Parents for the Planet: Listening to the 'wood wide web'

Felicity Gaffney, head of education at the National Botanic Gardens (centre), with daughter Ailbhe, husband, Des, daughter Aisling, and son, Luke.

CLIMATE change is happening. It’s a reality. It’s a shame so much time has been wasted by climate deniers; time when positive changes could have been made. Today, one in four animal and plant species are at risk of extinction. By the end of the century, that figure may be one in two, if urgent action is not taken.

Phenology is a good indicator of change. We know some species of bud are bursting early; sometimes as much as a month earlier.

Food security is a challenge. Population growth is driving the need to produce more food in the next 35 years than was ever produced on this planet.

Production methods have to become sustainable. Plant habitat destruction and loss must be tackled. Water will continue to be an issue: There’ll be too much or too little of it.

Plant loss is already having wide implications. Insects depend on plants, birds on insects. We’re all interdependent. Nothing survives in isolation.

Globally, the same nine or ten crops are being widely grown for food. There should be far greater diversity. The Cavendish is by far the most commonly grown banana in the world.

An attack of disease or parasites could wipe out those plants. We need to embrace both old and new crop varieties, along with technology to grow hybrid and super-crops.

I believe plants feel things. They certainly communicate. They can’t get up and run when danger comes, so they’ve developed coping mechanisms. They collaborate with one another for good.

Trees communicate via the ‘wood wide web.’ Pine are just one of the many species that message one another. In Africa, Acacias release chemicals to warn neighbours when leaf-nibbling antelopes are about. Within minutes of the first tree being nibbled, the leaves take on a bitter, sour taste, which encourages browsers to graze elsewhere.

It’s crucial that we plant more trees. Without them, we couldn’t exist. As for deforestation, don’t get me started. There’s ignorance behind that, but mostly greed.

Plants are the most important things on Earth. They provide food, shelter, and medicines. They clean the air.

It’s key that we support the EU Green Deal to help farmers, and those in the peat and dairy industries, to get jobs in sustainable industries.

Some of the factors driving plant extinction are habitat loss and destruction, extensive intensive farming, and the loss of wild flower meadows. Coastal erosion, floods, drought, and temperature change also have an impact, as do alien and invasive species. As many of the latter pop seeds all over the place, it’s hard to get rid of them.

Rhododendron, the common Hot ’n’Tot Fig, Buddleia, and Giant Rhubarb are trouble. Giant Hogweed’s another disaster story, travelling the waterways and causing damage. My pet hate’s the Sea Buckthorn: that’s destroying Bull Island.

I grew up in Wexford, in a ten-kid family. We ate lots of spuds and cabbage. Potatoes are nutritious. I support the drive to increase potato-eating in Ireland.

My husband, Des, teaches biology. Our children are Aisling, Ailbhe, and Luke. Being a botanist, I thought if I raised kids they’d be mad into plants, but, so far, only my son’s showing great interest.

My garden’s a bit raggedy, with lots of wild spaces. Occasionally, we see a badger or fox. We welcome, and do nothing to deter, them.

We don’t use chemicals and we garden organically, when possible. My son found a digger bee nest in our garden.

The recent general election was disappointing. Tackling climate change should have been the biggest issue, but it wasn’t.

It annoys me that Ireland will have to pay over €100m in fines for failure to act on climate change. That’s money that could go towards protecting biodiversity, helping farmers secure sustainable work, and reducing fossil fuel use.

To preserve something, you have to know what you have. National Botanic Gardens (NBG) is working with National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to map the plants that are extinct and endangered. That map is nearly complete.

At the NBG, we keep many native plant species. We aim to keep them all. We’re on target to get the DNA for every native Irish plant in existence.

We’re a happy team at work. I encourage each team-member to work to their strengths. When radio and newspaper interview opportunities arise, I put them forward, when possible. They enjoy getting their names out there. That encourages them.

Collective individualism in the workplace is a good idea. I never experienced the benefit of it back in the day, but it’s something I promote amongst my team.

Seven out of ten of the education officers, who work as guides, are female. While gender doesn’t enter the selection process, pay rates may deter some from applying to join.

International Women’s Day is coming up. We need to celebrate that. Militant feminists paved the way for women to work and ‘have it all.’

While we sometimes joke that the result is a nation of exhausted people, it’s good to consider what women have achieved.