This month in our collaboration with leafliving.com a group of about thirty people heard Kaethe Burt O'Dea speak about the Lifeline Project and the influence of environment and behaviour on health in the urban context. The LifeLine project is a site specific proposal for a multifunctional access route to the future Dublin Institute of Technology and HSE site at Grangegorman from the north. The LifeLine is a linear park that would begin at Broadstone, follow the disused link to the Midland Great Western Railway that travels north through Cabra to meet the canal at Phibsborough and continue to follow the canal to the west of the city into the countryside west of Dublin. As a multipurpose landscape the LifeLine would provide a surface for mixed activity (cycling, walking, running, games, casual play) and facilitate movement in, out, and around the city, as the amenity could ultimately link into a circcular greenway around Dublin. LifeLine has been actively working with the Railway Procurement Agency on the project.
Lifeline is also a community led campaign exploring wasted resources (people, places, materials, systems) in Dublin, Ireland. The project covers areas such as the intensification of local food production, urban biodiversity, eco tourism, green transport and innovative models of healthcare, recreation and waste management.
Monday, 27 February 2012
10th March Tree Week
On Saturday 10th March, Dublin Branch IWT celebrated trees by inviting the citizens of Dublin to learn about, enjoy and value trees in two of Dublin’s well known outdoor parks. Sarah Rubalcava led the walk up
Killiney Hill and Niall Mac Coitir led the walk in St Anne’s Park, Raheny.
Killiney Hill and Niall Mac Coitir led the walk in St Anne’s Park, Raheny.
 |
| Niall and Sarah hugging a native oak |
Both walks were well attended. On Niall's walk among the trees shown were the yew, one of Ireland's native trees which can live to a thousand years. The oldest known tree in Ireland is believed to be 700 years old and is in the grounds of Maynooth College. It is called Silken Thomas' yew, as the famous Irish rebel is said to have rested there the day before he was taken prisoner by the English. Another tree seen was the beech, which gets its name from the Anglo-Saxon word for book - buch - as the old English were said to carve their runic letters into it. St. Anne's also features many unusual trees, like the Hollyoak in the picture below, clinging on to the side of a cliff!
 |
| Yew tree |
 |
| Beech tree |
 |
| Hollyoak hanging on for dear life |
3rd March Mammal Conservation Workshop
Dublin IWT Blog – MISE Project
Sarah Rubalcava
On the 3rd March, members of the Dublin Branch joined Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Council volunteers in a joint venture called the MISE Project. We met at 9.30 am in Marley House, Rathfarnham. The grandeur of the rooms seemed fitting for the important business of conserving some of Ireland’s small mammals.
Mammals in a Sustainable Environment (MISE) Project (an EU funded project covering parts of Ireland and Wales) is an exciting new project and breathes fresh air into any person interested in wildlife and conservation. The project partners on the Irish side include Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT), Waterford County Council and the National Biodiversity Data Centre. Conserving and monitoring biodiversity, sharing skills across the border region, local communities and volunteers are firmly at the heart of this initiative.
In Ireland, otters, pine marten, red squirrels, bats and other small mammals are being surveyed and monitored. The MISE Project is using non-invasive methods to survey these animals. These non-invasive methods include the collection of hair tube samples for squirrels, otter spraints and pine marten scats (otter and pine marten poo in other words!) and bat droppings. The Dublin Branch will be developing the otter and red squirrel surveys over the coming months.
Before heading out on the field training part of the day, we were given an overview of present status and ecology of pine martens, squirrels and otters.
Sadly due to the recent discovery of squirrel pox in the Dublin Mountains, hair tubes surveys will not be used but instead it is hoped that visual surveys can be carried out.
After the talks we headed out and walked a length of the small river in Marley Park and managed to find otter spraints and a footprint or so we were told. We then travelled to the local Coillte forests at Ticknock where we found signs of red squirrels eating. Earlier that day, we were told that the forests still had red squirrels and it is hoped that squirrel pox doesn’t impact too heavily on the locals.
When the day concluded this is what one participant said:
“It was a really fun morning and I learned way more about otter surveying through the hands-on approach of this training day than I could ever have from a book.” - Aoife.
This is an excellent opportunity to learn and gain valuable experience, meet like-minded people and to be more proactive in conserving Ireland’s biodiversity. (photos courtesy of Joy)
http://www.miseproject.ie/
Sarah Rubalcava
On the 3rd March, members of the Dublin Branch joined Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Council volunteers in a joint venture called the MISE Project. We met at 9.30 am in Marley House, Rathfarnham. The grandeur of the rooms seemed fitting for the important business of conserving some of Ireland’s small mammals.
Mammals in a Sustainable Environment (MISE) Project (an EU funded project covering parts of Ireland and Wales) is an exciting new project and breathes fresh air into any person interested in wildlife and conservation. The project partners on the Irish side include Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT), Waterford County Council and the National Biodiversity Data Centre. Conserving and monitoring biodiversity, sharing skills across the border region, local communities and volunteers are firmly at the heart of this initiative.
In Ireland, otters, pine marten, red squirrels, bats and other small mammals are being surveyed and monitored. The MISE Project is using non-invasive methods to survey these animals. These non-invasive methods include the collection of hair tube samples for squirrels, otter spraints and pine marten scats (otter and pine marten poo in other words!) and bat droppings. The Dublin Branch will be developing the otter and red squirrel surveys over the coming months.
Before heading out on the field training part of the day, we were given an overview of present status and ecology of pine martens, squirrels and otters.
Sadly due to the recent discovery of squirrel pox in the Dublin Mountains, hair tubes surveys will not be used but instead it is hoped that visual surveys can be carried out.
After the talks we headed out and walked a length of the small river in Marley Park and managed to find otter spraints and a footprint or so we were told. We then travelled to the local Coillte forests at Ticknock where we found signs of red squirrels eating. Earlier that day, we were told that the forests still had red squirrels and it is hoped that squirrel pox doesn’t impact too heavily on the locals.
When the day concluded this is what one participant said:
“It was a really fun morning and I learned way more about otter surveying through the hands-on approach of this training day than I could ever have from a book.” - Aoife.
This is an excellent opportunity to learn and gain valuable experience, meet like-minded people and to be more proactive in conserving Ireland’s biodiversity. (photos courtesy of Joy)
http://www.miseproject.ie/
 |
| Looking for otter poo |
 |
| Otter tracks |
 |
| Nibbled by red squirrel |
Tuesday, 31 January 2012
Tuesday 7th Feb Green Drinks
Green Drinks 7th February - Badgers and TB
The Green Drinks talk this month was given by Conn Flynn, Conservation Officer with the IWT, who set out the situation regarding badgers and TB in Ireland and explained the IWT's campaign against badger culling. Conn informed the thirty or so people present why the IWT is so opposed to the government's policy of culling and why vaccination is a better, more effective and humane alternative. There are about 70,000 badgers in Ireland - an average of about one badger per km2 and about 30,000 setts. The government has culled a massive 90,000 badgers since 1984, so much so that the badger's existence in Ireland may be threatened, and yet despite this the numbers of cattle infected with TB have barely fallen.
A £50 million scientific study in England carried out over 10 years found that badger culling made no difference to TB infection rates, and can even make things worse by causing infected badgers to flee to new uninfected areas. Furthermore Scotland has managed to stay free of bovine TB without having to carry out culls at all. The real key to reduction is controlling cattle movements, and in particular, to test animals before they are moved to another location - something which is not done in Ireland at the moment.
Alongside this there should be vaccination of badgers to remove them as a source of infection, as a humane alternative to the unnecessary and cruel killing of badgers by catching them in snares and then shooting them, as is done at present. Although the Department of Agriculture has begun a small trial programme of vaccination in Monaghan, the large scale culling of badgers is continuing despite the evidence and the IWT has begun a campaign to petition the government to stop culling for good. You can sign the petition by logging on to the IWt's website at www.iwt.ie
The Green Drinks talk this month was given by Conn Flynn, Conservation Officer with the IWT, who set out the situation regarding badgers and TB in Ireland and explained the IWT's campaign against badger culling. Conn informed the thirty or so people present why the IWT is so opposed to the government's policy of culling and why vaccination is a better, more effective and humane alternative. There are about 70,000 badgers in Ireland - an average of about one badger per km2 and about 30,000 setts. The government has culled a massive 90,000 badgers since 1984, so much so that the badger's existence in Ireland may be threatened, and yet despite this the numbers of cattle infected with TB have barely fallen.
A £50 million scientific study in England carried out over 10 years found that badger culling made no difference to TB infection rates, and can even make things worse by causing infected badgers to flee to new uninfected areas. Furthermore Scotland has managed to stay free of bovine TB without having to carry out culls at all. The real key to reduction is controlling cattle movements, and in particular, to test animals before they are moved to another location - something which is not done in Ireland at the moment.
Alongside this there should be vaccination of badgers to remove them as a source of infection, as a humane alternative to the unnecessary and cruel killing of badgers by catching them in snares and then shooting them, as is done at present. Although the Department of Agriculture has begun a small trial programme of vaccination in Monaghan, the large scale culling of badgers is continuing despite the evidence and the IWT has begun a campaign to petition the government to stop culling for good. You can sign the petition by logging on to the IWt's website at www.iwt.ie
Tuesday, 10 January 2012
Sunday 29th January Bull Island birdwatching
On Sunday 29th January about fifteen members of the Dublin Branch braved the cold and the rain to attend a bird watching event led by birding enthusiasts Sean Kelly and Niall Keogh on Bull Island - Dublin’s well known nature reserve. They were rewarded for their efforts by seeing a variety of birds - lapwings, redshanks, black-headed gulls, knots, teal, shovelers and Brent Geese among them. Bull Island has an excellent range of coastal birds, especially its overwintering flocks which come to avail of the many invertebrates (worms and things)that live in the mudflats. Niall Keogh explained how Dublin's Brent Geese are unique because of their lack of fear of humans compared to the geese on the continent- probably due to the fact that they won't be shot on sight! So much so that they have been known to get in the way of golfers trying to play on the Island's golf courses. Dublin's Brent Geese have also taken to grazing on the city's open spaces and playing pitches in a big way, to the extent that this is now a major source of their food supply.
After about an hour the freezing cold and rain put an end to the outing, but enough birds had been seen to make it all worthwhile.
After about an hour the freezing cold and rain put an end to the outing, but enough birds had been seen to make it all worthwhile.
Tuesday, 3 January 2012
21st January 2012 National Gallery Tour
Twenty members of the Dublin Branch went on a guided tour of the National Gallery, with the theme "Nature in Art - European Masterpieces" on Saturday 21 Jan. Marie Pike, our excellent guide, selected and discussed the most interesting paintings. Not a lot of nature, but a super introduction to “European Masterpieces”. Great morning had by all.
Monday, 12 December 2011
Stop Badger Culling!
You can sign our online petition to stop this cruel and unnecessary practice at the link to the IWT homepage on the right:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)