes excited posts on social media each year declaring “seen my first swallow” and the likes. It is a very familiar species to us, so familiar for most of us that after the initial early spring elation, we largely forget about them until we are lamenting their return south and how it heralds the colder autumn days ahead.

Although swallows are considered common and widespread, only this week as I write (midApril), they have landed themselves on the amber list of the Birds of Conservation Concern in Ireland (BoCCI). BoCCI is a list compiled by BirdWatch Ireland and RSPB Northern Ireland.

The criteria to list a species is broad but generally reflects declines within their breeding range. The amber or red BoCCI list is not a good place to be; it acts as a constant reference and reminder that birds on this list need urgent help to avoid further declines and local extinctions.

Swallows are up against it with the number of threats stacking up against them and other migratory species each year, it seems. Climate change is causing all sorts of trouble for them.

The Sahara is becoming more arid and increasing in size, making its crossing more perilous to the birds. Extreme weather events can claim migrating swallows in their thousands, another more frequent result of climate change.

Wetter summers can mean insects are more difficult to find, leaving starving chicks to die in nests whilst hot spells can overheat chicks, resulting in the loss of whole broods.

The non-climatic factors are many and the sterilisation of our countryside has consequences for their insect prey. Our reduced tolerance for mess and sharing our spaces with swallows is also contributing to their long list of challenges.

It is on this final point where I wish to introduce Mike Shanahan, an experienced architect and

nature lover. Mike, being an architect, has looked at agricultural buildings for years and watched as many fell into disrepair and even vanished.

He asks the question – where will the swallows nest now? He makes an appeal for us to mind these buildings and our swallows. Over to Mike from here…

Anyone who doesn’t live in a city or town will know there’s massive change happening in the Irish countryside at the moment. Irish farming, especially over the past 10 years, is changing fast and with it our landscapes and buildings.

In addition to the clearing of miles of hedgerows to make bigger fields, the characterful sheds and outbuildings of small farmholdings are falling into disrepair or being cleared away altogether. The wobbly slate-roofed or red and green corrugated metal curved or sloped hay, milking, donkey, pony, hen or calf sheds of past generations of farmers are, in a short space of time, fading from our landscapes and memory.

Nowadays many farms have been transformed into medium scale, industrial-like units. Large dull sheds filled with often sweaty cattle, with one or two storage buildings, stand in concrete yards. Powerful tractors, trucks and machines manoeuvre in between. The noises and movements of late-night or all-night working shifts sound across the countryside during the busiest periods. Varying contractors come and go as seasons pass. Today’s Irish farm is a very busy and industrious place, as has been deemed necessary by forces outside the farmgate.

However, as well as having certain functions and wonderful architectural charm, these older buildings are often very valuable locations for specific nesting birds, in particular the swallow and the barn owl. Barn owl conservation, with nesting box initiatives, has recently gained attention and much is now being done but because they’re so numerous and regular in their return every summer, swallows are very much taken for granted. Anyone who has knowledge of birds knows that a bird that was once very numerous somewhere can decline and virtually disappear within a decade or less.

The focus here is to highlight the fragile and rapidly disappearing nesting places of our timehonoured annual summer visitors from South

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CITIZEN SCIENCE  A Swallow Door in a small storage building left open seasonally  Disappearing accomodation for Swallows  Barriers to birds and bats are common place in outbuildings  Mikes prototype Swallow Shack, a purpose built space created for nesting Swallows  All images by Mike Shanahan

Africa. Many know and are familiar with the sight of their swooping flights and their cheerful twitter as they pass above our heads or sing from a nearby wire. Fewer have any idea about the true wonder of their perilous 9,500km bihemispherical journey, weathering fierce autumn and spring storms, driving rains, food scarcity, predator hawks, net traps and many other hazards.

Lots of people, thinking the swallow can build a nest in many places, see no harm in knocking the odd shed or blocking up an opening. The problem is that suitable nesting places which are safe from predators, cats particularly, and which are dark and dry are getting scarcer and scarcer. The latter is especially important, as their mud-built nests fail if any water penetrates.

This decline can be compounded with another significant societal change, one found all along our scenic coastal headlands and bays. Here, marginal farms that long passed from one generation to the next, with traditions continuing, are frequently offered for sale after the passing of the last of its elderly caretakers.

Younger generations have left the land for more rewarding urban jobs and the premium prices these properties fetch as second homes for holiday or retirement use are too attractive not to avail of. The problem is that large parts of our coastal areas are now more than 70% holiday home use. Quite often, these new owners are people with very busy lives and leisure periods are precious so in the process of modernising their house, zero thought is given to how important the outbuildings on the property are to generation after generation of our summer visitors, or other unseen nocturnal inhabitants.

Consequently, outbuildings are knocked to make more space or improvements. Very often they are refurbished for use as storage, with new windows and secure doors fitted. Other times they are maintained but with the openings/gaps closed, or fitted with wire mesh to prevent nuisance bird droppings. Emphasis is much more on cleaning and tidying up appearances and on the ease of future care.

Attaining ‘minimum maintenance’ properties is almost always a project aspiration. Only very occasionally they are left as is, with their annual return welcomed by their new owners. As a result, skies over our headlands and coasts that were once full of the sights and sounds of swallows are now barren – their disappearance going unnoticed across our island.

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Helping you help Swallows…

GLAS TRADITIONAL FARM BUILDINGS GRANT SCHEME

The GLAS Traditional Farm Buildings Grant Scheme is an annual grants scheme for the conservation and repair of traditional farm buildings and related structures for farmers in the Green Low-Carbon Agri-Environment Scheme (GLAS). It is administered by the Heritage Council and sums of up to €25,000 can be awarded to worthy projects. More info here: https:// www.heritagecouncil.ie/projects/ traditional-farm-buildings-grantscheme.

FURTHER READING

BirdWatch Ireland, in collaboration with Kerry and Donegal County Councils, has produced a guidance booklet entitled ‘Wildlife in Buildings: linking our built and natural heritage,’ in response to this gap in knowledge and to provide answers to questions commonly asked regarding wildlife in buildings. It has been designed as a guide to be used by anyone carrying out works on a building which may support wildlife. You can download it free here: https://birdwatchireland.ie/ wildlife-in-buildings/

So this appeal is to all involved, from farmers and planning officers to new property owners and their builders, to find ways to safeguard the nesting sites of one of our most delightful visitors. Keep the roofs of disused sheds in good repair. Do not seal all gaps – all that’s needed is a 3” slot. Refurbish some, but not all, outbuildings. Leave a garage window or shed door open or even build a small timber or block shelter as per picture above. Most of all, look after your sheds and make a space for these amazing summer visitors.

Mike Shanahan is the owner and lead at MSA Architects, based in Clonakilty West Cork. Throughout his career, Mike has designed a huge variety of buildings including large and big budget projects but recently has taken much pride and care in designing his prototype Swallow Shed.

Ricky Whelan is a Project Officer with BirdWatch Ireland and a volunteer with the Irish Wildlife Trust LaoisOffaly Branch.

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FIADHLÚRA

FIADHLÚRA

Tagann an trá ón fharraige

B

-fhéidir gur lá álainn samhraidh é agus téann tú chun trá agus feiceann tú na tonnta agus an ghainimh, agus b’fhéidir gur mhaith leat dul ag snámh nó ag iascaireacht.

Is dócha go bhfeicfidh tú an méid smionagar atá le fáil ar an trá; is ar éigean is féidir leat é a chailleadh - sa lá atá inniu ann is minic a bhíonn carn de bhruscar atá tar éis a bhailiú ag baill den phobal, mar iarracht é a ghlanadh.

Rinne daoine “beachcombing” i gcónaí, ar ndóigh; ach sa lá atá inniu ann tá i bhfad níos mó salachar le feiscint ná mar a fuarthas sna seanlaethanta.

Is iad tránna an teorainn idir an fharraige agus an talamh; agus is gnáthóg eisceachtúil iad chun a bhfuil ar siúl inár n-aigéan a léiriú.

Faraor, má thugann tú cuairt ar aon trá na laethanta seo, gheobhaidh tú fianaise go bhfuil géarchéim inár n-aigéan. B’fhéidir go bhfuil cuma phráinneach ar an ngaineamh, ach nochtfaidh cuma níos dlúithe micrea-phlaistigh sa líne taoide agus píosaí beaga bídeacha de rópa (fearas iascaireachta taibhse.)

Téann gach rud a itheann muid agus a chaithimid amach san uisce níochán agus ina dhiadh sin, san fharraige.

Ar ndóigh fuarthas i gconaí adhmad ar thrá - iarsmaí iascaireachta agus longbhriseadh agus a leithéid; ach ábhair nádúrtha ab ea iad sin. Ní fadhb í ábhar orgánach mar tá sé in-bhithmhillte - agus déantar

é a mhiondealú go tapa, ach tógann sé i bhfad níos faide ábhair mar phlaisteach, alúmanam, níolón agus gloine a dhíghrádú.

Ní bhriseann plaisteach síos - nó go han-mhall - agus seo an droch scéal; nuair a ghlanann sinn earrai plaisteacha ó thrá nil ann ach barr an oighir.

Agus níl ionta siúd ach na míreanna atá mór go leor le feiceáil Toisc nach amháin go bhfuil na mílte tonnaí plaisteach ag snámh amuigh ansin ag fanacht le nigh i dtír,, ach tá méid ollmhór faoi thalamh sa ghaineamh cheana ann freisin; agus tá méid níos mó fós ann nach féidir leat a fheiceáil ar chor ar bith - píosaí plaisteacha briste síos chomh beag sin nach bhfuil iontu ach blúiríní dofheicthe Tugtar “microplastics” orthu seo agus tá siad le fáil i ngach áit; in ithir, in uisce, san fharraige, agus i gcorp na n-iasc atá ag snámh ann.

Mar sin nuair a fhéachann tú amach ar an trá álainn sin, cuir i gcuimhne duit féin NACH bhfuil sí inleáite - tá cuma ollmhór air ach ní mhaireann sé go deo!

Iarscríbhinn; gach uile ábhar pé beag no mór, a théann síos an draen, sroichfidh sé an fharraige sa deire. Fiú amhain na snáthanna bídeacha a thitean as ár n-éide nuair a nítear í.

Caithfimid a bheith cosantach ar an uisce ar an bpláinéad seo.

Thosaigh an beathra san uisce sin. Nílimid cinnte ag iarraidh go gcríochnoigh se san aigéan céanna, agus é salach, truaillithe, scriosta, loitithe, amú.

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WILD IDEAS

Saving

Eden T

he Gearagh was the last, virginal stand of primeval river forest left in Western Europe that had survived from the end of the last Ice Age, 9,000 years previously, up to 1950. Only then was the bulk of the forest clear-felled to make way for the flood waters of a hydro-electric reservoir, while the unique ‘forest-dwelling’ community that had lived within it was equally obliterated.

Located on the middle section of the River Lee, near Macroom in County Cork, the Gearagh had escaped deforestation due to its fortuitous location on a bizarre, inland delta. Here, on exiting the Cork and Kerry mountains, the river expanded outwards into a gigantic floodplain as it broke up into an intricate maze of multi-branching streams.

Continually dividing, joining and re-dividing, the channels ensnared a network of alluvial islands covered in temperate rainforest. The resulting ‘anastomosing’ structure of intertwining rivulets and wooded islands once ran to nearly 10km in length and in parts was over 2km in width, thus forming the only substantial forested river delta in Europe west of the Rhine. At its heart, it contained a tortuous tangle of fallen trees amidst a quagmire of deep pools and sucking muds that was impossible to fully penetrate or cross. All strangers when attempting to enter it lost their way and could neither get in nor out as they continually went around in circles through mental disorientation, the dreaded meascán mearaidhe.

As a consequence, it had remained wholly unspoiled over the millennia, to preserve a fascinating forest ecology, biodiversity and human culture.

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The Gearagh and Irish Nature

by Kevin Corcoran

Its inner core of islands was smothered in a breathtaking carpet of forest flowers, the upper canopy sported spectacular ‘sky gardens’ of rare oceanic mosses, liverworts, ferns and lichens, while its streams hid a fragile world of freshwater pearl mussels and sponges. Intriguingly, it also contained the very last ‘forest dwelling’ community in Western Europe to survive into modern times. Descendant from the subsistent, forest inhabitants of Ireland’s earlier medieval period, they retained their Irish language, customs and folklore that are now hard to believe. They fashioned their own shoes from timber, used the trees to construct everything from simple shelters to chairs and cradles, distilled the finest of poitín and possessed an extraordinary knowledge of forest plants’ medicinal and practical uses. They constructed unique flat-bottomed boats to travel through the forested maze of channels, using its labyrinthine fastness as a place of sanctuary when threatened and to hide numerous rebels when on the run. These included those fleeing the dreaded Black and Tans during Ireland’s War of Independence and those evading the draconian Penal Laws of the eighteenth century, like the legendary Robin Hood character Shaun Ruadh on Ghaorthaidh or Red-haired Sean of the Gearagh. Their folklore was diverse and retained elements of a long-forgotten past, but there was none more unusual than their list of Gearagh prophecies. These not only predicted their own demise but also gave clues as to what strange happenings the future would bring, including the implosion of the Catholic Church and the return of plague to Ireland.

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WILD IDEAS

16th. c Temperate rainforest expanse in Upper Lee Valley. Beara mountains in background

Gearagh interior. Dutch rush (Equisetum hyemale) in foreground

Tragically, the bulk of these details have been erased from human memory, thereby allowing past abuses to be repeated on an ongoing basis. Using the bitter lessons learned from the devastation of the Gearagh, Saving Eden confronts the seemingly unbreakable bond between rampant brute progress and the present ruination of our environment, human culture and heritage. Although intensive farming and mass conifer afforestation are radically changing the Irish landscape, strategies are being adopted to make them more sustainable and environmentally friendly. Not so with corporate energy production.

Alongside the inexcusable negligence by our political administrators to diligently implement the EU’s various environmental laws, the present explosion in wind farms across Ireland’s unspoiled landscapes are, in too many cases, monstrous repetitions of the Gearagh tragedy. Pristine ecosystems are being obliterated, rural communities devastated and in a black irony, climate change is exacerbated – all under the derisory banner of environmental protection.

In tracing the chronicles of the Gearagh, Saving Eden introduces the history of Ireland’s once expansive temperate rainforests, the customs of past cultures that lived within them, the manner in which brute progress destroyed both and critically, how modern society maintains this legacy of horrendous environmental destruction. Offering a better way forward, Saving Eden advocates the concepts of bio-economics and energy conservation through sustainable living. Beautifully adorned with poetry, ink and watercolour sketches, it also outlines the benefits and wonders of nature that will bring joy, hope and encouragement to everyone that appreciates wilderness and the outdoors.

Kevin Corcoran is an ecologist, writer and illustrator based in West Cork and has spent a lifetime promoting Ireland’s pristine environment and bountiful nature. Saving Eden is his latest publication and is available online or instore in Vibes and Scribes in Cork and Fitzgeralds bookshop or Costcutters shop Massytown Road, Macroom.. See our competition page for your chance to win a copy.

Beautiful yes, but the labyrinthine interior of the Gearagh river forest is a trecherous place for the unfamiliar

The parasitic Toothwort (Lathraea squamaria) in Geargh forest

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FEATURE

wild Dublin M As a cherished protected biosphere, recreational activities must be managed at Bull Island to ensure habitats aren’t damaged, writes DONNA COONEY

ost Dubliners are very familiar with Bull Island and many know that it is part of the Dublin Bay UNESCO biosphere, but most of the public are not aware that it is the most protected site for nature in Ireland. This Special Protection Area (SPA) has 18 priority species under the Birds Directive!

The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) published its Conservation Objectives for the North Bull Island SPA in 2015. Who is responsible for implementing these objectives?

Dublin City Council is the Local Authority that manages the island under its Parks section but European and national legislation places a collective obligation on Ireland and its citizens to maintain habitats and species in the Natura 2000 network at a ‘favourable conservation condition’. The Government and its agencies 32

are responsible for the implementation and enforcement of regulations that will ensure the ecological integrity of this site.

Dublin City Council has drafted a management plan for the next five years and an oversight forum for the implementation of the North Bull Island Action Plan has been established and has met twice to-date. The forum includes various stakeholders including Birdwatch Ireland, An Taisce Clean Coasts, the NPWS, Bull Island Action Group, Irish Seal Sanctuary, Councillor’s chair and vice chair of North Central, Dublin Naturalists’ Field Club, a number of residents’ groups, Port Scouts, Dublin City Council parks officials, head of parks and biodiversity officer and other recreational users.

There is a real need to inform the public of the importance of Bull Island as a protected biosphere and to manage recreational use so that habitats are not damaged. In 2020 ground

nesting birds returned to North Bull Island, but were nearly destroyed by fires on the dunes. There have already been fires in the most sensitive sites on the northern dunes this year. More people than ever are enjoying the outdoors and being close to nature and Bull Island is a wonderful amenity for Dublin’s citizens and visitors. As the only capital in the world with a designated UNESCO biosphere, it’s truly a unique space.

The oversight forum has looked at some of the management challenges around balancing people and nature and maintaining natural processes (such as the hydrology of the island and intertidal area and the conservation of rare habitats and species, including the management of invasive alien species).

Issues that need addressing are the impacts of recreational disturbance on wildlife caused by people letting their dogs off leads, which is damaging habitat in the dunes and disturbing

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FEATURE  Bull Island

 Gray seal

seals and their pups on the northern end of the strand. There is also an urgent need to protect the dunes from the dangers of barbeques and parties, leading to littering and fires on the dunes.

Access has also recently become an issue, with huge numbers of people trying to access the island daily throughout the year. There is simply not the capacity to accommodate the number of cars seeking to park, leading to some recreational users looking for parking on the northern causeway entrance on the beach.

Since cars were removed from the strand, aerial imagery was taken which outlined changes to the landscape as a result of natural processes and policy changes. This led to improvement of the dunes, something that would be reversed if cars were to gain access again to the strand on the northern causeway end of the island.

Another issue of concern is the speed limit of 50km per hour on the causeway, making it dangerous for active transport users. This should be reduced by using by-laws to 20kmph or 15kmph. Some measures have been taken to facilitate active transport users, with the

creation of a temporary shared segregated greenway on the causeway and bollards put in along the bull wall to protect people from cars that had been parking and driving on the walkway. Also, universal access to the beach is to be created with the use of removable walkways on the strand.

Water quality is also of concern, with tests results showing poor water quality from November 2020 to April 2021. This is not only of concern for public health with large numbers of year-round sea swimmers, but also for marine life. An expert group on bathing water quality has been set up by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Minister has stated they will review the request for an extension of the bathing season and more frequent testing and reporting of water quality.

Beach cleaning must be carried out carefully by hand on the dunes. Volunteers from Bull Island Action Group, along with others, regularly fulfil the task. Litter endangers wildlife and dog foul is also prevalent on the dunes. Dublin City Council is proposing litter reduction measures by removing the temporary

barrel bins from Bull Island. They are adopting a ‘leave no trace’ policy and seeking to influence public behaviour. Large recycling bins will also be placed at both entrances.

There remain some key challenges at the interface between people and nature, notably recreational impacts, car parking and dogs.

Other challenges include groups gathering on the Island, anti-social behaviour, fires, emergency services access and increasing numbers of cetacean stranding (including a fin whale in November 2019 and two separate harbour porpoises in May 2020 and April 2021 washed up on Dollymount strand). Practices and protocols will need to be reviewed and implemented in relation to the above.

Some approaches are being explored to address these challenges including codes of conduct with recreational groups, zonings for wildlife-only spaces, signage strategy, education and awareness programmes and a Bull Island conservation volunteer programme.

Donna Cooney is a Green Party Councillor for the Clontarf area of Dublin which includes Bull Island.

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WILD ART

Wild Art Winners

The Irish Wildlife Trust ’s wildlife art competition launched last year to engage children up to 18 with the wonders of wildlife in the first lockdown had a successful second edition this year!

Categor y: 6 and under Winner: Nicky Cassidy (6) Runners-up: Cleo Hutchinson (6) and Ian Jost (5)

Categor y: 7 to 10 Winner: Matilda Mainprize (10) Runners-up: Amelia and Gabriela Suska (10) and Preksha Utekar (8)

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WILD ART

Categor y: 11 to 14 Winner: Ava McKenna (14) Runners-up: Pádraic Lambert (12) and Joanne Brunnock (13)

Categor y: 15 to 18 Winner: Davina Clerkin (15) Runners-up: Patricija Danko (18) and Aoibh Flynn (18)

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COMPETITION

COMPETITION In this issue of Irish Wildlife, members have a chance to win one of two exciting new nature books – Saving Eden by Kevin Corcoran and Remarkable Creatures by Aga Grandowicz Saving Eden

Once the envy of Europe, Ireland’s pristine environment has been butchered beyond recognition. This destruction is shockingly evident in The Gearagh, near Macroom in County Cork. The Gearagh is Western Europe’s last primeval river forest, which was submerged beneath the flood waters of a hydroelectric reservoir in the mid-twentieth century. In Saving Eden, Kevin Corcoran tells the fascinating story of Ireland’s vanquished temperate rainforests and exposes the disturbing truth about our efforts to protect nature and the environment in the 21st century. He reveals how the blind pursuit of progress wiped out The Gearagh and its unique forest-dwelling community and how the destruction continues with such horrific intensity that a new approach to understand the relationship between humanity and nature is required.

By offering a better way forward, Saving Eden provides a profound new insight into how we can protect our fragile earthly home through bio-

economics and energy conservation as achievable through sustainable living. Illustrated throughout with beautiful watercolour and ink artwork, it also paints an uplifting picture of the wonders of nature that will bring joy, hope and inspiration to everyone who respects the environment.

Remarkable Creatures – A Guide to some of Ireland’s Disappearing Animals

Ireland is home to thousands of amazing animals, but things are changing in our environment and some of our remarkable creatures are struggling to survive. This book will take you on a journey of discovery, sharing fascinating facts about our most endangered species, activities to help you understand more about their habitats and tips on how you can help protect them. The future of our animals depends on our actions today, so let’s play our part and do the best we can.

We have two signed copies of Saving Eden and three copies of Remarkable Creatures to give away. Just answer the following question:

Which bird was confirmed to be nesting in Ireland this year for the first time in over 300 years?

Send your answer, name and address and your preferred book to magazinecomp@iwt.ie by July 31st.

Spring Issue In our spring issue, we gave readers a chance to win a copy of Irish Rivers published by UCD Press. The answer to the question was Numenius arquata. Congratulations to Evan O’Sullivan-Glynn, O’Briensbridge, Co. Clare, Geraldine Regan, Hill of Down, Co. Meath and Una Kilrane, Drumree. Co. Meath. Thanks to all who entered!

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Irish Wildlife Summer‘ 21

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Check out our shop for a range of gift ideas...

...perfect for the nature lover in your life!

iwt.ie/shop

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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 the end of 2021.

Your 2022 card will be printed in our 2021 Winter issue.

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Advert template.indd 1

Membership Card 2021

Individual members, please fill in your full name. Family members, please fill in your family name. Card valid until end of 2021. Your 2022 card will be printed in our Winter 2021 magazine. © Irish Wildlife Trust 2020.

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“The Badger Club is our Junior IWT Membership subscription.

JOK ES

What mak so better me pla es at m nts otheraths than s?

Squar e roo ts!

uldn’t the Why co plant any r gardene rs? flowe y! ’t botan He hadn

Badger Club is a quarterly magazine for Junior and Family members of the Irish Wildlife Trust. To become a member please go to our website https://iwt.ie/ support-us/become-a-member/ Like our Facebook page at facebook. com/IrishWildlifeTrust and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/ irishwildlife

A E S Q A I X Q W X A X S X Z

Z Y F V W W V F R G N B U A Z

N U R E P I N U J R R M J L R

I P K H S T K K L H O M F T Y

E Y S S E C E U V J R S L B Q

S V R F D H O L L Y S K H O A

G I E O T E L T S I M K V J U

V N F R L S X E S I N W D Q D

C F I W G B I R B P U C X P U

Winter 2019/20

E A RC H W I N T E R N W B G I N K W V

K M O C R O E H X Q T N Q Z V

Text by Fergus DeFaoite Design by Barbara Vasic Front cover photo: Yew Taxus baccata, MHNT Muséum de Toulouse [CC BY-SA 4.0] Centre spread photos: Holly, Ruth Hartnup (CC BY 2.0); Ivy, Michael Maggs (CC BY-SA 2.5); Mistletoe, uncredited (CC BY-SA 2.0); Yew, Barbara Vasic Poster: Blackbird (Turdus merula) feeds on berries of ivy by blickwinkel / Alamy Stock Photo

M M C E V O Y E W R T M E J X

Q G B Y S M O X N V I T Y S H

BERRIES CONIFERS EVERGREEN HOLLY IVY JUNIPER

s

U G A W Y Z F Z B S U L Y L V

S

MISTLETOE SCOTSPINE WINTER WITCHESBROOM YEW

The Irish Wildlife Trust was founded in 1979 as a charitable conservation body, Charity No. CHY 6264. We provide the public with information about wildlife, run education and training programmes, carry out habitat and species surveys, campaign and lobby around biodiversity issues, restore natural habitats, consult with industry, agriculture and Local Authorities to maintain our natural heritage, and contribute to national and international forums for the protection of biodiversity.

The IWT is a nationwide organisation with a strong membership base, staff and Board of Directors, with branches in Dublin Galway, Kerry, Laois/Offaly, Longford/ Westmeath and Waterford.

Copyright Irish Wildlife Trust 2020. All rights reserved.”

Ev

nt

J U W J C K F D E C R F H K J

What did the big flower say to the little flower?

What ’s up, bud?!

R D

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MAGAZINE FOR THE JUNIOR MEMBERS OF THE IRISH WILDLIFE TRUST

erg re e n pl a

Ev

Join the Badger Club to receive our quarterly junior magazine the “Badger” for €15 per year.

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The Badger is full of fun facts about nature and features an A3 poster in each issue.

reen

To join visit the Join IWT section on www.iwt.ie and select Junior Membership”

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