Kilkenny all set for busy Biodiversity Week

Over 100 events are set to take place across the country as part of ‘National Biodiversity Week 2023’, which is coordinated by the Irish Environmental Network, funded by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, and supported by the Heritage Council’s network.

The initiative, which takes place from May 19 to 28, aims to engage the public in a range of nature-related activities and to raise awareness about the importance of protecting and conserving biodiversity. Thanks to the dedication of Keep Kilkenny Beautiful, Kilkenny City's Tidy Towns group, there are a host of opportunities to get involved. 

Biodiversity and natural habitats are important because the world depends on them for pollination of food crops, the recycling of nutrients, the natural filtration and purification of water, for mental well-being, economic development and most importantly for the regulation of our climate.

Put simply, biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth. It is essential for sustaining the natural living systems or ecosystems that provide us with food, clean water, fuel, health, wealth, and other services we take for granted in our everyday life.

The health of Ireland’s biodiversity

According to Pat Boyd, Keep Kilkenny Beautiful Special Project Officer, Ireland's biodiversity conservation status is considered poor, with many species facing extinction or decline.

“Habitats such as bogs and meadows have been lost or degraded, while pollution, overfishing and invasive species pose additional threats. Efforts are being made to protect and restore ecosystems, but more action is needed to ensure Ireland's rich biodiversity is sustained for future generations,” said Pat Boyd.

Keep Kilkenny Beautiful steps to save our biodiversity.

Through the dedicated work of the Keep Kilkenny Beautiful volunteers, biodiversity protection and enhancement remain a core value of the group as they strive to -

1. Protect and enhance natural habitats 

2. Remove litter and from the environment
3. Advocate for and implement sustainable practices such as composting and water conservation
4. Educate community members and school children about the importance of biodiversity and how they can help to protect it. 

Keep Kilkenny Beautiful work with many stakeholders and partners and have rolled out a number of impressive community projects including -

 1.     The 8,000 Tree Biodiversity and Climate Change Challenge is where over 8000 trees were planted on 11 different community sites throughout Kilkenny in just one year.

2.     The Kilkenny Invasive Species Management program where KKB work with their partners the Nore River Catchment Trust and landowners to protect and restore the habitats of this river Nore from Invasive species, such as Himalayan Balsam, Giant Hogweed, Japanese Knotweed and Skunk Cabbage.

 3.     Keep Kilkenny Beautiful uses and advocates The Small Stream Citizen Science monitoring program teaching community members and other community groups how to monitor the health of local streams by kick sampling and identifying the presence of specified pollution tolerant insects and intolerant insects.

 4.      Keep Kilkenny Beautiful advocates the No Mow May Campaign encouraging people not to mow their lawns in the month of May, allowing wildflowers to bloom and providing essential habitat for bees and other pollinators.

On top of these achievements,  Keep Kilkenny Beautiful  have developed two community engagement projects for Biodiversity Week.

World Bee Day 

Come celebrate World Bee Day on May 20 at 2pm in the Linear Park, Bishops Meadows with  Keep Kilkenny Beautiful as they will hold a family friendly Bee awareness and identification walk. 

Ireland has 98 bee species and one third of these are threatened with extinction. The main threat to bee's is habit loss, habit degradation and the use of pesticides. World Bee Day is about raising awareness on the importance of bees and the nature walk will identify and record wild bees in this species rich native grassland that is the Bishops Meadows.

There will also be a 24-Hour Bioblitz which is a 24-Hour identification and recording event led by experts and enthusiasts, budding scientists, and recorders of all ages to identify and record the species present in the defined and diverse habitats of Kilkenny’s Castle Park and Canal. The 24 Hour Bioblitz will start on Friday, May 26 and run on until Saturday morning of May 27.

This event is being hosted in the Castle Park and Canal. Starting at 3pm on Friday it will feature Woodland /Parkland tree identification walks and talks, Dusk Chorus, Dawn Chorus and Bat Identification Walks and many other identification and recording events. 

On the Canal there will be a River Life workshop where budding entomologists can learn how to identify the pollution tolerant and intolerant insects and invertebrates that live in our local rivers and streams and who's presence or absence tells us just how healthy or unhealthy the water is. Invasive species will also be sought.

Throughout the day there will be social media updates on the species count and pictures of any unusual finds. 

Entry numbers for the Bat Walk on Friday May 26 which begins at 9pm is restricted and places can be reserved on Eventbrite.

For more information on events for Biodiversity Week, please visit www.biodiversityweek.ie.