4th July Green Drinks - Gardening for Wildlife

This month Dublin Green Drinks heard Ricky Whelan of the IWT Laois Offaly Branch give a talk on Gardening With Wildlife In Mind - in other words how to develop any space to be more friendly and inviting to wildlife and wild plants. This could involve habitat creation like having a pond in your garden, or a wild space for the nettles, or it could involve planting pollinator friendly plants, native species.

Ricky gave a very informative talk, full of amusing anecdotes, and stressed how easy it was for even the person with the least knowledge of gardening or tiniest space to contribute to wildlife. Even a window box can be a help! Hopefully  those attending were inspired to go home with a fresh enthusiasm for gardening with wildlife in mind!

Ricky Whelan also works as a Project Officer for BirdWatch Ireland and is heavily involved in the Abbeyleix Bog project in south Laois. 

Ricky showing us a bat box

26th September Bat Walk Corkagh Park

We had a beautiful Autumn evening for the small but enthusiastic crowd who came to Corkagh Park for our Bat Walk led by Sean Meehan, Conservation officer with the IWT. A full moon sharpened the anticipation of seeing the bats which Sean assured us would be there. Sure enough, with the aid of two “bat detectors” which he had brought, they announced their presence as they emerged to feed. The best sightings were over the man-made lake and as darkness fell, Sean used his torch to facilitate our viewing. Sean provided a good deal of information on the different species and we were fortunate to observe members of four species, both the Common and Soprano Pipistrelle as well as the Leisler and Daubentons bats. After a couple of hours, a happy group made its way to the park entrance and as if to make up for there being no vampire bats we were treated to the banshee like screeches of a heron who objected to having its evening repose disturbed!!

Photo courtesy of Sean

Gathering in Corkagh Park as dusk fell