This years National Biodiversity Week begins on the 15th of May 2022. Tralee Bay Wetlands Eco & Activity Park will be running activities all this week long, focusing on our own native species of flora and fauna that make up our island’s biodiversity.
Wednesday 18th May
Workshop Times: 10am – 11:30am, 12pm – 1:30pm & 2pm – 3:30pm
Explore the Wonderful World of Peatlands Workshops with the Irish Peatland Conservation Council €9.00 per person
Friday 20th May @ 10am – 11:30pm
Ponds and Dragonfly Conservation Workshop with Alan Balfe Free Event
Friday 20th May @ 7pm – 8pm
Evening Chorus with Ed Carty, Ornithologist Free Event
Saturday 21st May @ 7am – 8am
Early Morning Bird Chorus with Ed Carty, Ornithologist Free Event
Saturday 21st May @ 10am – 1:30pm
BioBlitz: Moths, Bugs and Flowers Oh My! with Jessica Hamilton Free Event
Sunday 22nd May @ 12pm – 1pm
“Be an Ocean Hero” with Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (Suitable for Children 7-12yrs) €9.00 per person
Sunday 22nd May @ 2pm – 3pm
“Identify Species in Kerry” with Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (Suitable for Adults) €9.00 per person
But why has an entire week dedicated to biodiversity?
National Biodiversity Week is all about connecting people with nature. It’s about communicating the importance of biodiversity and motivating people to play their part in protecting it.
Biodiversity is all the different kinds of life you'll find in one area—the variety of animals, plants, fungi, and even microorganisms like bacteria that make up our natural world. Each of these species and organisms work together in ecosystems, like an intricate web, to maintain balance and support life.
Biodiversity is essential for the processes that support all life on Earth, including humans. Without a wide range of animals, plants, and microorganisms, we cannot have the healthy ecosystems that we rely on to provide us with the air we breathe and the food we eat. The value of nature alone is also very important.
Life in the oceans is being threatened by overfishing, habitat degradation, pollution, and acidification due to rising carbon dioxide levels in the sea water.
A well-known global example of biodiversity loss includes Australia's Great Barrier Reef, which has lost more than half of its corals since 1995 due to warmer seas driven by climate change. For these creatures, the reef provides essential food, shelter and the spawning grounds needed for their species' survival. If their homes disappeared, marine biodiversity would suffer immensely. And, like a domino effect, many fish, turtles, and other creatures would disappear.
A species under intense pressure due to biodiversity loss includes the Curlew (Numenius). They breed in areas of semi-natural grassland and moorland. The afforestation of such upland areas has had a pronounced negative impact on their abundance and shows a trend in a declining population.
Irish biodiversity loss surveys show that a quarter of birds are a serious conservation concern, with 77 species of plants and animals considered endangered, and only five of 59 habitat types in a favourable condition.
Human intervention has caused most of the biodiversity loss in the last few decades. Common causes include:
- Deforestation: When trees are cut down to be used as lumber, or claim the land for agricultural purposes, we are destroying unique ecosystems that can't exist anywhere else. Deforestation originally occurred due to the needs of growing agriculture trends in Ireland and this activity then escalated with the birth and growth of the Industrial Age. We will always need wood as a source of building material and fuel, so how can we solve this? By replanting what we’ve taken.
- Invasive Species: Species introduced in an area where they have no natural predators can decimate an ecosystem. They can also introduce new diseases. An example of this includes the Grey Squirrel who was introduced into Ireland in 1911. They out compete the red for space and food and are also a known vector for the Parapox virus which can be fatal to red squirrels. Grey squirrels also cause economic loss to forestry plantations by stripping the bark of trees which can lead to tree die off.
- Pollution: Rubbish dumped into the water supply, chemical run-off from industries, and air pollution from cars and factories all have a negative effect. Pollution can affect air, water, soil, and so on.
- Climate Change: Changes in the climate can happen naturally over millions of years — just look at the end of the last ice age. This time, though, climate change has been the result of human intervention. It's happening too quickly, and species can't adapt quickly enough, so they're struggling and dying out. We all love a warm Irish summer but I’m afraid that this isn’t the norm for our little Ireland. The years 2018 and 2020 saw a huge increase in water scarcity across the country. This was due to a lack of rainfall.
- Overfishing: It's estimated that anywhere from 60-90% of the ocean has been overfished or is on the verge of collapse. New large fishing vessels and poor fishing management all combines to put more pressure on our aquatic species.
There are so many of us on the planet now that it's almost impossible not to have an impact on the world around us. What sort of impact will this loss of biodiversity have on us? It can be scary to think about.
Trying to save the whole planet is a lofty goal, but it's not something you can do alone. It will take everyone making small changes in the way they live to create large, cumulative changes.
What can you do, as an individual, to help protect biodiversity?
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
- Buy Sustainable where possible (and be aware of ‘fake sustainable’ products).
- Drive Green where possible or walk and/or cycle more.
- Protect Local Habitats and Make Wildlife Welcome – plant native Irish wildflowers, build bug hotels, and so on.
- Go Package-Free
- Compost – a handy way to use food waste!
- Stand Up for out wildlife and biodiversity – educate yourself and your friends and family.
- Donate – The Irish Wildlife Trust or WRI (Wildlife Rehabilitation Ireland), for example.
- Follow the Leave No Trace Principles – Be respectful of wildlife, travel/camp on durable ground, leave what you find, dispose of waste properly.
This might seem like a huge list of changes to make in your life, but it's a small sampling of the things we can do, on an individual level, to help protect our biodiversity.
Biodiversity was created long ago, and our job is to protect it so that it can lead us into a nature-filled future!
Written by Shóna Ní Chonchúir
