Biodiversity Week 2024
National Biodiversity Week is an annual celebration of wildlife and nature over 10-days of events nationwide. Waterford City & County Council are running several free guided wildlife walks & talks over the week along with supporting local community groups, Bealtaine Living Earth Festival and the promotion of partner events by environmental NGOs.
In Waterford this year, Waterford City & County Council will partner with a number of organisations throughout the week to explore the habitats of Dungarvan, Dunmore East and Clashmore, host online invasive species talks with the National Biodiversity Data Centre and support the work of local communities endeavouring to protect nature on their own doorstep. There are lots of ways to get involved through photography, participating in fieldtrips or attending family days across the county.
This is a great week to explore more of your local habitats and green spaces with an eye on wildlife. Check out some of the great events below and if you have any questions, feel free to ask the Biodiversity Officer, Marina Mulligan at mmulligan@waterfordcouncil.ie Biodiversity Week also runs in parallel with World Bee Day on 20th May, International Day for Biological Diversity on 22nd May and National Invasive Species Week. Biodiversity Week is funded by the National Parks & Wildlife Service and the Irish Environmental Network (IEN) are the body responsible for coordinating the event each year.
Follow along: As part of Biodiversity Week, a new Instagram account (waterford_biodiversity) for WCCC Biodiversity will kick off with new content and information on species, habitats and events weekly.
Events in Waterford include:
May 17th – Launch of the Biodiversity and Sustainability Forum by SETU (Registration now closed).
May 18th – Dungarvan Library Talk & Walk: The Wildlife of Dungarvan Harbour (Dungarvan Library & Harbour, 12 noon – 1.30 pm) and IWDG Whale Watching at Helvic Head (5 pm – 7 pm, book here). Native Woodland Trust Walk at Gracedieu Wood (10.30 am – 2 pm, book here). Nature Photography course (Clashmore event, info attached).
May 18th: Waterford Gallery of Art: Drawing with Nature for National Drawing Day X Biodiversity Week (11 am – 1 pm, book here)
May 21st – Invasive Species for Community Groups (online, 7.30 pm – 8.30 pm, link to join in pdf)
May 22nd – Irish Wildlife Trust Bat Walk (8 pm – 10 pm, book here)
May 23rd – Scouts Talk & Walk: Coastal Species of Dunmore East (Dunmore Library, 7 pm – 8 pm)
May 24th – Tramore Eco Group X WCCC: Dunes Walk at Tramore Beach (Tramore Beach, 3 pm – 4.30 pm)
May 25th – Clashmore Community Council X WCCC: Biodiversity Walk of Clashmore (Clashmore Heritage Centre, 2.30 pm – 4 pm)
Plenty more events happening throughout the county organised by small community groups and volunteers! Schools who would like to engage with the Biodiversity Officer as a 40 minute online talk can do so over the course of the week by contacting mmulligan@waterfordcouncil.ie
Bealtaine Living Earth Festival
The 20th annual Bealtaine Living Earth Festival takes place from 18 – 26 May 2024 with events for adults, families and schools across the region.
There are over 20 free events across the region to celebrate biodiversity and natural heritage in the Southeast.
Highlight: A special event about Bees and pollinators will take place next Sunday, May 19 at 3pm (the eve of International Bee Day) at St Patrick’s Gateway, Waterford featuring Eanna ní Lamhna and SETU horticulturalist Yvonne Grace.
More info & events: www.livingearth.ie
Clashmore & Kinsalebeg Community Council
Clashmore and Kinsalebeg Community Council have organised a range of photography, biodiversity and birdwatching events over three days. Check out the pdf above.
Highlight: Nature Photography course on Saturday 18th May! Prep for your nature photo entries.
Biodiversity Photographer of the Year
The national Biodiversity Photographer of the Year competition is open to professional and amateur photographers under a number of categories with a deadline of May 31st to enter. Check out your local wildlife and habitats and submit your photos to be in with a chance to win a number of prizes with a top prize of €500 for the overall winner. This year also has a special Ocean Category to link in with Fair Seas campaign for marine protected areas in Ireland. Let’s get some Waterford photos in the mix!
Link: https://biodiversityweek.ie/photo-competitions/
Backyard Bioblitz
Take part in the Biodiversity Week Backyard Bioblitz 17th – 26th May 2023
Explore your local area to discover fabulous flora and fauna! Our ecologists and wildlife experts will identify it for you! Simply share it on Twitter or Instagram with #BackyardBioblitz. As a bonus, you’ll also be entered into the draw for a prize from the National Biodiversity Data Centre.
Link: https://biodiversityweek.ie/backyard-bioblitz/
Biodiversity Scavenger Hunt
Recommend your local school to take part in a 40-minute school scavenger hunt to discover species ‘In Our School Yard’ or ‘In Our School Garden’. Please share your results with the IEN and your local Biodiversity Officer.
Link: https://biodiversityweek.ie/biodiversity-scavenger-hunt/
Happy Biodiversity Week! Feel free to share widely and send photos of wildlife on to me during the week @waterford_biodiversity Instagram. You could feature on the new Biodiversity website and win a prize.
