Nature Network Ireland is receiving a boost with a new grant to support a local Biodiversity Action Plan to protect and promote plants, wildlife and habitats.
The grant from Community Foundation Ireland in partnership with the National Parks and Wildlife Service will ensure that the steps to protect local biodiversity will be guided by the expert knowledge of ecologists.
Kerri Sonnenberg of Nature Network Ireland is welcoming the support saying, “This project builds on the work of our organisation in developing the Biodiversity Action Plan for Tramore Valley Park, a former landfill site turned parkland amenity, and allows us to focus on understanding and enhancing insect biodiversity in the site. Insects are important indicators of ecosystem health, since they are responsible for pollination and are an essential part of the food web for birds and other wildlife.”
“Our Tramore Valley Park Insects Project will involve scientific surveying to establish the baseline data from which we will make decisions for habitat enhancement. We will also involve the public in awareness-raising events and citizen science initiatives,” She continued.
“These efforts promise to deliver immediate biodiversity benefits while building the knowledge and community support for the site’s long-term conservation aims. We encourage the public to come and learn more about this project on Sunday 22 June at 11am when lead Ecologist John O’Sullivan will give a guided walk through the site and explain the project and our work.”
Nationally, 94 projects are receiving support with more than 250 communities implementing local action plans since the partnership between the Community Foundation and the Parks and Wildlife Service started in 2019. The support being provided comes from philanthropists and donors to the Foundation matched with public funding.
Making the announcement, Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity Christopher O’Sullivan TD said thgat if we are to successfully tackle our national biodiversity crisis, we must all work together.
“This partnership between the National Parks and Wildlife Service and Community Foundation Ireland is a great example of how we can empower and support community organisations to learn about their local biodiversity and use that knowledge along with their creativity to come up with a plan which is unique to their area. I’m really impressed with the range of projects involved and excited to see the outcomes of their work.”
Under the partnership, the connectivity of the Foundation to local communities built up over 25-years as a philanthropic hub is matched with the expertise and knowledge of the National Parks and Wildlife Service. More than €591,000 is being provided under the current round to 94 projects. Congratulating Nature Network Ireland, Denise Charlton, Chief Executive of Community Foundation Ireland said: “We are particularly proud that local efforts to protect habitats, plants and wildlife are increasingly growing into a national movement. The fact that this current grant round is impacting in every county shows the groundswell of support for biodiversity action. The partnership of the Foundation, its philanthropists and community partners together with the National Parks and Wildlife Service is effective and works. Our natural heritage is being protected for generations to come.”
Niall Ó Donnchú, Director General of the National Parks and Wildlife Service added that the NPWS is delighted to work with the Community Foundation of Ireland and to support the community groups participating in enhancing their local biodiversity.
“This is exactly the whole-of-society approach we advocated for in the 4th National Biodiversity Action Plan,” he said.
Further information from Kerri Sonnenberg, Tramore Valley Park Insects Project Manager. Email: kerri.sonnenberg@naturenetworkireland.ie.
