Irish Wildlife

ISSN - 1649 - 5705 • AUTUMN ‘16

IRISH MAGAZINE OF THE IRISH WILDLIFE TRUST

IRELAND’S

SIT BIE LDL FE W

MAGAZINE

The True Story of the

RIVER LEE SPOTTED IN IRELAND: •Hedgehog •Atlantic Salmon • Badger

INISHBOFIN PARADISE

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TAKING NOTE OF NATURE

BRANCH NEWS

19/08/2016 12:15

Helping Hedgehogs FLOCK TO THE CORK BIRDATHON The inaugural Cork Birdathon will take place across South and East Cork on November 19th 2016.

To celebrate the launch of the South and East Cork Bird Trail and to promote conservation and biodiversity, we are inviting families and teams of between 2 and 5 people to participate in a fun and interactive bird watching event.

For more information and registration details, please see

www.corkbirdathon.ie or contact SECAD on (021) 461 3432.

At the Hogsprickle, we try to help orphaned, injured or needy hoglets and hogs before releasing them back into the wild where they belong.

If you require advice about an injured hedgehog (or other birds or wild animals), visit www.thehogsprickle.com

SECONDARY SCHOOL BIOLOGY FIELD TRIPS WITH THE IWT It is amazing what we can learn in our local nature reserve, park or even school grounds – all we have to do is get out in nature and have a look.

This year the IWT is running a range of curriculumlinked school field trips tailored to Junior Cert, Transition Year and Leaving Cert. All field trips are led by an IWT scientist, can be run in a location convenient to your school and cover biology curriculum needs such as ‘study of a habitat’.

For course information, pricing and booking contact us at conservation@iwt.ie or call 01 860 2839

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WELCOME

Chairperson’s Comment Declan O’Mahony’s wonderful article on the Gearagh in this issue touches on a topic close to my own heart – that of the thousands of kilometres of rivers and streams that criss-cross our little island along with their many inhabitants, great and small, that form such an integral part of Irish folklore and culture. Perhaps it is simply because I am fortunate enough to have spent so much time studying our freshwaters that feel that, of all of reland s habitats, they most readily reflect the consequences of our actions, both good and ill, intentional and unwitting. All of our land management decisions for miles around a watercourse touch it in innumerable ways, from the fertilisers we spread on our fields or not , the forestry we plant or not , the trees that we fell or don t to the drains we dig and the factories we build or choose not to .

Cover credits: Kingfisher (Muddy Boots) Atlantic salmon (Mike Brown) Badgers (Karol Waszkiewicz) Contents page credits: River Lee (Declan O’Mahony) Corncrake (Andrew Kelly) Killarney National Park (Eric Gross) Garden snail (Jezebelee/Flickr) Hedgehog (The Hogsprickle)

Pass it on. If you’re finished with your Irish Wildlife don’t throw it in the bin. Pass it on to someone who you think may enjoy it – or ask your local library or doctor’s office to leave it in the reception.

You’ll help the environment and the IWT while you’re at it.

Editor: Pádraic Fogarty, IWT Published by Ashville Media Group www.ashville.com

Printed on

All articles © 2016. No part of this publication including the images used may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the publisher. Opinions and comments expressed herein are not necessarily those of the publisher. While every effort has been made to ensure that all information contained in this publication is factual and correct at time of going to press, Ashville Media Group and the Irish Wildlife Trust cannot be held responsible for any inadvertent errors or omissions contained herein.

Please recycle this copy of Irish Wildlife

More direct changes come from our decisions to widen, straighten, deepen, dredge or dam our rivers. Modern Ireland’s waterways, the River Lee being no exception, stand testament to our past actions. For better or worse, the inhabitants of these environments must live with the consequences of these decisions, with some faring better than others. Brown trout, for example, are fabulously adaptable – am constantly surprised by finding trout thriving in the most heavily impacted systems, taking advantage of the fact that there is often more food in polluted streams and that their less hardy salmonid brethren are not around to eat it. The freshwater pearl mussel, however, is almost gone from our rivers now, straightjacketed by its complex life cycle, requiring as it does clean, silt-free gravel alongside the presence of salmonid fry on which to attach.

Extremely long-lived, the adults remain in rivers for decades after they have become unsuitable for reproduction, bearing tragic witness to the destruction of their future. We are learning from our past mistakes, however, and often when the negative impact is reversed the river, ephemeral by its very nature, recovers. Conservation projects around the country are having real, concrete impacts on our rivers, and there is even hope for the pearl mussel, which is the subject of a LIFE project in Kerry aiming to restore two catchments to favourable conservation status for the species.

Mary Reynolds’ piece on using your garden as a haven for wildlife was illustrated rather nicely when I was visited by a stray bee swarm recently. They had rather unwisely decided to take refuge in a large fuchsia in the garden, and then perhaps even more unwisely decided that they would make it a permanent home. After the next windy day, they found themselves and their brood on the lawn in the rain, and were it not for the actions of a local beekeeper, who drove nearly 50 kilometres in terrible weather at night with a temporary hive for them, they might have fared rather badly. As it is, they seem to have taken to their new home well, a great reminder of the ama ing wealth of both passion for nature and expertise we all have at our fingertips in our surrounding communities, if we look for it.

Finally, although it seems that everywhere one turns these days we are being asked to sign a petition, it is a way for all of us to have an impact on the decisions that affect our environment. would again ask that if you haven t signed or asked others to sign our o o ore lash and Burn petition protesting the extension of the hedgecutting and burning seasons, please do so, and also to consider adding your voice to Declan’s campaign to lower the water level of the Lee reservoir to allow the restoration of the ancient forest of the Gearagh.

David McCormick Chairperson, Irish Wildlife Trust

contriiButors DECLAN O’MAHONY is a visual artist

and filmmaker from Cork who has worked as a professional artist for 37 years, using oil, acrylic, pastel and chalk to help translate the thought patterns of the painter’s mind.

Most recently Declan directed and produced a fascinating documentary titled River Runner, which explores the perilous journey of the Atlantic salmon along the River Lee and beyond, and the tragic destruction of the ancient Gearagh woodland and modern efforts to preserve its remaining beauty.

MARY REYNOLDS has designed

gardens internationally for more than 17 years, including commissions in Kew Royal botanical gardens in London, as well as having presented garden television on several occasions for RTE and BBC. She prides herself on devising garden designs in harmony with the land, creating spaces that are truthful and healing. Author of The Garden Awakening: Designs To Nurture Our Land and Ourselves, Mary’s life will be the subject of a film which is due to be released this year.

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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 The latest Irish and international conservation news.

8.

IWT NEWS What we’ve been doing over the summer months.

12.

EDUCATION Jenny uinn discusses the benefits of relaxing walks on body and mind.

13.

BRANCH NEWS The latest updates from IWT branches nationwide.

16.

WILD IDEAS Author and gardener Mary Reynolds extols the virtues of using your garden to help heal the planet.

19.

COMPETITION Answer our question to be in with the chance of winning one of two fantastic new books.

20.

FEATURE – PRESERVING OUR WILDLIFE HERITAGE Artist and filmmaker Declan O ahony recounts his fascination with art and nature, and the process behind his engrossing documentary on the River Lee.

24.

EXPLORING WILDLIFE Gordon D Arcy reflects on a lifelong fascination with nature.

26.

AUTUMN FOCUS Time is running out for Europe’s invasive species, writes Billy Flynn.

28.

FIELD REPORT he people of nishbofin have wholeheartedly embraced the safeguarding of their natural heritage, writes Mary Mulvey.

30.

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

32.

ON LOCATION Veterinarian nurse Bev Truss outlines the important work carried out by The Hogsprickle Wildlife Rescue in aiding Ireland’s hedgehogs.

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IRISH WILDLIFE TRUST

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

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

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

Research of the natural environment.

Acquiring and managing nature reserves to safeguard species and habitats.

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

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

IMAGES THIS PAGE: TOP: Chough. Photo: Andrew Kelly ABOVE: Robin. Photo: Garry Greene

Have comments?

Magazine queries, general wildlife questions or observations email: irishwildlife@iwt.ie All other queries email: enquiries@iwt.ie Phone: (01) 860 2839 Snail mail: The Irish Wildlife Trust, Sigmund Business Centre, 93A Lagan Road, Glasnevin, Dublin 11 Web: www.iwt.ie Social media: facebook.com/IrishWildlifeTrust twitter.com/Irishwildlife

Irish Wildlife is published quarterly by the IWT.

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

Galway: Lenny, iwtgalway@gmail.com www.facebook.com/IWTgalwaybranch Longford/Westmeath: Chris Martin, iwtlongfordwestmeath@gmail.com Facebook: search for ‘Longford/ Westmeath Irish Wildlife Trust Branch’ Laois/Offaly: Ricky, iwtlaoisoffaly@gmail.com www.facebook.com/IWTlaoisoffalybranch

How can you help?

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

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

There are lots of ways to get involved, from work experience in specialist areas to getting your hands dirty at our sites or helping us increase membership at events.

See our website www.iwt.ie for details or contact the office directly.

• Do you have land that you would like

used for conservation? We are always on the lookout to establish new sites to enhance wildlife or provide education opportunities.

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

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

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

Irish Wildlife Autumn ‘16

CONSERVATION NEWS

CONSERVATION

NEWS Dr Debbi Pedreschi outlines the latest national and international conservation news.

IRISH NEWS

STINGING SPECIES WARNINGS FOR SWIMMERS

5 Agricultural land

near Mount Leinster

CLIMATE CHANGE CONCESSIONS FOR IRELAND Ireland currently remains on track to become one of only two EU countries to miss its 2020 emission reduction targets. Despite this, the Government has secured significant concessions in new EU emission targets for 2030. Ireland, among other countries, argued that forests and other managed grasslands act as carbon sinks, and so should be allowed to compensate for high emissions in other areas such as agriculture. With the

resulting land use clause, Ireland has been granted flexibility of 5.6 per cent, more than any other Member State, to reflect its high dependency on agriculture. Furthermore, a number of States will be permitted to transfer up to 4 per cent of their surpluses from the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) to offset their non-ETS targets.

The country-specific targets for national emissions from transport, agriculture and buildings calculated by the European Commission require Ireland to reduce emissions by 30 per cent relative to those of 2005.

If the flexibilities granted above are fully utilised, it essentially reduces the Irish reductions to the original target of 20 per cent that we will miss in 2020.

Irish Water Safety issued warnings to swimmers to be aware of the lion’s mane jellyfish and the weever fish as the numbers of swimmers increased along with July’s good weather. The lion’s mane jellyfish can reach up to two metres in diameter and possess a strong sting which can remain active for days after they have died. The jellyfish were spotted in high numbers along Ireland’s east coast, with lower numbers along the west coast in July. The weever fish generally buries itself in sand during the day, with only its spines sticking out. The spines contain a toxin that can cause a painful sting if disturbed. The highest risk is at and around low tide. Warnings were issued to beachgoers in advance of the August bank holiday weekend which coincides with a spring tide, the tide just after a full moon, when there is the greatest difference between high and low water. Both species’ stings can cause anaphylactic shock in people that are allergic – this is particularly dangerous as individuals don’t know if they are allergic until they are stung.

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CONSERVATION NEWS

IRISH NEWS

DELAYS TO ROAD CONSTRUCTION IN KILLARNEY NATIONAL PARK Tourists and locals are “frustrated” at the lack of progress on a western access road to Killarney National Park, 5 Killarney National Park. according to the town’s Mayor.

Photo: Eric Gross/ Flickr (CC BY 2.0) Tomies Wood is inaccessible by car.

The 1.2km road and 28 space car park has been approved by An Bord Pleanála for construction in the highly protected area despite eNGO and some local opposition. The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) argued successfully that recreation was a part of the function of a national park, alongside conservation. Tomies, located alongside the western shore of Lough Leane, is home to some of the most ancient remaining sessile oak woods in Ireland.

The road will also give greater glimpses of a popular Victorian tourist spot, O’Sullivan’s Cascade, a waterfall rarely seen now and mainly reached by boat. The new access is also to form part of the long-term Lough Leane Loop, a cycling and walking route circling the largest of the Killarney lakes. Delays are due to a lack of funding for the construction.

STATE TO PURCHASE DUBLIN MOUNTAINS LAND FROM NAMA Over 20,000 people signed an online petition to stop the public sale of 5,000 acres in the Dublin Mountains by NAMA. NAMA was planning to auction part of the Glenasmole Valley but the Green Party wanted to see it turned into a national park; 93 per cent of it is already in a Special Area of Conservation and so it had no potential for development. The petition pushes for it to become part of a Dublin Mountains park, as proposed by South Dublin County Council, linked to its tourism strategy. Media reports in August suggested that it would become a part of an enlarged Wicklow Mountains National Park. In a positive move, negotiations appear to be in an advanced stage between the State and NAMA, despite initial concerns about the price NAMA is seeking.

DELIBERATE DOG POISONINGS A pet dog in Dublin had a lucky escape after three rat poison-stuffed chorizo sausages were thrown into its garden.

The owner spotted her dog eating something and found a piece of the sausage on the patio table. Thankfully she immediately sought veterinary attention and he made a full recovery.

Unfortunately this is not a unique case of malicious poisoning – which is often suspected to be motivated as a response to dogs’ barking. Although there are no exact records of the number of dogs which have been poisoned, cases were noted of dogs and cats being poisoned in the Waterford area last year, and a Kerry vet warned locals after three dogs suffered from suspected strychnine poisoning in Killarney National Park last April. At least six dogs were suspected to have been poisoned in the Clonlara area of Co Clare in 2014.

Legally, poison shouldn’t be laid within 300 metres of a public road or house, unless the occupier has given consent.

According to the Protection of Animals Act 1965, you must also put up notices and inform the gardaí if you are laying poison.

In related news, Cork animal welfare shelter DAWG has closed its doors due to the sheer volume of unwanted dogs and following a number of horrific cases of abused dogs in recent months. They are appealing to people to adopt or foster animals.

CONCERNS OVER DEAD WHALES At least three minke whale carcasses have been recorded by the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) from Dingle Bay between April and July. All three appeared to be juveniles with lengths between 3 and 6 metres. There are only 12 (including these three) recorded minke whale strandings for Kerry on the entire strandings database, which has been operating since 2003. Minke whales are relatively common in the waters around Dingle Bay and the Blasket Islands during the summer months, but as of yet we have no indication as to why there is an increase in the number of dead juvenile animals recorded here this year. IWDG also report that two Dutch supertrawlers are currently operating approximately 30km west of Cork/Kerry. There have previously been associations between common dolphin strandings and the presence of supertrawlers. Although no unusual strandings of common dolphins were recorded by IWDG recently, there are media reports that three common dolphins (one with rope on its tail) were found dead in one week on the shores of west Kerry recently. This discovery has prompted a retired State fishery inspector to call for the EU to place observers on large fishing vessels. Further, he said that while Irish waters have been a whale and dolphin sanctuary since 1991, action had to be taken at EU level to ensure marine mammals received adequate protection at sea. Placing observers on EU fishing vessels to investigate breaches of regulations has long been a source of disagreement among Member States. In related news, the carcass of a 78m long minke whale has washed ashore on rocks at St John’s Point in County Down. The young male minke appeared to have died after its tail became entangled in some discarded fishing gear.

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CONSERVATION NEWS

IRISH NEWS

DELAYS TO ROAD CONSTRUCTION IN KILLARNEY NATIONAL PARK Tourists and locals are “frustrated” at the lack of progress on a western access road to Killarney National Park, 5 Killarney National Park. according to the town’s Mayor.

Photo: Eric Gross/ Flickr (CC BY 2.0) Tomies Wood is inaccessible by car.

The 1.2km road and 28 space car park has been approved by An Bord Pleanála for construction in the highly protected area despite eNGO and some local opposition. The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) argued successfully that recreation was a part of the function of a national park, alongside conservation. Tomies, located alongside the western shore of Lough Leane, is home to some of the most ancient remaining sessile oak woods in Ireland.

The road will also give greater glimpses of a popular Victorian tourist spot, O’Sullivan’s Cascade, a waterfall rarely seen now and mainly reached by boat. The new access is also to form part of the long-term Lough Leane Loop, a cycling and walking route circling the largest of the Killarney lakes. Delays are due to a lack of funding for the construction.

STATE TO PURCHASE DUBLIN MOUNTAINS LAND FROM NAMA Over 20,000 people signed an online petition to stop the public sale of 5,000 acres in the Dublin Mountains by NAMA. NAMA was planning to auction part of the Glenasmole Valley but the Green Party wanted to see it turned into a national park; 93 per cent of it is already in a Special Area of Conservation and so it had no potential for development. The petition pushes for it to become part of a Dublin Mountains park, as proposed by South Dublin County Council, linked to its tourism strategy. Media reports in August suggested that it would become a part of an enlarged Wicklow Mountains National Park. In a positive move, negotiations appear to be in an advanced stage between the State and NAMA, despite initial concerns about the price NAMA is seeking.

DELIBERATE DOG POISONINGS A pet dog in Dublin had a lucky escape after three rat poison-stuffed chorizo sausages were thrown into its garden.

The owner spotted her dog eating something and found a piece of the sausage on the patio table. Thankfully she immediately sought veterinary attention and he made a full recovery.

Unfortunately this is not a unique case of malicious poisoning – which is often suspected to be motivated as a response to dogs’ barking. Although there are no exact records of the number of dogs which have been poisoned, cases were noted of dogs and cats being poisoned in the Waterford area last year, and a Kerry vet warned locals after three dogs suffered from suspected strychnine poisoning in Killarney National Park last April. At least six dogs were suspected to have been poisoned in the Clonlara area of Co Clare in 2014.

Legally, poison shouldn’t be laid within 300 metres of a public road or house, unless the occupier has given consent.

According to the Protection of Animals Act 1965, you must also put up notices and inform the gardaí if you are laying poison.

In related news, Cork animal welfare shelter DAWG has closed its doors due to the sheer volume of unwanted dogs and following a number of horrific cases of abused dogs in recent months. They are appealing to people to adopt or foster animals.

CONCERNS OVER DEAD WHALES At least three minke whale carcasses have been recorded by the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) from Dingle Bay between April and July. All three appeared to be juveniles with lengths between 3 and 6 metres. There are only 12 (including these three) recorded minke whale strandings for Kerry on the entire strandings database, which has been operating since 2003. Minke whales are relatively common in the waters around Dingle Bay and the Blasket Islands during the summer months, but as of yet we have no indication as to why there is an increase in the number of dead juvenile animals recorded here this year. IWDG also report that two Dutch supertrawlers are currently operating approximately 30km west of Cork/Kerry. There have previously been associations between common dolphin strandings and the presence of supertrawlers. Although no unusual strandings of common dolphins were recorded by IWDG recently, there are media reports that three common dolphins (one with rope on its tail) were found dead in one week on the shores of west Kerry recently. This discovery has prompted a retired State fishery inspector to call for the EU to place observers on large fishing vessels. Further, he said that while Irish waters have been a whale and dolphin sanctuary since 1991, action had to be taken at EU level to ensure marine mammals received adequate protection at sea. Placing observers on EU fishing vessels to investigate breaches of regulations has long been a source of disagreement among Member States. In related news, the carcass of a 78m long minke whale has washed ashore on rocks at St John’s Point in County Down. The young male minke appeared to have died after its tail became entangled in some discarded fishing gear.

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IWT NEWS

IWT NEWS BADGER CULL DEBACLE

By PĂĄdraic Fogarty, IWT Campaigns Officer.

5 Badgers. Photo: Karol Waszkiewicz

T

hroughout 2015 and into 2016 the IWT, along with our friends in An Taisce and the Environmental Law Implementation Group (ELIG) made a number of requests to the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) regarding the licencing of the badger cull in Ireland.

As the badger is a protected species, the snaring and shooting of 6,000 of these animals every year has to be done under licence from NPWS, for which Minister

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Heather Humphreys is responsible.

Supporters of the cull, which has been ongoing since the late 1980s, have always pointed to the fact that oversight from the NPWS and the licences which were issued was a guarantee that the badger population would be protected, and that culling would only take place when strictly necessary. Through Access to Information on the Environment legislation we received copies of dozens of emails from frontline staff along with reports and copies of the licences themselves over a five-year period.

REALITY ON THE GROUND The first surprise came when we discovered that licences are given en masse once a year and which allow culling to take place thereafter at will. In other words, there is no scrutiny by NPWS as to whether killing badgers is actually needed, no case-by-case analysis and no details as to whether breakdowns of TB in a cattle herd can be attributed to another source (most TB is transferred between cattle).

The second surprise came when we read email after email, year after year, from frontline NPWS personnel

IWT NEWS

BADGER CULLING

BY THE NUMBERS

6,116 The number of badgers snared and shot by Department of Agriculture contractors in 2015, a fall from 6,366 in 2014.

8 The number of years badger culling has been ongoing in many areas, leading to local declines in populations.

479 The area in square kilometres where culling commenced for the first time in 2015.

complaining that licence conditions are routinely ignored. In particular, the contractors actually doing the culling are supposed to inform local NPWS staff precisely when and where the culling was happening, but in many cases this simply wasn’t happening. In one exchange an NPWS staff member maintains that the contractors “really resent” having to abide by the licences while another shows that snares were set on Coillte land (the State forestry company) without the knowledge of either Coillte or NPWS staff – something that led to embarrassing complaints from a member of the public.

Staff also complained that they receive no information on the long-awaited badger vaccination programme, something that was first mooted in 1991. Indeed, even the higher levels of management within the NPWS receive no information on this element of the cull programme other than what is fed to the rest of us from the Department of Agriculture. One staff member wonders whether there is ever a review of the “scientific basis for the cull” – the data we received shows there is not. Another states that the cull presents a “huge animal welfare problem” since badgers are culled right through the breeding season, leaving young cubs to starve underground. The impact of the cull on the badger population remains a mystery and the IWT has expressed serious concerns for some years that the level of killing, along with roadkill and illegal persecution, is likely to be

leading to local or regional extinctions.

In July, however, a leading staff member from the Department of Agriculture admitted to the Irish Independent that the cull was not sustainable.

It is now widely recognised that the population is shrinking. The badger is protected under international law, specifically the Bern Convention to which Ireland is a signatory, and under this treaty the Irish government committed to maintaining culling to within only 30 per cent of agricultural land. However in many counties this figure is much higher, up to 52 per cent in Tipperary for instance.

One set of emails shows how when NPWS resisted increasing this 30 per cent figure, the Department of Agriculture threatened to strip badgers of their protection completely. Meanwhile the State continues to snub the Bern Convention as they have not submitted a report since 2005 – despite repeated requests from both Bern itself and the NPWS. Our research reveals that there is no oversight of the badger cull programme by the NPWS. There are none of the checks and balances that the public might rightly expect to be in place to ensure that badgers are protected. The NPWS carries out no scrutiny of their own and merely rubber stamps licences to snare and shoot thousands of badgers each year. Is it any wonder that this failed enterprise has gone on so long, with such terrible results for both badgers and the farmers that continue to suffer from TB in their herds?

10 The number of veterinary districts where some vaccination of badgers is occurring.

62,881,246 The cost, in euros, of the TB programme according to figures from the Irish Farmers’ Journal.

3.37 The percentage of cattle herds contracting TB in 2015. To reach the goal of ‘TB free’, the European Commission says this number needs to be 0.1 per cent.

Figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

The IWT continues to pursue the matter with the secretariat of the Bern Convention and has accused Minister Humphreys of being asleep at the wheel in not performing her duties to adequately protect our wildlife. During the economic crash, funding for the NPWS was slashed by a massive 67 per cent and the IWT has called on politicians to properly fund the NPWS so that it can do its job. We also call on the Government to abandon the badger cull which has failed so miserably in its aims and has come at such a high cost to one of our most beloved wild animals.

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IWT NEWS

A VOICE FOR WILDLIFE AT MINISTERIAL LEVEL

By Kieran Flood, IWT Conservation Officer.

T

his year saw the election of a new minority government, a somewhat unusual development for this small European country of ours. In an equally unusual development this Government then moved to deconstruct the environmental responsibilities of the former Department of Environment and while doing so abolish the position of Minister of Environment!

This would have left Ireland as one of only two countries in the EU today lacking such an environment minister.

This move also added to the recent departmental jostling of environmental responsibilities – functions previously the responsibility of the Department of Environment have been split over three departments with water quality, wildlife protection and waste prevention no longer the concern of a single department.

The IWT joined other Irish environmental groups (Friends of the Earth, Birdwatch Ireland, An Taisce and VOICE) in sponsoring a petition against the abolishment of the Department of Environment. This petition called for the reinstatement of a Minister of Environment and the Department of Environment. The IWT gathered signatures for this petition at our summer events and through our popular online following. Some weeks after the launch of the petition the Government announced that they would in fact include ‘environment’ in the title of Minister Denis Naughten’s Department of Communication, Energy and Natural Resources, but important environmental responsibilities were still to remain split throughout three departments.

With this development, we decided to

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but the situation is still far from ideal. The IWT feels the distribution of environmental functions across multiple departments will lead to further disjointed thinking and policy on environmental protection.

Most importantly the lack of a minister fully empowered to protect our precious environment will leave it without a strong voice at ministerial level. We feel this is a mistake, especially with the importance of the environment for our health, natural heritage, food supply and tourism industry.

SECOND LEVEL EDUCATION PROGRAMME This autumn we are launching our latest addition to the IWT’s wildlife education activities with our Secondary School Biology Field Trip programme. We believe that r 5 Petition handove getting outside and learning about our wildlife and ecosystems is the hand the petition of over 13,000 signatures best way to develop an understanding and to Minister Naughten with a special love of nature. So, we thought, why not appeal for wildlife and water protection to combine this fun and important activity be included in his new department. On a with the curriculum needs of science sunny morning this June a troop of NGO and biology teachers across Ireland? representatives clad in full animal costume From September, schools can book the called to Minister Naughten’s department IWT to visit them in their local area and building to personally hand in our take them on a curriculum-linked field petition. The Minister declined to meet trip in a natural area near them. These these representatives in person, instead trips are tailored to Junior Cert, Transition diverting the petition handover to a Year and Leaving Certificate curriculum member of staff. This call appears to have needs. It is amazing what you can learn been ignored, as wildlife protection is still in your local nature reserve, park or set to stay with the Department of Arts, even school grounds – all we have to Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht do is get out in nature and have a look.

Affairs, and water protection with the Teachers or parents interested in these Department of Housing, Planning, field trips should check our website’s Community and Local Government.

Discover and Learn section or get in touch So we are set to retain a Minister of at conservation@iwt.ie for information Environment through Denis Naughten, on prices and course content.

IWT NEWS

SUMMER UPDATE

By Lorraine Bull, IWT Development Officer.

T

he variety of events we’ve attended this summer has certainly matched the variety in our weather. Soaring temperatures and record visitor numbers meant our attendance at Bloom in the Park was the busiest ever. Our new relationship with Dublin City Council’s Biodiversity and Parks Department resulted in us attending the ‘Battle for the Bay’ on Bull Island – a new event for IWT – as well as taking part in the St. Anne’s Rose Festival, where we hosted a walk to the newly completed Biodiversity Tree, which has been exquisitely carved by Tommy Craggs.

We also conducted events for Heritage Week, St. Enda’s Park in Rathfarnham, bat walks for South Dublin County Council, canal walks for Waterways Ireland, and how to improve local areas for wildlife with Tidy Towns groups.

The IWT’s presence in the media has also been very strong this summer. Our

campaign against the abolishment of the Department of Environment gained national coverage, as did our campaign against hedgecutting, which featured in the Sunday Independent among other publications. We’ve also conducted numerous radio interviews, including on Newstalk and East Coast FM, as well as radio and television interviews with NEAR FM on the disappearance of the Irish mountain hare on Bull Island.

In funding news, we’ve applied for projects through the Local Agenda 21 scheme and thus far have secured grants for outreach activities. Our relationship with the corporate world also strengthened this summer. We conducted talks for employees at HSBC and Bank of America Merrill Lynch and took part in Business in the Community Ireland’s corporate programme. We are delighted to announce that HSBC will be sponsoring the construction of a boardwalk at our reserve at the Boora Bog in County Offaly.

NOTICE OF AGM CURRENT IWT MEMBERS ARE INVITED TO ATTEND OUR ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING WHICH WILL BE HELD IN DUBLIN. DATE: SATURDAY OCTOBER 8TH TIME: 14:00 VENUE: TO BE CONFIRMED. PLEASE CHECK OUR WEBSITE IN SEPTEMBER OR EMAIL IWT@EIRCOM.NET FOR DETAILS.

The project, which is due to start in October, will enable us to open up the reserve to members of the public and facilitate educational events at the site.

We are also pleased to announce that Elk Recruitment will be sponsoring schools to take part in our Badger Schools programme in counties Carlow, Wicklow and Dublin. If your company would be interested in finding out about our corporate programmes or sponsorship, please email: enquiries@ iwt.ie for further information.

31 DAYS, 31 REASONS TO WHY WE SAY ‘NO TO MORE SLASH AND BURN’

By Lorraine Bull, IWT Development Officer.

B

ack in January the Irish Wildlife Trust, Birdwatch Ireland, An Taisce and the Hedge Layers Association of Ireland joined forces to launch the No to More Slash and Burn campaign in response to Minister Heather Humphries, TD, announcing proposed changes to the Wildlife Act (under the Heritage Bill 2016), which would allow for the burning of uplands to be extended and the dates for the ban on the cutting of hedgerows to be shortened to August 1st. At the time of our last issue, it was anticipated that these changes would be rushed

through before the Oireachtas closed.

However, it only passed the second stage of the Seanad, much to the relief of the e-NGOs. Alas though, with the re-establishment of Heather Humphries came the re-establishment of the Bill.

In response again, we ran a 31 Days, 31 Reasons campaign throughout August to highlight the reasons why this bill defies logic and to increase signatories to our petition, which will be submitted to the Seanad in September. We can only hope that our collective voices are heard and these changes are annulled, or at the very least modified, so that there is a future for our already threatened wildlife.

To find out more about the issues and the campaign, see: www.iwt. ie/whyhedgerowsmatter.ie.

On a personal note from myself, as my tenure as Development Officer comes to an end this August, I would like to take this opportunity to say how much I’ve enjoyed working on the projects, campaigns and education here at the IWT. In particular, I’m delighted with the response to our No to More Slash and Burn campaign, which I have had the privilege to run. I extend a warm thank you to everyone here and particularly to our branch volunteers and to you, our IWT members – it’s been a pleasure.

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EDUCATION

SIMPLY SAUNTERING Jenny Quinn discusses the benefits of relaxing walks on body and mind.

Y

ou don’t have to look very far to read about the benefits of walking – regular walking of a moderate to vigorous intensity is linked to cardiovascular and psychological health benefits. When we go for a walk our hearts pump faster, circulating more blood and oxygen to our organs. Psychological benefits include an improved sense of well being and an increase in positive feelings. n fact, these benefits are so well known nowadays that many people go for a walk for these very reasons.

However, it s worth reminding ourselves of the thinkers and writers who talked about and those who still do talk about walking in a different, more spiritual way. Henry David horeau was one such individual. horeau was a prolific American writer, poet, philosopher and naturalist. His most famous piece of writing is arguably Walden , a reflection on living simply in natural surroundings. n his later essay, Walking , horeau discusses how the

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primitive act of walking connects us with our inner wildness. horeau argues that the magic of walking lies not in mechanically putting one foot in front of the other in order to get to a particular destination, but in mastering the art of sauntering. auntering can be defined as walking in a slow, relaxed manner. n other words, strolling, wandering, rambling or pottering.

He says he walking of which speak has nothing in it akin to taking exercise, as it is called, but is itself the enterprise and adventure of the day . He urges us to be present when we walk, to take in our surroundings rather than focus on how productive we are being while we walk.

He also urges us to do this in the wild, in the fields and woods. He says what business have in the woods, if am thinking of something out of the woods . don t for one moment think that we should completely ignore the health benefits of walking – those benefits are too important and real. Rather, think there is value in shifting our intention for our walks

// THE WALKING OF WHICH I SPEAK HAS NOTHING IN IT AKIN TO TAKING EXERCISE, AS IT IS CALLED, BUT IS ITSELF THE ENTERPRISE AND ADVENTURE OF THE DAY. // sometimes. very so often, let the intention for your walk be to simply go for a relaxing saunter in the woods or in the park, instead of reaching an exercise health goal.

The IWT would like to thank Katy Egan for her contributions to Irish Wildlife since the magazine was relaunched in 2009, and in particular for her engaging and enlightening education column. We would like to wish her every success in her future ventures.

BRANCH NEWS

The latest updates from

IWT BRANCHES NATIONWIDE Kerry Branch

Check out www.irishexperience tours.com for the full details on the trip.

A

three day wildlife trip of the south west of Ireland will be held on October 7th, 8th and 9th. Included in this trip is a talk in The Wetland Centre in Tralee, cliff walks around Brandon Bay with gannets and choughs, an overnight stay in a B&B in Dingle, and a visit to The Distillery.

Participants will also take in a boat trip around the Blasket Islands to see whales, dolphins, seals, sea birds and other marine life. There will also be a trip to Killarney

National Park to see the wild red deer herd and an overnight stay in a B&B in Killarney.

That’s followed by a trip to see a sheepdog display at Kells Bay, followed by a boat trip around the seas of the south west, travelling through the waters surrounding the magnificent kelligs to see the marine creatures and gannetry around the world famous island – encountering some of the largest mammals on land and in the sea and having great fun at the same time. Plus much, much more…

This tour will donate 10 per cent of the costs straight back into the Irish Wildlife Trust to further the conservation of and education about wildlife across Ireland. his trip is provided by ean Power from Irish Experience Tours and myself, Anthony Dawson. Do not miss out!

Thank you, Anthony Dawson IWT Kerry Branch Chair/Coordinator

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BRANCH NEWS

Kerry Branch (continued): Swift work In the past the sound of the swift was part of a rural Irish summer’s evening, screaming swifts whizzing up and down the streets of our towns and villages, scooping up flies as they go. In recent times we have seen a decline in the swift population (around 40 per cent in the last 15 years) and it seems to be mainly a consequence of the Celtic Tiger and people upgrading their fascia and soffits on their houses.

5Swift holes in a modern

building in Westport Town Hall, Co Mayo. Photo: Lynda Huxley

We recently went across the border to Cork to hear Lynda Huxley give a talk to the Duhallow Birdwatch Group in ewmarket on her wonderful conservation work on swifts. After hearing about the plight of the swift we arranged to join with Lynda whilst she surveyed the Tralee town area for Kerry County Council s biodiversity officer, Cathy Fisher. Some spots we found great numbers and others we found only a few, but most of the areas were on private properties with a greater chance of renovation taking place and the nesting holes being blocked up. he total findings will be published next year sometime, but we made contact with a local school who agreed to put up some nest boxes on their building and maybe a camera or two placed within the boxes to help create a lesson on swifts, teaching the next generation all about conservation.

GET INVOLVED! As the last of the swifts leave our shores for the winter, we will be working on protecting the few nesting sites they have for their welcome return next summer. You can log all your wildlife sightings at www.biodiversityireland.ie just as we do here at the IWT. More details on swifts and Lynda’s amazing work with these special birds can be found on www.swiftconservation.ie, www.birdwatchireland.ie and by emailing cathy.fisher@kerrycoco.ie. Get involved with your local swift group too and help stop the decline of the swift.

SWIFT FACTS!

Take a look at these facts and I think you’ll agree that this bird is quite unique indeed: • One of the fastest and most agile birds on the planet.

• From a speed of 65km/h it comes into the nest with no slowing down at all, landing with a thud.

• It mates, eats and sleeps on the wing.

• They eat millions of insects (great news for those of us who get bitten by midges etc.).

• After two days of leaving a nest the young can be hundreds of miles away and do not stop flying for two to three years until they find a partner.

• They can live for at least 21 years and in their lifetime they fly for around three million kilometres – that is the equivalent to more than four trips to the moon and back.

Longford/Westmeath Branch In June 2016, our branch participated in an educational field trip to Glen Lough, Co Longford with 6th class students from St Mary’s National School, Edgeworthstown, Co Longford. The day was enjoyed by all and the children were surprised to see and learn about the wildlife that is on their doorstep.

However, what was noted by our branch was the complete lack of awareness in wildlife and nature that the children and even their teachers had. In previous

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generations, classes had nature tables and we all remember the time when the tadpoles were brought into the class in jars! Time was spent tracing leaves on paper or going outside for nature walks.

This practice has fallen by the wayside in many schools and whether it’s down to the curriculum or the individual school itself is unknown. A sad reflection of the state of awareness in wildlife among many children was when one boy was asked whether he enjoyed getting out

into nature. His reply was that if he wants to see nature, he will plug himself into his virtual reality headset and he’ll see all the nature he wants to.

More evidence is emerging as to how being in and learning about nature and the great outdoors enhances learning in all areas at school. Nature studies should become an obligatory area of the national school curriculum and maybe this could become a lobbying issue for IWT on a national level in the future.

BRANCH NEWS

Laois/Offaly Branch This summer, we were very excited to announce that we received funding from both Laois and Offaly County Councils to produce professional quality prints of selected photos taken by our Badger Club members during two children’s photography workshops, and to prepare them for exhibition during Heritage Week. The workshops took place as part of our series of Badger Club events for July – first in Garryhinch Woods, Co Offaly and then in Abbeyleix Bog, Co Laois. The workshops were run free of charge, and they booked out within a day when we advertised them on Facebook.

The children spotted a wealth of

5Ringlet.

Photo: age 9

Eva Sullivan;

oto: Roxi McCorm

ack; age 9

plants, fungi and fruit, and we were lucky to see a range of butterflies, damselflies and other insects. Our group was led by Heather Rice and Gerry Dunbar of Love.

Joy Photography, who guided the children in successfully photographing their chosen subjects when they had difficulty. We would like to give our sincerest thanks to Heather and Gerry for generously sharing their time and expertise on the days of the workshops and thereafter.

Exhibitions

5Crab spider. Photo: Laura Spain; age 9

:

5Blue bottle. Photo

Jensen Lowe; age 7

5Dragonfly. Ph

Both exhibitions showcased a selection of nature photographs taken during each workshop, all taken by children of primary school age. The exhibitions celebrated the beauty and diversity of local wildlife as well as the talent of junior photographers.

Photos from our Garryhinch Workshop were on display in Tullamore Library for the duration of Heritage week, and those from our day in Abbeyleix were displayed in the Gallery in Abbeyleix Library. Both exhibitions were accessible free of charge.

Again, we were delighted to have both Heather and Gerry of Love.Joy Photography onboard in selecting and preparing the images for exhibition, and to be able to gain advice from them in the run up to the exhibitions. We would also like to thank the Heritage Officers in Counties Offaly and Laois for their support.

We are planning to exhibit the pictures in several libraries across both counties after Heritage Week is over, so watch this space!

HERITAGE WEEK 2016 Heritage Week is a panEuropean event when millions of Europeans visit heritage sites across the continent. Over 40 countries participate each year, including Ireland, with the aim of increasing awareness of “our built, natural and cultural heritage and to promote awareness of Europe’s common cultural heritage”.

This year’s Heritage Week took place between August 20th 28th and the theme was One Hundred Years of Heritage, celebrating the past 100 years of Irish heritage from the history of Irish apples at Altamount Gardens in Co Carlow to a 1916 walking tour of Bray, alongside a range of other events across the country.

Heritage Week is also a celebration of Ireland’s natural heritage, and visitors got the chance to get up close to our native honeybees in Castletown House and try their hand at seaweed harvesting in Mayo.

The Irish Wildlife Trust was also active throughout the week, with activties ranging from the photographic exhibitions in Tullamore and Abbeyleix to bat survey training activities.

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WILD IDEAS

FIGHTING BACK Using your garden to heal the planet By author and gardener Mary Reynolds.

I

f you are reading an article in Irish Wildlife then the chances are that you already care about nature and are aware of the pressures burdened upon her. We must begin to question whether our politicians, policymakers, farmers, educators and leaders in general are listening to the sounds and

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Irish Wildlife Autumn ‘16

signs of the end to life on Earth hurtling down the road towards us. It seems not.

Our leaders are instead lining their pockets, those bottomless pockets of multinationals and thinking only of their own short and greedy lifespans.

There is only one planet we can call home and having lost 40 per cent of all species

WILD IDEAS

DON’T MAKE YOUR GARDEN TOXIC!

SOME COMMON ENEMIES OF NATURE-FRIENDLY GARDENS: CHEMICAL HERBICIDES Herbicides are lazy practice and incredibly toxic, killing off all the micro-life in the soil along with many other insidious dangers.

If you must ‘kill’ weeds, use the following recipe. It works much better, although it still damages life, but it’s a hell of a lot better than lethal chemical herbicides. Spray during the growing seasons on a dry day.

Protect your eyes and skin. ● 1 litre of 10 per cent strength vinegar (Polish grocery stores stock it) ● 1 cup of Epsom salts or 1/4 cup of sea salt ● A good squirt of Castile soap or Lilly’s washing-up liquid

SLUG PELLETS STOP using these immediately!

They do kill snails and slugs for sure, but also any birds, hedgehogs and other such precious creatures that eat their poisoned bodies.

Once a balanced ecosystem is established, slugs and snails are kept naturally under control and they are an important part of the decomposition process. Some short-term slug control alternatives would include copper tape, which they won’t cross over.

Also, encourage slug-eating birds and hedgehogs to nest and hang out in your garden, frogs and beetles too (they love the eggs). Ferramol and Derrex slug pellets (natural iron oxide) and nematodes are the organic alternatives, which are easily sourced online.

Irish Wildlife Autumn ‘16

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WILD IDEAS

on Earth in the last 100 years, humans are not far down on the endangered species list. Just behind the bees, probably. The bees have almost been wiped out because of chemicals, crazy industrial farming and disconnected gardening practices.

The human race has forgotten its role in nature. We have to return to being the guardians of the land, not the gardeners.

That time is gone. Our mission now must be to serve nature, not the other way around.

HEALING THE PLANET You may feel understandably hopeless at times. What can one person achieve in the face of so much greed and ugliness? We can, if we are lucky enough to have our own little patch of this Earth in our care, at least heal those small patches we call our gardens. We must listen to what intentions nature has for herself on the land, then work alongside these intentions to create health and abundance for ourselves and all of the other creatures that live above and below the soil.

The relatively recent industrial and green revolutions were the final legs of the disconnection of our species from Mother ature. When we finally stopped growing our own food and instead purchased it from shops, our gardens simply became spaces to sculpt into various fashionable interpretations of beauty. We only connected with them on a cerebral and skin deep level. Our dependence on supermarket food is dangerously unhealthy, unsustainable and supportive of industrial agriculture which, in my opinion, is the number one threat to life on Earth. The simplest way to reconnect with the earth is through returning to grow your own food, to step away from that system. However, most food growing practices are still at war with nature and do not take the balance and health of other creatures into consideration.

5 Mary Reynolds. Photo: Conor Horgan

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// YOU MAY FEEL UNDERSTANDABLY HOPELESS AT TIMES. WHAT CAN ONE PERSON ACHIEVE IN THE FACE OF SO MUCH GREED AND UGLINESS? WE CAN, IF WE ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE OUR OWN LITTLE PATCH OF THIS EARTH IN OUR CARE, AT LEAST HEAL THOSE SMALL PATCHES WE CALL OUR GARDENS. // In order to solve this puzzle, I learned to ask ‘what does the land itself want to become?’ Most land, if it is left to its own devices, will revert, over a long time, back into a multi-layered woodland. It is not feasible to just leave our gardens to go wild, however. Humans have done way too much damage and we are responsible for directing our land back to health as quickly as possible.

In order to work in harmony with the land’s own intentions there is a solution to growing food in a different way. Forest gardening – the oldest system humans used to interact with land to produce food. Old ways we have simply forgotten. This slow method of producing mostly perennial crops allows the land to gradually become a multilayered woodland system, which supports all of the creatures that live above and below the soil. Not just us. Forest gardening mixes up native and non-native (non-invasive) species in layers like any woodland, but you are left with a mid-succession woodland system that allows lots of light through to allow diversity and successful harvests. This can be done in the smallest of gardens.

Heal the land that you have under your guardianship. Create a true sanctuary for nature, which includes you and your family’s own needs. It is a simple solution because if enough of us do this one thing, we can create an interconnected web of life.

Plant trees, plant trees, plant trees. Refuse to allow genetically modified seeds and poisoned industrial food to kill us off. These are the final nails in our well built coffin.

Forest gardening and agroforestry are the solutions. We cannot wait for others to fix this any more. he lunatics are running the asylum. We have to take back our power and must start right now, right in our own back yards.

Choose hope.

Choose life.

Mary Reynolds’ new garden manifesto The Garden Awakening – Designs to Nurture Our Land and Ourselves can be bought on www.marymary.ie or in all good bookstores nationwide.

n o i t i t e p m Co

COMPETITION

Once again, we’re offering Irish Wildlife readers the chance to win one of two great books on Ireland’s wildlife!

Naturama, by Michael Fewer Perfect for back garden adventurers and countryside explorers, Naturama is a breathtakingly exciting new book that introduces you to Ireland’s flora and fauna with every changing season.

Beautifully written by accomplished writer Michael Fewer, and skilfully illustrated with Melissa Doran’s captivating drawings, Naturama is a book which will encourage every reader, young and old, to get out there and see what they can find. Michael Fewer is an architect, environmentalist and writer. He has published work over the last 25 years on subjects varying from architectural history and travel to walking and nature guides. Melissa Doran grew up on a small farm in lovely Leitrim and now works as an illustrator in Dublin. She loves nature and exploring.

Run with the Wind and Folklore by Tom McCaughren In the land of Sinna, Black Tip, Vickey, Old Sage Brush, Fang, Hop-along and the rest of the foxes living around Beech Paw are in trouble. Hunted, trapped and harried, they have no choice but to set out in search of the secret of survival. As they journey through countryside and city, facing many dangers along the way, they find new friendships and rediscover what it means to be ‘as cunning as a fox’.

Author Tom McCaughren lives in Dublin and has worked as a journalist and broadcaster.

His Run With the Wind series – which includes Run with the Wind and its sequels, Run to

Earth, Run Swift, Run Free, Run to the Wild Wood, Run to the Ark and Run for Cover – has been a hit with readers for generations and has received numerous awards, including the Reading Association of Ireland, the Young Person’s Books of the Decade, the Medal for Young People’s Books, and The Oscar Wilde Society’s Literary Recognition awards.

We have a copy of Naturama (thanks to Gill Books) and Run with the Wind (thanks to The O’Brien Press) to give away. To be in with a chance of winning one of them, just answer the following question: Which aquatic creature is the subject of a new documentary by Declan O’Mahony?

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

Summer ’16 Winners: In our summer issue we gave our members a chance to win Peter and the Little People by David O’Brien, and The Wild Plants of the Burren and the Aran Islands: A Field Guide by Charles Nelson.

The question we asked was: What type of deer is believed to have been brought to Ireland 5,000 years ago?

The answer was the red deer.

The lucky winners are: Jim O’Donnell from Dunmore East, Co. Waterford and Vic Sinnott from Furbo in Co. Galway who each receive a copy of The Wild Plants of the Burren and the Aran Islands; and David Devins from Bornacoola, Co. Leitrim and Damian O’Sullivan from Skibbereen in Co. Cork who each receive a copy of Peter and the Little People.

Congratulations and thank you to all who entered!

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FEATURE

The True Story of the

River Lee Artist and filmmaker Declan O’Mahony recounts his fascination with art and nature, and the process behind his fascinating documentary on the River Lee and the destruction of one of Ireland’s most ancient woodlands.

M

y name is Declan O’Mahony, and I was born in Cork city in 1960. My chosen path from a very early age was fine art, and have worked as a professional artist for 37 years.

The study of art and creativity presents one with opportunities

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to look beyond the surface of the material world. I was enthralled as a young painter to discover the Catalan Joan Míro’s seminal painting The Farm, and to read of his artistic approach to the landscape. In 1918 he wrote: “I wish to get right under the very stones on the earth to uncover yet another microcosm of life”.

His whole career was dedicated

to organic surreal interpretations of the wonders of nature – birds, insects, the stars, the moon etc.

The next milestone for me in terms of influence was the energising story of the English painter William Turner strapping himself to the wooden main mast of a sailing vessel as it battled its way through a stormy ocean. The artist

confronted pure raw, wild nature, in the most intense fashion, in order to comprehend and then later express its power and its raging beauty. Turner’s tempestuous seascapes leave an indelible impression on the viewer. In a very different, more realistic, manner to Míro, he managed to capture nature’s power over mankind.

FEATURE

5 Gearagh Forest.

Photo: Still from the film River Runner.

5 Atlantic salmon. Photo: Mike Brown

CREATIVITY NURTURED In the 1970s, while attending primary school, which was directly on Sullivan’s Quay on the River Lee in Cork, I was fortunate to have had two teachers who nurtured my love for music and painting. The art room adjoined our classroom and overlooked the river. It was here I spent the happiest moments sketching, painting murals for school plays, and illustrating school projects. The Lee gushed past the school under South Gate Bridge in the shadow of the gigantic stone walls of Elizabeth Fort.

Even as a young child it always felt ancient, mysterious and loaded with history. The river’s permanent, unpredictable flow held a magnetic attraction.

Disturbingly, more often than not the river back then had a piercing, pungent smell and appeared more like a toxic green soup. This tweaked my critical nerve even as a child. However there seemed to be a casual acceptance of this unnatural state of the river. Little did I know that our dearly loved river was a common dumping ground for the inhabitants of the city and county. The twin torrents of Cork, north and south of the

5 Gearagh Forest.

Photo: Still from the film River Runner.

// LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT OUR DEARLY LOVED RIVER WAS A COMMON DUMPING GROUND FOR THE INHABITANTS OF THE CITY AND COUNTY. // central island, washed away centuries of dirt and animal and human waste out into the second largest natural harbour in Europe, and onwards into the wild Atlantic Ocean. ‘Out of sight, out of mind’ was simply the order of the day.

THE STORY UNFOLDS Move the clock on four decades.

I have travelled the world, lived in some major cities, exhibited my artworks internationally and I return with my wife to rear our two daughters in Cork city, my home by the Lee. My interest in making films had restlessly slumbered for many years. After an early morning solo paddle in the lower harbour I was dragging my Atlantic sea kayak out of the water and a cyclist stopped for a chat. We quickly established our common fascination for the river. It was

immediately clear that this man was extremely knowledgeable and passionate on the subject of salmon angling. I was completely out of my depth on this theme, but his stories reminded me of my grandfather who was also a passionate salmon angler back in the ‘40s and ‘50s. “T’was a very different story back in your grandfather’s day with salmon,” Alan hailed as he pedalled off. These parting words left me silently hooked by one of the most accomplished salmon anglers in Cork. We both had no idea that, purely by chance, a tremendous journey had just begun. The true story of the River Lee had never been cinematically documented from source to sea. On that sunny September morning in 2012, on a slipway in Passage West, the seed was sown for the feature documentary film River Runner.

Irish Wildlife Autumn ‘16

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FEATURE

It would take two years of tireless research, shooting and editing. The story of the wild Atlantic salmon is fascinating, but the arduous journey from source to sea for the ‘king of fish , from its perspective on the Lee, remained untold!

Clean, well oxygenated water is a must. The Atlantic salmon is unique among the different salmon species because it can return to sea after spawning.

After a number of winters in the ocean surrounding Iceland where it feeds, it comes back to its natal freshwater river and, upon re-entering the river, its throat atrophies and it will not feed for possibly 12 months until its return to the saltwater. En route to their spawning beds the freshwater pearl mussel awaits the kings and queens of the river; they exude their eggs which attach to the salmons gills and feed there until large enough to drop off into the gravel beds, where they can reside for up to 125 years. My fascination for the river and its ancient inhabitants grew and grew.

However, as Alan Nolan related the intriguing story of the River Lee below the hydroelectric dam at Inniscarra,

my intense research led me to a second, not particularly well known, dam at Carrig an Droichead. A migratory fish like the salmon has now to negotiate two dams in order to reach the spawning grounds. needed to find out exactly how this was possible. The journey upstream continued with great interest and many unanswered questions.

RECOVERING HISTORY Again from early childhood I remember the occasional family Sunday spin to Gougane Barra at the source of the Lee. En route one passes just west of the town of Macroom a gigantic still lake with hundreds of roughly chopped tree stumps protruding above the still waters. This is a haunting sight to behold and it is a monumental graveyard reminding those that know its history of a savage crime against Mother Nature. This post-glacial, inland river delta was home to 39 families up to 1957. The Irish government sanctioned the Electricity Supply Board (ESB), after ten years of preparatory research, to eliminate the entire forest as it could endanger the new hydro-electric station

5 River Lee at dawn

// THE SAD LOSS OF OUR ANCIENT WOODLAND KNOWN LOCALLY AS AN GHAOIRADH (WOODED RIVER) WITH STUPENDOUS IRISH OAKS AND YEW TREES, SOME OVER A THOUSAND YEARS OLD, DEEPLY UPSET ME. THIS FORMED THE SECOND MAJOR PART OF THE FILM’S STORY. //

5 Gearagh water levels

dropped. Photo: Still from the film River Runner.

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turbines further downstream at Carrig an Droichead. It took three years to chop down by hand and in retrospect was a miscalculation. This deep wound remains somewhat shrouded by protective fences and stony silence, but those that were issued compulsory

purchase orders and forced to leave lock, stock and barrel and watch their ancestral homes dynamited out of existence and then flooded have not forgotten the tragedy. The sad loss of our ancient woodland known locally as An Ghaoiradh (Wooded River) with stupendous Irish

FEATURE

oaks and yew trees, some over a thousand years old, deeply upset me. This formed the second major part of the film s story.

Kevin Corcoran is an ecologist and environmental expert whose people were from the Gearagh. Over the past 35 years he has campaigned relentlessly for the recovery of this uni ue part of reland s ecological history. River Runner documents evin s continuing long, weary battle against the tate authorities. he film highlights the magnificence of the River Lee and is a cinematic plea to our nation s politicians to preserve and protect a river system that is seriously damaged and crying out for recovery.

Since the première of the film in ovember we

have had over public screenings. Due to the very strong emotional response from the public and the local and national press I initiated an online campaign. This has been very well supported and continues to grow. The public screenings and online campaign have most recently given rise to a collective series of meetings between the major stakeholders; namely B, the ational Parks and Wildlife Service, Inland Fisheries Ireland and Cork County Council. According to official reports, B International has professionals engaged in scoping work in and around the Gearagh forest delta. hese are the first tentative steps towards our aim and plea, namely, to permanently

drop water levels at the second reservoir which unquestionably will secure the recovery of the forest and its myriad islands.

Our core plea to the ESB is to re-evaluate their engagement with our migratory salmon, trout and eel and to engage and collaborate with experts who have successfully put effective

fish passes on similar dammed rivers in Germany, Scotland, England and the USA. Time and time again it has been proven that if you give wild salmon half a chance their numbers will increase. Our help is needed and the results will be of benefit to one and all.

Please sign our petition to recover our wonderful river and its most ancient inhabitants. We cannot allow continued destruction as it goes against the laws of our land and the laws of Mother Nature. The petition and all updates are available at www.mp2films.com or email info@mp2films. com. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter (mp2films).

Photo stills from the film RIVER RUNNER are

by Declan O’Mahony, Director/Producer.

Irish Wildlife Autumn ‘16

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EXPLORING WILDLIFE

Taking Note of

NATURE Gordon D’Arcy reflects on a lifelong fascination with nature.

I

can still remember the soft green cover and my sketch of Arctic skuas inside my first nature notebook, begun in eptember , regretfully lost in moving house. An illustrated article on birdwatching in the school maga ine, covering much of the data (which I still have) to some extent made up for the loss. From a new beginning in 1962 I have accumulated a cupboard full of annual notebooks full of nature notes and sketches. here are gaps, of course, some of them lasting years but, all in all, these little books constitute a cherished record of my lifelong love of and fascination with nature.

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Irish Wildlife Autumn ‘16

INSPIRATION It started with birds. Inspired by the wonderful illustrations of the English naturalist Charles Tunnicliffe (whose bird cards I avidly collected in packets of Brooke Bond tea , began to make my own records and illustrate them with mini sketches, done rapidly in the field or shortly afterwards.

My notebooks contain hundreds of these tiny pencil drawings, many of which have used in preparing book illustrations, posters and finished artworks. did not have any notion of the long-term value of the activity; I simply enjoyed doing it and accepted it as a habit. Over time an increasing range

of wildlife would find its way into the notebooks. ncounters with foxes, dolphins, butterflies and plants which, for one reason or another, caught my imagination were noted, recorded and often sketched.

When I moved to the West and began to work full-time in the environment in the early 1980s the notes became much more detailed. With the intention of writing a natural history of the Burren (an ambition fulfilled in , undertook a programme of regular field trips recording the flora and fauna, examining specimens, taking photographs and sketches. Though I was lucky enough to have had the assistance of wildlife photographer John Hayward, my own sketches and copious notes were invaluable in the final production.

Though avidly interested in illustrating wildlife, my notebook sketches have no pretence as works of art. They pale in comparison to those of Scottish naturalist Keith Brockie or Ireland’s Killian Mullarney – both of whom have carried nature illustration to a high level, from

EXPLORING WILDLIFE

// MY LITTLE LIBRARY OF NOTEBOOKS THUS CONSTITUTES AN INTIMATE REPOSITORY OF INFORMATION ABOUT MY LIFE IN NATURE. // long periods in the field. y preference is for quick, impressionistic images which can be worked at afterwards – and often are. Pointers to features that stand out or help with identification are fre uent additions. Sketchy and all as they are, however, they have the capacity to remind me not only of a particular species but also of the wider circumstance in which it was seen. Combined with simple references to the weather, the setting, whether alone or not, each experience comes back to me more vividly, for instance, than with a photograph. y little library of notebooks thus constitutes an intimate repository of information about my life in nature.

Though the majority relate to my Irish experience, many are given over to

expeditions to nature places throughout Europe, Africa and the USA. This article, personalised as it is, is not intended as a trumpet-blowing exercise. It is rather a call to nature-lovers everywhere to note down what they see. This does not have to take the form of a diary, and sketches are not everyone’s ‘bag’, but to be able to recall and refer to a few particularly enjoyable nature encounters can be surprisingly rewarding. The record of the nature experience, no matter how apparently trivial, can have meaningful unforeseen uses in surveys, in scientific documentation and in recording habitat and other changes in the environment.

Nor must the recording be couched in scientific data – the date, weather, location and accompaniment will do.

There is, besides, another important dimension to this issue. ost people myself included), trace their interest in nature to childhood. With the current push to extend techno proficiency into primary schools the idea of hands on recording – of any kind – may be seen as old hat and its advocates criticised for refusing to move with the times. We must accept the slick immediacy of the laptop and its inevitability as part of the everyday hardware of education, but at what cost t is difficult to see how the rich, sensual engagement and creative enterprise – so much a part of the traditional primary school experience – can prevail in the face of the new non experiential prescription. Old fashioned nature noting is certainly threatened by this trend; children will simply not take the time to write up their experiences as before. Doubtless other recording techniques are already being devised, but are they likely to make our nature experiences more real than formerly?

Irish Wildlife Autumn ‘16

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AUTUMN FOCUS

The

KILL LIST Time is running out for Europe’s invasive species, writes Billy Flynn.

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AUTUMN FOCUS

W

hat does a grey squirrel, a ruddy duck and a skunk cabbage have in common?

Answer: none of them are in the least bit welcome in the EU anymore. An EU exit is officially desired now for these and another 34 invasive species of animals and plants following the issue of a blacklist of such species by the European Commission (August 1st 2016).

The 37-strong species list has been dubbed the EU’s ‘kill list’ as any species listed upon it is now illegal to import, keep, breed or grow, transport, sell or use, or release into the environment without a permit. In other words if you own, have within your property or possess any of these, you might well be breaking the law and terminating it may be your only option. You will no longer bring your pet coatimundi for a walk or indeed back to the petshop, and the same shop – even the one you might have bought it from – will no longer be permitted to accept it back. If you have floating primrose or water hyacinth in your pond, just leaving it to grow could also be an offence.

WHAT’S ON THE LIST? The list contains 14 plants, nine mammals, three kinds of fish, six crayfish, three birds, a crab, a frog and an insect. The list might surprise people for a number of reasons. Firstly, that animals such as the American raccoon occur at all in Europe.

It does indeed, and in huge numbers across Germany, and is also found throughout much of Belgium and into the Netherlands.

Other weird and wonderful species are the Chinese mitten crab, which was found a few years ago in the Dodder in Dublin, or the Siberian chipmunk which has been

5 American raccoon

5 Chinese mitten crab

// OTHER WEIRD AND WONDERFUL SPECIES ARE THE CHINESE MITTEN CRAB, WHICH WAS FOUND A FEW YEARS AGO IN THE DODDER IN DUBLIN, OR THE SIBERIAN CHIPMUNK WHICH HAS BEEN RELIABLY IDENTIFIED IN CO WATERFORD. // reliably identified in Co Waterford.

Another reason the list has raised eyebrows is that so many species are not on it. Among the ruddy ducks and smelly cabbages you might think that you would find the invasive species that we have become used to rubbing shoulders with, such as Japanese knotweed and giant rhubarb, but you’d be wrong. The Commission has said that the list will be updated on a regular basis and it is believed by the author that these more familiar invaders will be added in time.

TACKLING THE THREAT The reason for this particular kill list is to quickly introduce a blanket set of regulations that will address species that are problematic or have serious potential to become so, but for which regulation may not exist in all of the Member States. In Ireland it has

for some time been an offence to spread or cause the spread of Japanese knotweed (for example), but no ruling on raccoons was on the books until now. The regulations apply to all but special provisions are made for pet owners, traders and breeders.

Non-native invasive species cost the EU around €12 billion per year. The impacts from these invaders have been well-covered in these pages before but are widely ranging from habitat loss to floating plants to property destruction by knotweed and potentially lethal collisions on roads between cars and muntjac deer. Member States have a year and a half to implement effective management measures for each of these species. The devil is in the detail here as far as each State is concerned, as the measures call for each Member to have in place surveillance and early detection systems if the invasive species is not established and widespread and to carry out rapid eradication and control if it is. None of those sounds cheap.

It will be very interesting to see how our individual governments tackle this. In a way we occupy a relatively privileged position here on the western seaboard, sharing a land border with only one other State. On the other hand, we haven’t much experience in the detection of some species that have only recently come to light in Ireland, much less their eradication and control. Which would be cheaper though – biting the bullet now and starting to address the kill list species or paying the inevitable fines if we don’t? It’s no laughing matter.

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23/08/2016 12:40

FIELD REPORT

INISHBOFIN: A new departure for an island paradise The people of Inishbofin have wholeheartedly embraced the safeguarding of their natural heritage, writes Mary Mulvey.

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nishbofin is an island off reland s rugged and remote Connemara coast. Just a minute boat ride from the tiny harbour of Cleggan, it has a population of and occupies an area measuring . km2. his small island idyll has not only inherited some of mainland Connemara s finest geographical features, such as white sandy beaches, sea cliffs and stacks, sheltered coves, rolling hills and beautifully wild bogland, but also its culture – traditional music, sheep farming, as well as fishing and seaweed foraging. nishbofin is reland s only island population to date where islanders have come together to create a community led ecotourism initiative. he result has been inspiring and the model could be transferred to other island destinations or small communities. Already a car free island to visitors only residents have vehicles on the island , the nishbofin Community Development Company has been working with cotourism reland for the last two years to achieve eco certification for its green and sustainable tourism products and experiences. cotourism reland is the only globally recognised standard for ecotourism on the island of reland, accredited by the internationally renowned Global ustainable ourism Council see www.gstcouncil.org . he project is funded by the nvironmental Protection Agency PA under Green nterprise, and has been a great success in helping the community and tourism operators develop nature based experiences while looking at their 28

Irish Wildlife Autumn ‘16

impacts on the environment. he goal is sustainability in every aspect of island life. hree representatives from the island attended B Berlin arch one of the world s largest travel trade shows with a specific section for green tourism where these new experiences debuted to the international market. ive businesses were awarded cotourism reland status – nishbofin Community Centre, he Beach – Days Bar, he Dolphin Hotel, nishbofin uestrian Centre, and nishbofin arm. All these businesses have been audited and now measure water use, waste and energy and contribute to conservation. Green suppliers are being sourced for cleaning, and no single use packaging for sugars, jams, butters etc. is permitted, saving a lot of waste. he island is the first on the Wild Atlantic Way to embrace nature issues ranging from pre visitor communication and carrying capacity to the type of nature engagement that is most preferable. he project has also embraced Leave no race and air rade principles.

ECOLOGICAL PROTECTION he island has many special conservation designations with native habitats and species. he island is of particular note for its birds and especially for the corncrake, a critically endangered species which breeds in the long grass and nettle beds on the island. Other species of birds found breeding on nishbofin include lapwings, storm petrel, common tern, Arctic tern, fulmars, shags, guillemots, common gull, greater and lesser black backed gulls, anx

5 Inishbofin

shearwaters, herring gulls and choughs.

Leave o race reland teaches people of all ages how to enjoy the outdoors responsibly, and is the most widely accepted outdoor ethics programme in reland. he local national school has children and they all received training, as did tourism operators on the island. here is now a community led nature plan which was prepared by Biodiversity Galway CG. he plan is for the five years up to . A biodiversity working group led by the nishbofin ature rust www.inishbofinnaturetrust.org and local volunteers will meet regularly to progress the plan and monitor the results. All parts of the community are encouraged to get involved with implementing the nature plan. here is a broad range of actions with great scope

FIELD REPORT

P ipewort

W hite cow

Chough. P

hoto: A. Kel

ly

WHAT’S ON INISHBOFIN?

5 Corncrake. Photo: A. Kelly

for community groups, individuals, landowners, businesses, schools, locals and visitors to take steps to enjoy, explore and enhance the wonderful biodiversity of nishbofin. he plan seeks to assess and improve the current habitats of grassland, coastal and uni ue grass wall structures. t will also address awareness, education and eradicating invasive species on the island.

If we want to safeguard our natural heritage in Ireland we need to facilitate the communities who are using tourism as an economic resource, educate our visitors who can help in conservation, and sustain the communities that live in these very special places.

Interested in discovering more about Inishbofin and its ecological attractions?

Visit www.ecotourismireland.ie/inishbofin.

• Island Walking Tours Culture Na nOileáin, guided historical walking tours of Inishbofin and Inishark • Coastal horse riding trek • Inishbofin inland trails on horseback • Therapeutic horse riding • Looking after lambs on Inishbofin • Sheepdog Nirvana • Sheep shearing on Inishbofin • Inishbofin birdwatching tours • Wild Inishbofin nature photography holidays • Skylark Experience • Inishbofin self-guided walking tour and picnic • Atlantic archipelago sailing trip • Rock fishing and eating • Stand up paddle boarding on Bofin • From seaweed to skylarks – Ecotourism break on Inishbofin

Irish Wildlife Autumn ‘16

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MEMBERS’ LETTERS

OVER TO YOU Summer is beginning to wind down, and before long autumn will be upon us, with plenty of opportunities to get out and about in a season bursting with beautiful colours and wildlife. Do get in touch with your photos, stories and queries – here are a selection from the past few months.

TWIT TWOO! Hello IWT,

enile long-eared owl st in these pics of a juv ere int ur yo for ks an Th ead the owl on Twitter. Please spr d ste po tly en rec I t tha (LEO) pleasingly, ble up the hillside and, am scr ort sh a er aft s love! It wa ers locally that common butterwort flow stumbling upon my first all stand of conifers I decided to scan a sm car the to urn ret my on I’ve found ls) with the binoculars. ow d are g-e lon for ly cal (specifi Happily, species over the years. s thi for e sit le iab rel this to be a , and then quickly my binoculars I heard before I’d even raised O fumbling about ly recently fledged LE us vio ob g, un yo a , saw ere I was ight just metres from wh he ad he at sh bu ia hs in a fuc standing. ificent and often ank views of this magn -bl int po ed joy en g vin Ha my pocket taken a few snaps with d an s cie spe see to t difficul ause I could in peace. Not least bec it ve lea to d ide dec I camera(!), t birds above us calls of one of the paren hear the slightly agitated memorable encounter! in the conifers. A truly

Long-

eared

owl

Regards, Fionn, Co. Kerry

THE N I T H G U A C

ACT

Hi,

pher with ateur photogra am en ke a I am ntly took wildlife. I rece in st re te in an advised by a oto and was ph ed ch ta at the pture a robin unusual to ca is it at th d n frie ushy Park, to taken in B ho P . od fo h wit 16. blin, May 20 Terenure, Du Kind regards, ne Garry Gree

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Irish Wildlife Autumn ‘16

Robin i n Bush y

Park, D ublin

MEMBERS’ LETTERS

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE Many thanks to Martine Brennan from Ballacolla, Co Laois who sent us this photo of a greater white-toothed shrew.

This shrew is not native to Ireland and may be bad news for our own pygmy shrew. We asked Martine how to distinguish between the two.

“The most obvious difference between the greater white-toothed shrew and the native pygmy shrew is size; the greater whitetoothed shrew is about twice the size of the pygmy. The colour is a little different, and as the name suggests, the teeth on the greater white-toothed shrew are whiter,” she explains. “There are lots of other interesting things such as when and how they were first found in Ireland, the concern about them out-competing the pygmy, their effects on owls and other birds. Another interesting thing is that if their nests get disturbed they apparently ‘caravan’ their family to a new home in a chain with each shrew holding on to the tail of another. A photo of that would be really special!”

Hi IWT,

Greater whitetoothed s hew

rew Pygmy sh

STICK TO WHAT YOU KNOW! Jerome in Kerry could not believe his eyes when, after pruning some bushes, he saw this creature amongst the cuttings. Everyone thought he was mad when he told them he had come across a wild stick insect in Ireland, but he is not alone in his discovery.

This is indeed a stick insect of the species Acanthoxyla inermis. It is thought to have come to Ireland in the roots of tree ferns imported from New Zealand where the animal is native. It is commonly known as the unarmed stick insect and records of it in Ireland date back to the 1950s. There are a number of colonies found in Kerry and West Cork. It is not a picky eater and can live off the foliage of common Irish garden plants. It is difficult to observe when among foliage, however in the winter it has been known to come closer to houses, sitting on walls to gain heat.

Otter in Wicklow

I always get your magazine and love it. I’m not really a photographer but managed to second guess an otter the other morning and stalk him to where he climbed out of the water right in the middle of Wicklow town to get a lovely close up image right beneath me!

Thanks, Patrick

ect ...

Stick ins

... fou nd

in Ke rry!

If you have a story, question, or an image you’d like to share with us, or, God forbid, even a complaint, send it to irishwildlife@iwt.ie Irish Wildlife Autumn ‘16

31

ON LOCATION

Helping Hands for Hedgehogs Veterinarian nurse Bev Truss outlines the important work carried out by The Hogsprickle Wildlife Rescue.

H

ere at The Hogsprickle Wildlife Rescue in County Clare wildlife casualties come in all species, but we specialise in the care and rehabilitation of the hedgehog – an gráinneog (Erinaceus europaeus) or, as I affectionately call them, Spiky Butts, while hoglets under five weeks old are called ail Brushes. When I started my working career I was a countryside ranger in Scotland, but after five years made the decision to train as a veterinary nurse. Luckily the clinic worked in didn’t mind me dealing with the wildlife casualties and over years later the care and support of our wild species and the environment is still my driving passion.

Hedgehogs are a protected species here in Ireland and concerns are growing regarding the decreasing numbers year by year.

It seems that manicured gardens, road deaths, slug pellets and other garden poisons plus some modern farming techniques are threatening the hedgehog population.

But there are a few measures we can each take to help to safeguard our hedgehogs.

Conservationists are calling on gardeners and homeowners to become hedgehog champions. Hedgehog treet is an initiative that has been launched by the People’s Trust for Endangered Species in the UK and the British Hedgehog Preservation Society to call on gardeners to mess up their gardens a bit! The knock on effect is that the native wildflowers, bees, insects, birds and other wildlife receive support.

As well as the day to day rescue, care, vet visits and phone advice, he Hogsprickle visits schools and other groups to help

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Irish Wildlife Autumn ‘16

encourage people to live a wild life – when people do a few small things in their environment it can all add to the bigger picture. Interlink your garden with your neighbour s garden do ask them first by removing a single brick from the bottom of a wall or cutting a hole in a fence to create a hedgehog highway or thoroughfare. By doing this, hedgehogs will be helped on their nocturnal forages. The idea is that because hedgehogs need to find a good range of tasty titbits, such as worms, they need to visit a number of gardens each night. Without the hedgehog highway they become trapped in the same gardens or forced out onto the road on their nocturnal ramblings. f you have a garden pond, give hedgehogs an exit ramp in the form of strategically placed stones.

Although hedgehogs can swim, many of the creatures struggle to get out of ponds.

Try not to disturb leaf or stick piles in the garden and don t set fire to them. have cared for hedgehogs badly burned in bonfires, so please move the garden rubbish before you burn. Better still, just leave it alone to feed and house a whole variety of insect and other life. If a nest with hoglets is disturbed Mum just might leg it and the orphaned hoglets need specialist care as an emergency, and can be very difficult to rear.

If you spot a hedgehog and it looks healthy then the best thing you can do is to leave it alone. Hedgehogs are wild animals and so can become easily stressed by human contact. However, if you find a hedgehog staggering around during the day or in winter then it might be in trouble. Sick, injured and orphaned hedgehogs are susceptible to hypothermia. If they are seen staggering or sunbathing spreading themselves out in the

sun) in an attempt to get some heat into their bodies they could be in trouble.

Act uickly by finding a box and popping the hedgehog inside. Place a well-wrapped hot water bottle underneath the box. Hedgehogs won t eat if they are cold. Please contact The Hogsprickle for advice and remember it is illegal to keep a hedgehog without permission, and a licence from the ational Parks and Wildlife ervice is needed to rescue and rehabilitate any wild animal or bird. f you need advice about an injured wild animal or bird please don’t hesitate to phone us or visit our website www.thehogsprickle.com.

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

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

Visit www.iwt.ie

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

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

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

Introducing the new Irish Wildlife Trust membership card.

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

Cards valid until February 28th 2017.

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

IWT_2L_Membership_Card.indd 1

Membership Card 2016

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

18/08/2016 15:25

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

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

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

GIFT

IDEA

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