BirdWatch Ireland and Dublin City Council are running a free event at Bull Island on February 3rd. in the heart of the capital Bull Island is an extraordinarily important wetland in many ways - huge volumes of birds and lots of people side-by-side!

Learn about birds which migrate to and from Dublin Bay each year at a free talk in the Bull Island Interpretive Centre at 11:00, followed by birdwatching on the island afterwards.

All welcome!

Note that BWI are running additional events at the Boyne Estuary and a workshop in Limerick (see other posts for details)

To mark World Wetlands Day, the Kilkenny Branch of BirdWatch Ireland is hosting a meet up at the Newpark Fen, in Kilkenny City on Saturday the 3^rd of February.  Meeting at the fen entrance at 10am.

If unfamiliar with the location, the New Park Close Family Resource Centre is across the road, its Eircode is R95PF63.

The members of BirdWatch Ireland will lead a walk around the fen, providing information on birds seen or heard as a loop of the fen is walked.  As this is an outdoor event, please wear suitable clothing and footwear.

Discover why we need to preserve and restore these richly biodiverse ecosystems that underpin human wellbeing. In Limerick, the county's City and County Council are hosting a WWD Workshop on 1st February.

Registration is essential here - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/world-wetlands-day-workshop-thurs-1st-feb-2024-tickets-779456654837

The itinerary for the workshop is as follows:

19:00 - Welcome by Mayor of Limerick City and County Council or a representative

19:10 - Importance and ecology of wetlands - Speaker: Nuala Madigan, Chief Executive of the Irish Peatland Conservation Council.

19:30 - Wetland Birds and Wintering Wildfowl in Limerick – Speaker: Tom Tarpey, Limerick Branch of BirdWatch Ireland.

19:50 - Nature Based Solutions - Benefitting wildlife & humans - Speaker: - Fran Igoe Regional Coordinator. South East Region, South West Region, Local Authorities Water Programme

20:10 - Discussion and Q&A

20:30 – A chance to network with Tidy Towns groups and wildlife enthusiasts over refreshments

21:30 – Event Ends

All welcome to register, places available on a first come first service basis – please feel free to share with family and friends

Friends of Ardee Bog are running a series of super events on 3rd February 2024 - various activities at various locations as follows:

At Stormanstown Bog: 10:00-14:00

• Forest bathing with forest therapy guide Fiona Crawley (book via QR code below) 10-12:30
• Bog walk with photographer Adrian Crawley 13:00-14:00

And later in the afternoon at the Imbolic Bog Cafe (https://www.ardeebog.org) 15:30 - 18:30:

• TALK - Bogs and pre-christian beliefs with archaeologist Dr Eve Campbell
• MAKING A BRIGIT's GIRDLE - Protection Magic with artist Helen Flanagan
• POETRY - Niamh Beirne & Nuala Leonard
• MUSIC - Piper Brendan McCreanor

and last but not least - the LAUNCH OF OUR PROJECT DEEP MAPPING ARDEE BOG

Please the the Friends of Ardee Bog website or contact Anne (086 174 1461) for further information.

To celebrate WWD, we in Louth would love you to join us for:

• Forest bathing with forest therapy guide Fiona Crawley (booking required via the QR code below) 10:o0 - 12:30 2nd February
• a bog wander from 14:00 - 15:40 on Friday 2nd.

more events are on Saturday 3rd (see other link)

Further information from Anne on 086 174 1461

The Biodiversity and Education team from Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council are hosting an event at Peatlands Park which lies within the Lough Neagh Ramsar site (also designated ASSI/SAC protected area).

GCE Biology students from within our council borough have been invited to attend our programme to mark World Wetlands Day which is our inaugural effort to formally recognise this important day.

The programme will comprise discussion and demonstration of

• the importance of the ecosystem services which wetlands generally and more specifically peatlands provide.
• The present problems/issues contributing to the poor condition of 80% of our peatland in Northern Ireland
• Ongoing and future peat recovery projects

The site manager and peatland experienced guides will lead guided walks around the Peatlands Park site to showcase bogs which are in good and poor condition and highlight the measures currently employed to improve and restore areas which have become degraded due to commercial cutting and extraction of peat.

Students will also have an opportunity to discover the unique biodiversity of this site and learn about the adaptations of peatland flora in particular the key role of sphagnum moss the bog-builder.

On 3^rd February we are running a Rhododendron Removal Volunteer Event which is open to the public (20 places) this is intended to promote the human wellbeing messaging of healthy Wetlands/Peatlands including the physical and mental health benefits of working in nature settings.

To celebrate World Wetlands Day on February 2^nd we are having a Photography Competition ! Just get out to your nearest wetland – a bog, stream, river, pond, lake – and take a photo of what you see!! No shortage of Wetlands in Monaghan, so no excuses ! It might be a duck, a heron, a boat, fishing, some frogspawn, a plant- or maybe you, your dog or your family swimming or enjoying the wetlands!  As long as it celebrates the many wonderful wetlands we have in Monaghan, it’s eligible!  Email your photos to Biodiversity@monaghancoco.ie Closing date is Wed January 31^st. Prizes for kids, teens and adults.

Local Ulster Wildlife expert Giles Knight is giving a talk on raptors in Fermanagh on 1st February 2024.

Numbers are strictly limited so registration is essential so if interested please contact Giles.Knight@ulsterwildlife.org for details on timing and venue.

Cloughjordan Heritage Group invite you to participate in local events as part of a global celebration of wetlands.

On 2nd February we will be hosting talks on:

• The Cloughjordan Conservation Cluster: Lough Nahinch Survey and Tipperary Wetlands Survey - a talk by Jim Ryan (ecologist), Community Wetlands Forum
• Nature, well-being and green prescribing - Dr Roisin Costello (GP)

Meet at the Thomas McDonagh Museum 2-3pm. Admission is FREE

RSPB Northern Ireland invite you to come see the wetland birds of Lough Neagh and its hinterland at its reserve on the eastern shore of the Lough between 10-11.30am.

Site staff will be on hand to help you identify the wildfowl and wading birds, and to chat about the conservation of this wonderful wetland reserve.

For further information contact RSPB HQ (Belvoir Balfast).