Environment

The environment has been one of the 4 pillars of IRD Duhallow ’ s strategic plan since our inception. Under the stewardship of Chair Michael Doyle, the working group has made great strides in developing a range of environmental projects across Duhallow. We are the only local development company to have secured two major EU Life programmes. We continue to promote smaller projects that positively impact the environment we live in. One of the key objectives of the environment working group is to raise awareness about environmental issues with an emphasis on safeguarding endangered species and habitats.

Duhallow Water Biodiversity Training

The environment working group secured LEADER funding in 2020 for a community training programme focussing on water biodiversity. IRD Duhallow worked closely with LAWPRO (the Local Authority for Water Programmes) to develop this project and environmental NGO Cork Nature Network were selected to deliver the training. The programme was initiated in April and 85 community members are currently participating. To date all participant training has been delivered online with participants learning about the quality and biodiversity of their local waterbodies as well as the pressures facing them and how they can make a difference to improve their rivers, streams and lakes. Field training began in late May where community members were trained in citizen science data collection techniques. Throughout the summer participants will develop locally-specific water biodiversity action plans that they can continue to work on for years to come.

Communities Planting for Biodiversity

Through the LEADER programme, a community planting for biodiversity workshop was initiated in 2020. Several communities were given training in planting to help biodiversity and communities were audited to identify where planting projects could be developed to promote biodiversity. The project was put on hold due to COVID restrictions but has resumed in May 2021 with remaining communities to be trained and audited this summer. This project aims to improve biodiversity across Duhallow communities and inform community members and groups such as Tidy Towns that may lack an in-depth understanding of biodiversity conservation. Topics of the training phase include helping pollinators, hedge laying, rainwater harvesting, pond creation and best practice Tidy Towns guidelines.

Bog Community Biodiversity Plans

Upland and lowland blanket bog are under serious threat and have disappeared over much of Ireland. The working group have secured funding from the Community Foundation for Ireland to conduct baseline ecological surveys of important blanket bogs in Duhallow and to produce community biodiversity action plans to maintain and improve the quality of these important peatlands. Four blanket bogs have been selected and are currently being mapped and surveyed.

Barn Owl Project

The universally loved Barn Owl was once a much more common sight in the Irish countryside. However, due to loss of habitat, increased use of rodenticides, and increased road networks in Ireland, Barn Owl populations have been declining in recent decades and the species is now categorised as a red-listed bird of conservation concern in Ireland. Duhallow is a stronghold for the remaining population and the efforts of previous projects have been successful at maintaining populations in the region. The environment working group have secured funding for a Barn Owl awareness and monitoring project which will take place this summer 2021. The project will firstly consist of a Barn Owl night where participants will attend a talk from Birdwatch Ireland at the James O’ Keeffe Institute followed by a non-intrusive nest site visit and prey survey. A nature camp will be organised for kids and a barn owl video and booklet will be prepared for the public. As well as these community engagement activities, man-made nest boxes installed in previous years in Duhallow will be inspected to test their effectiveness as a conservation measure and a novel farmer rodenticide-use survey will be conducted.

Achieving the UN Sustainable Goals is very important to IRD Duhallow. Many of our projects are relevant to several of the SDGs such as (13.) Climate Action, (14.) Life Below Water, and (15.) Life On Land.

Students from Boherbue Comprehensive School being trained how to conduct a citizen science biological water sample by IRD Duhallow ecologists. Part of the Duhallow Water Biodiversity Training project will involve training communities to be effective citizen scientists. Large-Flowered Butterwort, Pinguicula grandiflora, a rare carnivorous plant growing in a bog in Duhallow.