Little terns are one of Ireland’s rarest breeding sea birds. Volunteers from the Louth Nature Trust spend up to 100 hours each season, protecting the nesting sites of Little Terns on a 1.5 km area of Baltray beach in County Louth. The beach is one of the sites that these summer migrants return to each year.
The Habitat Mapping and Biodiversity Action Plan project sets out to map 1,750 hectares, taking in the Nephin Mountain range and the Corraun peninsula. The landscape ranges from uplands to coastal areas, mature woodlands and wetlands. The Mulranney Environmental Group is hoping that the area will become a place for high nature value farming.
Birdwatch Ireland trains teams of swift conservation volunteers – many of whom belong to Tidy Town groups and other community initiatives – to protect swift nesting sites as part of the Swift Conservation programme. There are between 500-600 volunteers in up to 50 community groups throughout Ireland.
BATLAS 2020 is a three year programme (2016-2018) which will survey the bat population throughout Ireland, at eight survey points in every 10 km squared. It’s a mammoth task which will involve over 150 volunteers, recording the presence or absence of common pipistrelle, soprano pilistrelle, Leisler’s bats and the Daubenton bat.
Across the country plans are coming together for National Heritage Week 2016 which will take place from 20 to 28 August.
The MSPI “sets out to improve all aspects of Ireland’s museum practice and, in particular, to raise the standards of care for collections across Irish museums and galleries.