The Irish Peat Conservation Council (IPCC) has planned several events to celebrate National Heritage Week from Saturday, August 13 to Sunday, August 21, which aims to promote Irish built, natural and cultural heritage.
IPCC’s conservation and education officer, Paula Farrell said the National Heritage Week, which is an initiative by the Heritage Council, is an incredibly important event. She added:
“The IPCC takes part [at the event] annually to link with locals and members of the public interested in peatlands. It’s a time where we focus on peatland heritage and species, and raise awareness through engaging events and activities.”
The IPCC will be showcasing its work to protect and conserve peatlands in Ireland, including ongoing peatland-related projects and peatland management, as well as bogland biodiversity.
Lodge bog, Co. Kildare
A ‘walk and talk’ to Lodge bog, a raised bog nature reserve in Co. Kildare, will inform visitors on the fragility of bogland biodiversity on Saturday, August 13, between 11:00a.m and 1:00p.m.
Talks will include the means to conserve a peatland that was once drained; all conservation works to date; and the existing plant and animal species present on the bog, including the curlew.
An ongoing project which aims to develop a publicly available list of important or threatened species living on peatlands will also be discussed by the IPCC.
Visitors looking to attend the event are asked to meet at the Bog of Allen Nature Centre in Kildare, which will also be open for guided tours, according to the IPCC.
Girley bog, Co. Meath
On Sunday, August 14, between 2:00p.m and 4:00p.m, the IPCC will host a guided walk exploring water, “the blood of the bog”, and peatland biodiversity at the raised bog nature reserve Girley bog in Co. Meath.
Focusing on local biodiversity, visitors will get the chance to see the native insect-eating plant sundew and bog birds throughout the walk, according to the IPCC.
Topics of discussion will include the importance of water storage in peatland habitats; measuring of the water table; and the IPCC’s project to reinstate water-level monitoring after recent rehabilitation works.
Some of the findings of a recently conducted biodiversity survey supported by Meath County Council will also be discussed by the IPCC. Visitors are asked to meet at the Girley Community Hall.
The charity based at the Bog of Allen Nature Centre in Kildare will launch an online video showcasing Ketts Lough, which will go live on Monday, August 15, at 10:00a.m across its social media channels.
‘Day of Action’ for butterflies
The IPCC’s Day of Action for butterflies will invite visitors to Lullymore West, a local butterfly nature reserve, on Tuesday, August 16, between 10:00a.m and 1:00p.m.
The charity will provide information on how it manages Lullymore West for 26 out of the 35 native butterfly species, as well as advice on how to manage a local area for biodiversity and butterflies.
Visitors joining the walk as part of the National Heritage Week can also get involved in helping to remove scrub saplings encroaching on the grassland, and learn how donkey grazing benefitted the grassland.
The final event organised by the IPCC as part of this year’s National Heritage Week will be a walk to Lodge bog in collaboration with a local artist, to showcase imagery taken from the bog over different times of the year.
Presented imagery will allow visitors on Friday, August 19, at 2:00p.m to 4:00p.m, to see the changing landscape from different seasons, enabling them to track climate change, the IPCC said.