From the dawn chorus to a bat walk at dusk — National Biodiversity Week 2024
Engage with nature during National Biodiversity Week 2024, May 17-25, ten days with more than 250 events are taking place in communities all around Ireland.
National Biodiversity Week is an annual ten-day celebration of nature and wildlife which runs from May 17th until the 25th. Organised by the Irish Environmental Network and funded by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, the week provides opportunities for the public to connect with nature and learn from local experts, NPWS staff, public bodies and other organisations actively working to protect our natural heritage.
This year, more than 250 events are taking place in communities all around the country.
Biodiversity is the variety of life on earth. It provides us with everything that we need to survive. It’s a very important resource, one we need to protect, conserve and use sustainably. Biodiversity provides us with clean air, water, food, materials, medicines and more. It supports pollination and soil fertility, regulates climate and protects us from extreme weather and other aspects of climate change. If there is further damage to biodiversity, it may not be able to provide these services anymore and society will have to pay the economic and other costs.
National Biodiversity Week follows the launch in January of Ireland’s fourth National Biodiversity Action Plan (2023-2030). The plan sets the national biodiversity agenda for the period 2023-2030 and aims to deliver transformative change to the ways in which we value and protect nature.
The majority of actions within the plan are assigned to public bodies. Some of those include the NPWS, other initiatives and stakeholders within the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Key partners include the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, OPW and local authorities. Others with important responsibilities under the Plan include: Business for Biodiversity Ireland, the Heritage Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland.
This National Biodiversity Action Plan has an even wider reach. Work to protect biodiversity is already underway in collaboration with farmers, landowners and local communities. Others stepping up and delivering solutions for biodiversity include semi state bodies Coillte and Bord na Mona. The Local Authority Biodiversity Officer Programme is seeing rapid uptake. Initiatives such as the Business for Biodiversity Platform are supporting engagement with the business community. The success of the plan ultimately depends on all of us working together to protect our most valuable resource.
Initiatives like National Biodiversity Week give all of us the opportunity to connect with and appreciate nature, and to understand its importance to us. As well as this, National Biodiversity Week is about experiencing the fun, enjoyment and spectacle of the nature that surrounds us. Our National Parks and Nature Reserves are important places for nature, and also welcome many visitors each year. During National Biodiversity Week they will host guided walks, dawn chorus events such as ‘bird and breakfast’ and talks from NPWS Conservation Rangers who protect nature and wildlife on a daily basis. From Glengarriff to Glenveagh you’ll find everything from Bat walks, Chough Chats, Junior Ranger events to Woodland Walks and Pop Up Conservation Corners.
In addition to local events, National Biodiversity Week includes a number of key dates for biodiversity from an international perspective.
- . A total of fifty Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) across Europe will be taking part in the Natura 2000 Day BioBlitz 2024. These events offer great opportunities for people to visit and learn about protected areas in their community, and to identify and record the species that they find there. There’s an element of competition to see which site will record the most species, but it’s mostly about fun, learning and public participation.
- is International Biodiversity Day. The theme of the day this year is ‘Be Part of the Plan’ — highlighting the role that we can all play in protecting and restoring our biodiversity.
- , and celebrates the creation of National Parks around Europe.
You’ll find information about all of the events happening during National Biodiversity Week this year at https://biodiversityweek.ie/.
All of the events are free, but booking is required for many of them.
Find out more about your National Parks and Nature Reserves here.
Enter a photograph for Biodiversity Photographer of the Year, or take part in a woodland themed Biodiversity bake off at Glenveagh National Park. There is something there for all ages this year.
