A Co. Offaly farmer with ancestral connections to Clara Bog will address a European biodiversity conference taking place this week.
Brian Sheridan, from Clara in Co. Offaly will address ‘A bridge over troubled water – Conference for Biodiversity’, where he will share the story of how he became a promoter and protector of Clara Bog.
His grandfather, John Sheridan, was a trustee of the bog, and Brian, himself, is an active member of Clara Bog and Heritage Society.
“If you wanted to cut turf you’d go to John Sheridan. He’d tell you that you could cut a perch beside so and so,” Brian said.
Brian, who also sits on the Community Wetlands Forum steering committee, envisions Clara as a hub for visitors who want to learn more about bogs, their biodiversity, their importance in regulating climate, and heritage.
“We’re wiser than we were 60 years ago, or more. Since then, we discovered we were doing more harm than good. People have realised that the bog is a golden nugget in the centre of Ireland and is more valuable than the rainforests.”
Conference speakers include:
– Dr. Anastasios Hovarda, from Callisto Greece for Social Coexistence with Predators;
– Brian Sheridan, from the Irish Community Wetland Forum as a bog resident;
– Markus Gaub, farmer on the rewetted Wurzacher Ried;
– Robert Richter, CEO of Ritex, on the topic of corporate decisions for biodiversity;
– Mykhailo Nesterenko, from Rewilding Ukraine on renaturation as a social and geopolitical tool;
– Jakub Wejchert, from the European Commission, on the planned EU renaturation law.
A new walkway, Tony’s Hill, was opened recently by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and The Living Bog Project which meanders around a natural lime hill that formed in the bog.
Tony’s Hill, named after the last resident of the stone cottage on the hill, has become a popular walkway for locals and visitors.
‘A bridge over troubled water – Conference for Biodiversity’, hosted by The Greens in Europe, is happening in conjunction with two upcoming key moments: the EU Renaturation Law and the World Biodiversity Conference in Kunming/China.
The conference aims to highlight initiatives and institutions that, contrary to the overwhelming rejection of renaturation and sustainable management, are nevertheless doing exemplary work.
The online conference begins at 5:00p.m on March 2. Registration can be done prior.