The Irish Peatland Conservation Council (IPCC) will hold a special event at the Bog of Allen Nature Centre in Lullymore, Co. Kildare to celebrate International Bog Day tomorrow (Sunday, July 23).
The event aims to raise awareness of peatlands, including the benefits they provide, the threats they face, and how people can help to protect them, the IPPC said.
Boglands are very special for many reasons, including for biodiversity. Bogland flora and fauna adapted to live in this “extremely wet” habitat, IPCC CEO Nuala Madigan told Agriland.
Boglands are home to many plant and animal species, including the insect-eating plant sundew, the “iconic” bog cottons, curlews, frogs and newts, and Ireland’s only lizard the viviparous lizard.
International Bog Day
In celebration of this year’s International Bog Day, the IPCC will open the Bog of Allen Nature Centre to the public free of charge from 12:00p.m to 4:00p.m tomorrow.
Visitors will be able to view the wildlife gardens – which are peat-free and chemical-free to encourage species such as frogs – the museum, and the traditional kitchen.
While all compost used in the gardens is created at the centre from waste organic material, and all watering is performed using harvested rainwater, the council added:
“The gardens also feature a greenhouse of insect-eating plants, where native carnivorous plants such as sundew and butterwort are on view, as well as some exotic species such as venus flytraps and pitcher plants.”
In the peatland museum visitors can view a range of artefacts, from bog butter to an ancient dugout canoe, that have been recovered from the Bog of Allen, the IPCC added.
Utensils and instruments used by many Irish households in the past will be on display for visitors in the traditional kitchen.
A guided tour of the centre, including the museum, gardens, and insect-eating plants will be held at 1:00p.m, during which IPCC staff will provide information on the history of Ireland’s peatlands and the Bog of Allen in particular.
The IPCC’s special guests for the day will be Newgrange Falconry, which will be providing a display of birds of prey and give an informative talk on the birds from 12:30p.m to 2:30p.m.
Finally, this International Bog Day, which is held on the fourth Sunday of July each year, IPCC staff will lead a walk and talk to Lodge Bog, departing the centre at 2:30p.m.
Additionally, throughout the day children will be able to pond-dip in the courtyard pond to discover and learn about the wide range of freshwater invertebrates that live in bogland ponds.