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Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
1. What is a bog?
A bog is a wetland habitat which
forms in areas where rainfall is high and drainage is poor. By
weight a bog may be 90% water and only 10% solid matter. The
main source of water and minerals to a bog is from rainfall.
The soil in a bog is peat and is acidic with a pH ranging from
3.2 to 4.2. The lack of oxygen in the waterlogged bog leads to
the accumulation of partly decayed plant material or peat to
a thickness ranging between 2 and 12m. Bogs have low growing
open vegetation dominated by mosses, sedges and heathers all
of which are adapted to waterlogged, exposed and acidic conditions.
Bogs occur in low-lying areas of the midlands and west of Ireland
and in mountain ranges throughout the country. 1.2 million hectares
or 17% of the land surface of Ireland is covered in bogland.
2. When is the best time
to visit a bog?
The best time to visit a bog
is between 1st April and the 31st October.
3. How can I find out where
my nearest bog is?
You may know a suitable bog
to visit locally if you are a hill walker of if your family engages
in turf cutting, or you can choose one from the list given in
question 4.
4. What are the best bogs
to visit?
The following bogs are suitable
for school visits,
5. Do I need to visit the
bog before a class trip?
Yes, definately. It is essential for the teacher to
be familiar with the bog terrain. Teachers should visit the bog
before the class visit to mark out suitable, safe study sites
with stakes if necessary. Even when visiting sites where a qualified
guide is available, it is essential that teachers visit or contact
the guide beforehand so that both have a clear understanding
of what studies are planned and if any additional activities
are available .
on the bog. All animals found should be returned to their habitats.
6. Where can I buy field
studies equipment and keys?
The following groups stock a
range of field studies equipment.
Irish Peatland Conservation Council www.ipcc.ie
Lennox Laboratory Suplies Ltd www.lennox.ie
Shaw Scientific Supplies Ltd www.shawscientific.com
Philip Harris Science Education Equipment and Resources
Local Garden Centre or Local Hardware Store
7. How can our school take
action for bogs?
There are three ways you might
like to take action for bogs. Many of these activities can be
undertaken as part of a Green Schools programme in the school.
(1) Collect used postage stamps to help raise funds for the save
the bogs campaign. Send the stamps in an envelope to IPCC, Lullymore,
Rathangan, Co. Kildare.
(2) Do not use moss peat in the school grounds or garden. Moss
peat is mined from our raised bogs. The removal of peat from
the bog takes away the habitat of bog plants and animals in a
locality. You can set up a school composting scheme and recycle
all of the organic materials you produce to make your own compost.
(3) Organise an exhibition in the school based on the visit you
made to the bog to educate parents and other school children
about the wildlife and wonder of bogs.
8. Are there any other
educational web sites that I can link with?
Here are some educational web
sites that may be of interest. They are listed in alphabetical
order by organisation.
Agri Aware
www.agriaware.ie
Booklets on Farming activities throughout the year are available
to download from this web site. These resources aim to educate
primary school pupils about the important role played by farmers
and the food industry in both our local and national economies.
Dublin City Council
www.dublincity.ie
Check out the KidsPlus in the living section of the website to
find lots of interesting facts about Dublin which will raise
pupils awareness of their locality.
Environmental Information Centre ENFO
www.enfo.ie
Hundreds of information leaflets on habitats, plants and
animals and environmental issues. Ideal for student research.
Environmental Protection Agency
www.epa.ie/EducationPrimarySchools/
Check out the primary resource section of the web site to find
out how to measure your impact on the environment and the ways
we can change our lifestyle so as to protect the environment.
Geological Survey of Ireland
www.gsi.ie
Provides local geological maps and other information useful
in helping to identify sites to visit.
The Heritage Council
www.heritagecouncil.ie
Irish National Teachers Organisation
www.into.ie
Mooney Goes Wild on RTE One
www.rte.ie/radio/mooneygoeswild
Join Derek Mooney on this web site as he tells about the wildlife
in Ireland including bats, rats, squirrels, foxes, seals, pygmy
shrews and wild mink. You can see all the information from previous
radio and television shows (even listen to them if you have Real
Player). There is a great picture gallery of animal and bird
photographs.
National Biology Support Service
www.nbsstralee.ie
Support for Biology teachers in the implementation of the
Leaving Certificate Biology Syllabus.
Ordnance Survey Ireland
www.osi.ie
Scoilnet
www.scoilnet.ie
TryScience
www.tryscience.org
Discover an exciting world of experiments, adventures and field
trips at this web site.
