The National Biodiversity Data Centre is this month, hosting a virtual Festival of Farmland Biodiversity focusing on challenges to addressing the biodiversity crisis across much of the farmed landscape in Ireland. 

The purpose of the festival is to encourage a more positive engagement around the topic of biodiversity and farmland, and to highlight some of the ways that farmers are working to support biodiversity on their farms.

The rationale for the National Biodiversity Data Centre’s approach is that if all farmers took some evidence-based actions to help biodiversity, no matter how small, the cumulative impact of these actions could address biodiversity loss in the Irish landscape.

Biodiversity and how farmland is managed are closely linked, said Dr. Liam Lysaght, centre director.

"Recent years have seen a reduction in the biodiversity value of farmland, and much of the variety and diversity which was once such a characteristic feature of the Irish countryside has been lost," Dr. Lysaght said.

These retained features, Dr. Lysaght said, could then be the basis upon which biodiversity enhancement measures could be delivered.

"Ensuring there is diversity in the Irish landscape is one important contribution that the farming community can make and are making to building resilience to address the challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss," he added.

A diverse landscape supporting biodiversity can be achieved by adopting a four-stage process for action, Dr. Lysaght said:

"The possibilities for transformative change where farmers across the island of Ireland take small and large actions on their farm to help biodiversity are enormous," Dr. Lysaght said.

"We know from the science what works for biodiversity, and for many aspects of biodiversity a lot of small actions can deliver surprisingly successful results. We are seeking the help of the farming community to deliver this transformative change by taking actions for biodiversity."

"As a first step in this process, we want to highlight some of the biodiversity associated with farmland, help farmers to become more aware of what they have through surveying and monitoring biodiversity, and to highlight the actions that they can take on their farm to help biodiversity," he continued.

"Many farmers are already doing a great deal to help biodiversity, so we are profiling some of these activities.

Hedgerows are in many ways the arteries of biodiversity in the Irish farmed landscape, according to Dr. Lysaght.

"Finding ways to get the majority of farmers to manage their hedgerows positively for biodiversity is the easiest quick win that we can do to address the biodiversity crisis.

The National Biodiversity Data Centre provides many supports to encourage people to get more involved in biodiversity recording and surveys. This month, the centre is profiling some of the surveys and recording initiatives to provide opportunities for farmers and their families to get involved.

"Already many farmers are involved in these schemes, but we would like to grow the network,' said Dr. Lysaght.

The month-long festival involves:

"Our hope for the Festival of Farmland Biodiversity is that it will provide a vehicle for more positive engagement and learning around farmland biodiversity and result in a fresh impetus to address biodiversity decline in the wider countryside," said Dr. Lysaght.

The centre is keen to hear from farmers who are already taking actions to help biodiversity on their farms.

"For the duration of the Festival of Farmland Biodiversity, any farmer who shares an example of an action they have taken on their farm to help biodiversity using #FarmlandBiodiversity will be entered into a draw for the staff of the National Biodiversity Data Centre to visit and carry out a biodiversity survey of their farm," said the centre director.

"Participation is easy. It requires organisations to promote some of the farmland biodiversity work they are already doing through social media using #FarmlandBiodiversity.

"The National Biodiversity Data Centre can provide the Festival of Farmland Biodiversity logo for use by all participants."