Transnational connections may help restore Irish Peatlands and monitor European Butterflies

Common BluePRESS RELEASE

11th July 2016

Transnational connections may help restore Irish Peatlands and monitor European Butterflies

Féile an Dúlra the Irish Peatland Conservation Council’s (IPCC) festival for nature supported by Kildare County Council continues at the Bog of Allen Nature Centre in July with International Bog Day on Sunday 24th. Visit the centre between 2pm and 5pm for a fun afternoon discovering the Dutch and Irish bog connection and the wonderful butterflies of Lullymore West Nature reserve.

This free event will include a talk on the discoveries made during the IPCC’s recent visit to the Bargerveen Nature Reserve in the Netherlands supported by the Dutch Foundation for the Conservation of Irish Bogs, fun children’s activities and a guided walk to Lullymore West Bog, the IPCC’s Nature Reserve that is managed for the conservation of the wonderful diversity of butterfly species that can be found there. As part of the Community Tourism Diaspora Project of Failte Ireland, IPB Insurance and Kildare County Council the IPCC have invited members from other European Butterfly Monitoring Schemes to join them and share their butterfly experiences.

IPCC staff Katie Geraghty and Nuala Madigan recently visited the Bargerveen Nature Reserve, part of the International Naturpark Bourtanger Moor-Bargerveen. They received a very warm welcome by the Staatsbosbeheer rangers who kindly guided the girls through the Bargerveen Nature Reserve discussing all of the restoration works that have taken place there. The girls observed some of the wonderful wildlife present in the Bargerveen including the amazing abundance of butterflies; a survey of the Common Blue Butterfly on the reserve estimated a population of over 50,000! We can’t gaurantee to find such high numbers on Lullymore West but the Common Blue is present on the site so hopefully we will spot a few on the day.

The rangers at the Bargerveen also brought the girls to some of the industrial peatlands on the German side of the International Naturpark and visited a German Moormuseum and the Veenpark peat museum – the biggest open-air museum in the Netherlands.

‘We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the Bargerveen, we learnt much about the restoration of raised bogs and history of peatlands in the Netherlands. We are hoping to form a twinning between the Bog of Allen Nature Centre and the Bargerveen in the future. We would love to repay the hospitality shown by the Dutch and host the staff of the Bargerveen in Kildare and guide them through the history of Ireland’s peatlands and share our experience of peatland conservation, restoration, education and public awareness’ says Katie Geraghty, IPCC’s Campaign Officer.

All are welcome to attend International Bog Day on Sunday 24th July for a fun family day out. Strong footwear and outdoor clothing are recommended for the guided butterfly walk. Refreshments will be provided.

For further information please contact Katie at bogs@ipcc.ie or call 045 860133

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