A farmland biodiversity event is set to take place at Birr Castle, Co. Offaly on Wednesday, August 28 in collaboration with The Heritage Council and Teagasc.
The event will present a unique opportunity for farmers, landowners, and environmental enthusiasts alike to explore practical means of enhancing farmland biodiversity.
It will consist of a number of workshops from 11:00a.m to 3:00p.m, which are aimed at promoting on-farm initiatives to enhance biodiversity on farms.
A range of topics are expected to be discussed by experts on the day, including extensive grassland management; soil health; woodland conservation; the importance of pollinators and birds in grass margins and how they contribute to a thriving farming ecosystem.
Guest speakers including biologist and broadcaster, Éanna Ní Lamhna, researcher Helen Sheridan and geologist and botanist, John Feehan will be in attendance to share their expertise.
Other participants include:
- ACRES Leinster;
- All-Ireland Pollinator Plan;
- Farm Peat EIP;
- Farming for Water EIP;
- Inland Fisheries Ireland;
- Invasive Species Ireland;
- LIFE on Machair;
- Local Authority Biodiversity Officers;
- Traditional Farm Buildings Scheme.
Farmland Biodiversity
While agricultural intensification has reduced the range of flora and fauna on many farms, there is also an understanding that farmers can maintain and improve biodiversity, without abandoning efficient farming practices.
Grass-based farming systems in Ireland are well-positioned in terms of supporting wildlife initiatives, with estimates indicating that natural and semi-natural habitats constitute over 7% of intensive dairy farmland, according to Teagasc research.
Experts recommend prioritising existing habitats on farms before new biodiversity measures are introduced in a bid to halt nature losses.
The event is free to attend and interested parties are asked to register ahead of the event on Teagasc’s webpage.
Birr Castle estate in Demesne, Co. Offaly, stretches over 50ha and serves as a significant biodiversity habitat in the region.
It features Ireland’s oldest heronry, 5000 species of plants and trees, 65 of which include indigenous trees, and a grove of giant redwoods, which, prior to the last ice age, were native to Ireland.
The castle and surrounding grounds are owned by the Parsons family, who hold the Earl of Rosse title, for the last 400 years.