National Biodiversity Week is from 17th – 26th May this year, spanning International Biodiversity Day on 22nd May and will be celebrated across Ireland with the collective aim of connecting people with nature. Lots of walks and talks are happening to give you a chance to experience nature and learn more about biodiversity in your neck of the woods.
Donegal County Council are hosting a number of Biodiversity Week events, from an early shout on Saturday 18th May at 4.30 am to hear the dawn chorus in Ramelton, to a wonderful woodland walk through Drumboe Woods in Stranorlar at 11am. Or why not discover the nighttime wildlife at one of the many bat walks on offer from Bat Conservation Ireland or explore more at the woodland exhibition in Glenveagh National Park. For budding nature recorders there are citizen science programmes to Explore Your Shore at Fanad Lighthouse or at Tory too.
Julie Corry, Donegal County Council Biodiversity Officer is urging people to get out and enjoy all that Donegal biodiversity has to offer, “Donegal County Council is buzzing for Biodiversity Week and we are happy to support more walks, talks and events in the County this year that allow people the chance to experience and enjoy biodiversity all around them”.
“The Council recruited a new Biodiversity Officer earlier this year through the Local Authority Biodiversity Officer Programme, which is delivered in partnership with the Heritage Council. Therefore, Donegal County Council, with support from the Heritage Council, has organised a number of biodiversity events this year through funding from the County Biodiversity Action Plan programme. As Biodiversity Officer, I will be out and about to meet communities keen to learn about and help their local biodiversity.”
Virginia Teehan, CEO of the Heritage Council, said; “It is wonderful to see more biodiversity events this year in Donegal and we are looking forward to seeing the range of biodiversity events happening this year for Biodiversity Week across Ireland. We are happy to be supporting these events in Donegal through the Heritage Council’s County Biodiversity Action Plan programme.”
Full details of all events led by or supported by Donegal County Council are available on both https://www.donegalcoco.ie/culture/heritage/ and the Irish Environmental Network’s website www.ien.ie and further details of 3rd party events will be promoted on our social media channels too.
National Biodiversity Week is organised by the Irish Environmental Network (IEN) and funded by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). It is all about connecting people with nature and is made possible by the support of the Heritage Council’s network and the work of our IEN member groups.
For more information about Donegal County Council Biodiversity Week, contact [email protected].
