Many of Ireland’s native wildflowers face extinction due to pollution, invasive species, urbanization, loss of habitat and intensive commercial farming. The use of pesticides and herbicides in farming in order to increase specific crop yields has meant that wildflowers and pollinating insects such as bees and butterflies are being poisoned. Hence flora and fauna species are declining alarmingly and a countryside that was once populated with flowers representing all the colours of the rainbows, that throbbed to the sounds of a wide of variety bees and birds is sadly becoming a thing of the past.
Help reverse this process and to save Ireland’s indigenous flowers and associated pollinating insects and bats. Under the expert tutelage of Padraic Keirns, Conservation Volunteers Galway and Conservation Volunteers Terryland Forest Park are once again teaming up to organise another major re-flowering within Terryland Forest Park. This time it will be in woods near the Quincenntennial Bridge.
Over 1,000 plants have been collected for Saturday's 'plantahon' with the primary species being 'wild garlic' as we attempt to create thematic flora areas in certain locations within this 180 acres nature and farmland reserve.
So we ask you to please join us on this Saturday(May 28th).
Rendezvous: 11am near the Curry's (Galway Retail Park) entrance to Terryland Forest Park.
Google Map link: http://bit.ly/1NE6S2o
Heritage expert Tom Cuffe will give a talk on his wildlife research findings of the Terryland
Forest Park at 7.30pm on Tuesday July 1st in the Menlo Park Hotel.
All are welcome to attend.
With
its diverse range of habitats including meadow, river, wetland, pasture
and woodland, this unique man-made wildlife sanctuary of 180 acres
boosts an impressive array of insects, birds, mammal and aquatic species
that would be the envy of any urbanized environment in the world.
In
both the spring of 2013 and of 2014, Mr. Cuffe used transect surveys to
scientifically estimate the density of the bird as well as the butterfly
and moth populations. His research identified forty eight bird species
in one defined area alone thus highlighting the importance of the park
to the biodiversity and ecology of the city.
The presentation will
include a wide selection of the beautiful photographs taken by Tom of
the varied wildlife that live in this unique forest park created by the
people of Galway in conjunction with Galway City Council.
The event
hosted by the Conservation Volunteers Terryland Forest Park group will
also include presentations on native wildflower maintenance by
horticulturalist Padraic Kerins and proposals for a major ‘Outdoor
Classroom’ in the locality by Brendan Smith.
