Celebrating Heritage Week 2020 with the Irish Peatland Conservation Council – Virtually!

Press Release
Celebrating Heritage Week 2020 with the Irish Peatland Conservation Council – Virtually!

Friday 14th August 2020

Due to the current restrictions and with the safety of us all in mind the Irish Peatland Conservation Council are going virtual for Heritage Week 2020!

On the 15th of August, IPCC will be uploading a short video as part of Heritage Week on our current project at the Bog of Allen Nature Centre called the ‘Pollinator Enhancement Study’ which was made possible with funding support through the Heritage Grant scheme 2020 of Kildare County Council. Our video explains why grassland management has an impact on pollinator numbers and takes you through the various methods incorporated in the project to increase the biodiversity and abundance of pollinator friendly plants. The aim is to assess the most cost-effective method so that community groups get more bang for their bucks. View some cheeky clips of our pollinators at work and the most popular plants they visit https://www.youtube.com/user/ConservationPeatland.

During any usual year the Irish Peatland Conservation Council would be hosting peatlands walks and talks exploring the natural heritage of the these wet and wild habitats in Ireland.  We would be sharing with you the values of peatlands including their role in carbon storage and explore how drainage has affected their role as climate change champions.  This year with support from Meath County Council through their Heritage Grant scheme 2020 the Irish Peatland Conservation Council will be exploring the depth of peat within an area of cutover peatland on Girley Bog, Co. Meath. Why?  Nuala Madigan, Environmental Education Officer explains “understanding the remaining depth of peat on this area of Girley Bog will guide the future restoration initiatives on the site.  Restoration aims to reduce the fluctuation in the seasonal water table on the site and in turn maximise the carbon storage potential”.  Celebrating this project we encourage you to visit IPCC’s online Peatland Management toolkit where you can discover the variety of actions we can take to conserve a sample of Irish peatlands.  Visit http://www.ipcc.ie/advice/peatland-management-diy-tool-kit/ to get started.At the end of Heritage Week 2020, Water Heritage Day will be celebrated on the 23rd August.  This year discover the wonderful array of lush wildflowers along the banks of the Ballygoran Stream in Co. Kildare with the Irish Peatland Conservation Council and the Local Authority Water Programme.   Understand the importance of this river from source to mouth and witness the pollinator friendly plants that bring this river to life by watching a colourful online video at https://www.youtube.com/user/ConservationPeatland.

IPCC’s Campaign Officer Paula Farrell says “2020 has proved a difficult year for hosting events but it has also empowered us to explore new avenues of sharing the Heritage of Bogs, Water and Wildlife to a far greater audience that we hope to inspire. Be sure to check out our online events for Heritage Week 2020 and discover the wildlife on your doorstep”.

The Irish Peatland Conservation Council would like to Thank and acknowledge funding support for these projects from Kildare County Council, Meath County Council and the Local Authority Water Programme