9th June Killiney Beach Walk

Dublin Branch Ocean 2012 – Killiney Beach Walk – In Celebration of World Ocean’s Day 9^th June 2012

After 2 heavy rainy days in Dublin, the IWT Dublin Branch were spoilt by not only a mild dry and overcast day, but also by the leader, Tim Clabon, a marine and wetland expert and volunteer.

We explored the kelp beds and associated rock pools which were well exposed due to the very low tide, and learnt about the different seaweeds, including serrated wrack, sea lettuce, sugar kelp and oar kelp (see photo). A range of different crab species were temporarily caught and stored by Tim in a bucket (see photo).

Sadly litter was found including the plastic rings found on drinks cans and the remains of balloons (see photo). Both of these while looking harmless causes fatalities to wildlife either by ingestion as in the case of balloons and whales or plastic rings that can encircle diving birds.

Several South Dublin rivers enter the Irish Sea along Killiney Beach including the Deansgrange River and the Loughlinstown River. Tim came well prepared to demonstrate the abundant fresh water wildlife of the latter and took several samples of the water. In the net he pulled up a range of aquatic invertebrates, including eel and a very young flounder. 

On the return we explored the coastal vegetation and some brave souls even sampled the edible plants including sea radish and sea rocket (word of warning – only eat after an expert tells you its safe). After two stormy days it was not surprising to see a few fatalities including a female crab with her nest of eggs (see photo). Other wildlife seen today included, sand martins, cormorants a grey sea and some early attendees had even spotted some dolphins off shore.

Many thanks to Tim for a great celebration of World Ocean’s Day.

Rockpool seaweeds

Crabs

Litter which can kill

Female velvet swimming crab with eggs. Note the paddle shaped back claws which help the crab to 'swim' short distances 

3rd June Habitats of Howth

Time and date: Sunday 3rd June, 11:00
Meeting point: Howth DART station
Details: Declan Doogue, one of the country’s leading botanists and author of Wild Flowers of Ireland: The Habitat Guide, led a walk through selected areas of Howth Head. Howth has a rich flora and a number of plant species that are not common in Ireland. The focus was on some of the habitat types that are quite rare as well as more familiar habitats like shingle ridges, coastal cliffs and the sea shore. Despite bad weather which meant there was a small turnout, those on the walk found it very informative.

12th May Himalayan Balsam Bash

Time - 10.00 - 13.00

Site – Bushy Park

Dublin IWT Himalayan Balsam Bashing

The Dublin Branch of the IWT joined forces with Dublin City Council, Ireland’s Inland Fisheries, Dodder Angling Club and various members of the public to attempt to deal with one of Ireland’s most unwanted invasive plant species. Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) is also known as Indian balsam, and Policeman’s Helmet due to the shape of the flower.

We also were honoured by a visit from the Lord Mayor, Andrew Montague and Minister of State, Fergus O’Dowd TD. The EU is currently developing a new EU Directive aimed at invasive species. Himalayan Balsam is one of Ireland’s invasive plants threatening our river ecosystems. The plant can grow up to 1.5 – 2m. It is an annual and so completely dies down in the Winter. It is a prolific seeder and the seed can last up to two years in the ground. However, unlike many other invasive species, Himalayan Balsam, can be very easily removed by young and old alike. Its shallow root system ensures that anyone can gently but firmly pull the stem and remove the plant. Large areas can be cleared and a second visit to the area in the second year will remove the plants that germinate from the soil’s seed bank.

Due to its rapid growth it can take over riverbanks forcing native species out. After it dies in the Autumn the riverbanks are left exposed and vulnerable during heavy rains. Native species would have good root systems that bind the soil on riverbanks.

It is important to either remove the pulled plants to prevent them from quickly going to seed or the pile of plants can be effectively covered blocking out any sunlight. Himalayan balsam has a high water content and rots very quickly. At the end of the day we all cleaned and disinfected our boots to prevent the spread of any seeds or diseases.  Dublin City Council treated all volunteers to freshly made sandwiches and bottles of water which were eagerly consumed!

Lord Mayor Andrew Montague leads the way

Minister Fergus O'Dowd cleans up

Look how big our pile is!

Local help

Green Drinks 3rd May - Food Waste

Green Drinks
Time and Date:Tuesday May 3rd, doors open 18:00, talk at 19.00 (and first Tuesday of every month)
Meeting Point: Top floor of Messrs Maguire, 2 Burgh Quay 

This month the Dublin Branch and Leafliving heard Mindy O'Brien from Voice Ireland speak about the establishment of an National Food Bank to eliminate food waste and provide relief for those in need. Food waste has a major impact on the environment through lost energy, CO2 and Methane emissions and water consumption, with tonnes of good edible food discarded by food shops, supermarkets and catering establishments daily. Internationally, there are 1 billion people starving and over 1 billion tonnes of food wasted annually.VOICE are looking to link both the environmental objective of reducing methane-releasing food waste from landfills and the humanitarian objective of feeding the hungry.


Mindy also spoke about how we can all reduce our food waste. The average household throws away about one third of all the food it buys - a huge waste. Some tips are to think about special offers that give two for one and avoid them if we know that the extra food just won't be eaten. Another tip is to get creative with leftovers that are still good to eat rather than just throw them out - there are plenty of cookbooks out there with suitable recipes. For families a good idea is to put the food on the table in bowls and let people help themselves, rather than dishing out individual portions onto each plate. This approach is proven to cut down on the amount of food that gets left on the plate. Also of course households should do their best to buy local and organic wherever possible, and avoid food with too many air miles!

28th April River Dodder Clean Up

River Dodder Clean Up 

Date:Saturday 28th April, meeting point at The Dropping Well Pub Car Park at 10am.

The IWT Dublin Branch Conservation Team got their feet wet to celebrate National Spring Clean Month this April by putting our words into action and taking to the bankside to clean up a section of Dublin's River Dodder, making it a friendlier place for man and wildlife alike. Many sections of this river have been dramatically affected by the floods last year, so this effort was well needed and sorely overdue. As the picture shows some unusual helpers also came along to join the IWT volunteers!

21st April Booterstown Marsh

Time and date: Saturday 21st April, 11:00
Meeting point: Outside Booterstown DART station

A goodly number of IWT members turned up for this event led by Conn Flynn, our Conservation Officer, who was ably assisted by birding enthusiast Arthur Doyle. Before walking around the sanctuary Conn talked about the importance of the marsh for birdlife and he also gave us a brief account of its interesting, somewhat chequered, history. The site which is protected under EU environmental legislation is described by some as a unique patch of wilderness within the confines of the city of Dublin.

Beside different species of waders (among them Redshank, Greenshank, Godwit) and ducks (teal, mallard) we spotted a pair of swans, some Brent Geese, a number of Grey Herons, two Little Egrets, a moorhen as well as some common urban species (Wren, Tit, Finch). We even noticed a swallow busily collecting mud for its nest. Altogether a most pleasant outing.   

Heron

15th April Bird Watching on Bull Island

On Sunday 15th of April about twenty IWT members turned out on the Causeway road on Bull Island for an event led by Sean Hogan, an experienced birdwatcher. The North Bull Island is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, RAMSAR site and a Special Area of Conservation. Sean had some telescopes on standby and those present got to see and identify Bar and Black-tailed Godwits in their reddish-brown summer plumage, Shelduck, Mallard, Little Egret, Teal, Curlew, Heron and Brent Geese among others.

Sean was a mine of information, and even those who thought they knew a thing or two about birds learned a lot that they did not know before. For example, unlike other ducks, Shelduck lay their eggs in burrows and later each year leave their chicks a hundred at a time in a 'creche' with one of the adults while the others head off to a safe offshore sandbank to moult their feathers. Sean also talked about the Little Egret which is a recent arrival to our shores, only having started to breed in Cork in 1997. Since then it has spread north through Ireland and can be seen regularly around Dublin Bay. The Bull Island and other tidal estuaries like it are a huge source of protein for seabirds, especially in winter. In fact each square metre of mudflat contains more protein than the equivalent size of rainforest! (Photos courtesy of Niall)



Sean in the blue wooly cap shows us the shelduck 

Sean also had some advice about binoculars and telecopes. The rule of thumb for binoculars is that when you divide lens size by magnification the result should be more than 5 e.g. lens size of 42 and magnification of 8. The crucial factor is the amount of light that the lens let in. A decent pair of binoculars can be got for about €100 - 150 and it is important to take the time to try out different kinds to find the one that suits, as each person's preference is different. Regarding telescopes good options are zooms lens with magnification of 20 to 60 or alternatively a wide angle fixed lens of about 32 magnification. A good one won't be got for less than € 200 and the sky is the limit for the more expensive ones.

The best guide books are 'Complete Guide to Irish Birds' or 'Pocket Guide to the Common Birds of Ireland' , both by Eric Dempsey, or the 'Collins Bird Guide to birds of Britain and Europe'

After seeing the birds of Bull Island the group crossed over to St. Anne's Park to hear some birdsong. Coal tits, wrens, robins and blackbirds were heard, and for a few moments there was great excitement when it was thought that woodpeckers had arrived in the park! Alas it turned out to be Grey Crows pecking at the branches of a nearby tree to get building material for a nest. Despite that minor disappointment the group went away very happy with what they had seen and heard, and a lot more knowledgable.

6th March Green Drinks - Green Roofs

Tuesday 6th March saw the monthly Green Drinks talk in Messrs Maguire, 2 Burgh Quay, Dublin 2. The topic this month "Green Roofs and living walls and their potential to reduce rainfall runoff and attenuate stormwater flood events". The presentation was given by Sadhbh Ní Hógáin, who is a Structural Engineer with an MSc in Architecture. Her past work ranges from design engineering to academic research to domestic refurbishments, and she has recently studied how to construct green roofs, and their benefits to society, industry and the environment.

Green roofs have many benefits. Their major benefit is to reduce the rapid runoff of rainwater from roofs by storing the water in the soil or gravel, and releasing it slowly. This helps to prevent flooding in urban areas, which is becoming a greater concern due to global warming. As well as reducing rainfall runoff, they help to improve air quality by bringing plants into the city areas and they also have a major biodiversity benefit by providing habitats for wildlife such as insects and birds. Green roofs also improve energy efficiency by providing insulation to the building beneath them. All these benefits are shared by green walls, but there is generally less of an effect with them, due to the limitations of a vertical surface.

Green roofs come in various forms. They can be simply a low maintenance thin layer of gravel which will support low growing plants such as sedum, and which only need an annual weeding to keep them working; or they can be a more ambitious affair with shrubs and even small trees, which can act as a rooftop garden or green haven in the 'urban jungle'. Provided the proper support has been built into the roof by a qualified engineer, there is no danger of roofs collapsing under the weight of soil or other material.

Green roofs originated in Iceland, where the inhabitants simply covered their roofs in green turf to provide insulation in the harsh environment. Since those humble beginnings, green roofs are rapidly being adopted in their various modern forms around the world as an essential part of the move to a more sustainable lifestyle.
(Images from Sadhbh)



Green Roof from Iceland where the concept began



Cross Section of green roof



Cross Section of Green roof

3rd April Green Drinks Lifeline Project

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.

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.

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/

Looking for otter poo

Otter tracks

Nibbled by red squirrel

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

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.

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.

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:

6th December Green Christmas at Green Drinks

The Green Drinks discussion on 6th December concerned how to have a Green Christmas. Debbi of the IWT's Dublin Branch informed us of some of the scary facts about the amount of waste produced in Ireland every Christmas. For example, if all the glass wine and beer bottles used in Ireland at Christmas were laid end to end they would reach from Ireland to Sri Lanka! The amount of wrapping paper used would cover half of Leinster. So how do we enjoy Christmas without being so hard on the environment? Debbie outlined some of the tips we can all do to cut down on waste.

For example, using Christmas e-cards instead of the traditional cards and reusing wrapping paper cuts down on waste paper, or at least make sure your cards and paper are made from recycled material. Making your own decorations also saves a lot - using pine cones, ivy, coloured paper, old cereal boxes and tin foil in an imaginative way can be a source of great satisfaction. Real Christmas trees are also better than artificial ones, as they are greener to produce! Using LED lights instead of the traditional fairy lights can also make a big difference to your energy bills - they are 90% more efficient.

Christmas gifts can be greener too - why not give a service instead of a more material gift? Offer to give music lessons, walk the dog, childminding, whatever. If you want something more traditional then giving tickets to concerts, shows etc can be great too. Many charities like Oxfam and Bothar also provide wildlife gifts (why not give IWT membership as a gift this Christmas?) At the very least try to avoid gifts that need expensive batteries to work. There are many, many ways to enjoy Christmas in a more environmentally friendly way, if we put our minds to it!

After Debbi's talk Daragh from REPAK explained the work that the organisaion does. REPAK is a packaging and recycling scheme funded by producers and retailers, which works by REPAK arranging to have the business's waste material recycled in return for a fee. REPAK fund 1.2 million green bins around the country, 2,000 bottle banks and 100 recycling centres. Daragh outlined some tips for how we can improve our recycling - don't scrunch up your paper, but do dismantle your cardboard boxes to make more room in your bin; don't forget that take-away trays are as much aluminium as drink cans, and as easy to recycle. Do remember that glass from jars can be recycled as well as wine and beer bottles and that plastic bottles from the bathroom, like cleaning products and shampoo can also be put in the green bin. And very importantly plan your food shopping, and never go to the supermarket when you are hungry if you want to avoid that impulse buy. The average Irish family wastes about a third of the food that they buy because it goes off before they can eat it - bad for both the environment and the pocket!

Finally, IWT Dublin Branch and Leafliving wish you all a Happy Christmas and New Year!

26th November - Natural History Museum

On Saturday 26th November IWT’s Dublin branch went for a tour of the National Museum of Ireland’s Natural History division with its resident education assistant, Catherine McGuinness. Catherine took us through our collection of both the frequently spotted and the rarely glimpsed animals while discussing some of the challenges and threats faced by these familiar creatures in Ireland today. The spectacular Giant Irish Deer or Irish Elk skeletons and the Pilot Whale skulls attracted particular interest! (photos courtesy of Joy)

8th October 2011 Marlay Park Tree Walk

Niall Mac Coitir of the Dublin Branch of the IWT led a tree walk around Marlay Park in Rathfarnham on Saturday 8^th October, to mark National Tree Day which fell on the previous Thursday  6^th October. The weather was lovely for the event, a fine autumn day with a mild breeze and sunshine and over twenty people turned out. Niall took people on a circuit around the park, showing some of the fine trees, both native and non-native, that Marley Park has to offer. 

The walk included a stop at a particularly fine mature oak tree. The oak is the backbone of Irish forests, supporting a whole ecosystem of native Irish life. The walk heard how there are very few native woodlands left – around 1% of the land of Ireland. A widespread story has it Irish oak forests were all cut down to supply the British navy. While this was a factor in the destruction of Irish woods, the main factor was that the island had to support a population of eight million at one stage and every square metre of ground was farmed. Another important factor is that many oak woods were cut down to provide charcoal. Oak makes very good charcoal, which was needed in ironworks as part of the smelting process.   

Niall also spoke about the rowan or mountain ash, and how its red berries were traditionally seen as a powerful deterrent to the fairies and other bad influences. A magical rowan tree featured in a story about the lovers Diarmuid and Grainne, which involved poor Diarmuid fighting a fierce giant to get some of the berries of the tree for Grainne. The berries of the tree had the property that whoever ate them would stay forever at thirty years of age. Hearing that, some of the older members of the group cast a longing eye at the berries hanging from the tree before them, but unfortunately it was time to move on!  Niall also showed the group a fine specimen of an ash tree and pointed out that a well grown tree is needed to make a hurley, as it must be cut from the part of the tree where the trunk curves into the root. This is so that the grain of the wood will curve naturally from the handle into the bas of the hurley.

Another tree mentioned was the chestnut tree which is not native to Ireland, but comes from Turkey and the Balkans. Before it arrived in the last few hundred years as an ornamental tree  to Britain and Ireland, children would play the game of conkers with snail shells – hence the name ‘conkers’ which comes from the Latin concha or shell. Among the other trees seen on the walk were scots pine, birch, beech and yew, and by the end of the talk everyone had learned a little more about some of the trees that can be seen on a walk through our parks and woodlands. (photos courtesy of Chris and Joy)



Oak tree



Under the chestnut



Ash tree

4th October 2011 Green Drinks - Vegetarianism

Great News ! The IWT Dublin Branch has teamed up with LeafLiving  (www.leafliving.com) to bring back the ever popular Dublin Green Drinks. Green Drinks is a simple idea that’s gone global. Once a month in 448 cities around the world people with an interest in green issues get together to chat, share ideas and raise a glass to a brighter future.  Dublin Green Drinks is on the first Tuesday of every month at 6pm in Messr Maguires pub on Burgh Quay, near O’Connell Bridge. The first event was a great success, with a good attendance of over thirty people and a lively discussion ensued.

Martin O’Sullivan of the Vegetarian Society of Ireland was the guest speaker for the evening and spoke about the benefits of vegetarianism while exposing some popular myths. For example, Martin spelled out that it is not true that a vegetarian diet is automatically lacking in vitamins or protein. This only happens if a person stops eating meat and does not broaden their intake of various vegetables to compensate. A properly planned vegetarian diet will provide all the vitamins and minerals that a person needs. There are also the environmental benefits of not eating meat, as growing crops to eat uses less resources, not to mention the issues of animal cruelty. Adam, another member of the Vegetarian Society spelt out the Society’s ethos, which is about promoting vegetarianism as much as possible, but not about trying to ban everyone from eating meat. Debbi Pedreschi  of the Dublin Branch of IWT also spoke as a failed vegetarian about the difficulty of sticking to a meat free diet, especially when living with meat eaters, and how devious tactics were sometimes necessary, such as sneaking meat substitutes into stews and curries!

There then followed a lively debate about various issues, including whether quorn or other meat substitutes really taste as nice as meat, the evils of factory farming and whether eating meat was really so bad for the environment. Some of the IWT members in fact thought that part of the problem was that people should eat a wider variety of meats  –not something the vegetarians present agreed with! However in the end everyone agreed that we eat too much meat in general, and that the environment and our health would benefit if we could cut back on eating meat in general and focussed more on organic and locally produced food.  After that , meat eaters and vegetarians alike, tucked into the delicious vegetarian snacks provided free at the event and had a few drinks to round off the evening. (Photos courtesy of Niall)

Martin

Adam

17th September 2011 Woodland Walk in Carrickgollogan Woods

A small crowd of Dublin Branch IWT members met at Carrickgollogan Woods car park. The weather thankfully behaved itself for most of the walk. We ventured into the Leadmines tunnel and clambered over brambles and gorse as we exited back into daylight. A cheeky buzzard rewarded us with its acrobatic flight as two ravens tried to chase it off. From the locally famous Leadmines Chimney we viewed the surrounding area of Dublin.

The forest paths were dotted with a range of fungal delights including the poisonous but colourful red-and-white fly agaric, Amanita muscaria (familiar from a thousand children’s story books) and the prized cep or penny bun Boletus edulis. We identified some of the heathland wildflowers including heath milkwort, Polygala serpyllifolia and tormentil, Potentilla erecta.

Sadly, no red squirrels gave us the pleasure of their company. By the time we reached their territory, the weather had turned windy. However we did see evidence of squirrel activity with chewed pine cones littering the ground. Whether these belonged to red or grey no one knows as they both eat cones in the same way.

The last stage of the walk took us up to the top of the hill. During the ascent we were treated to hot chocolate from the flask of one of our members. This sugar fix, I suspect, was much needed and gave us the energy to get to the top. Unfortunately, the weather turned both wet and cold. On arrival to the summit we all agreed that the wind was too strong and we quickly headed back to our cars. (photos courtesy of Sarah and Niall)

Cep or Penny Bun

Amanita