National Dawn ChorusWildlife enthusiasts across Ireland will be setting their alarm clocks early tomorrow morning to join in Birdwatch Ireland's National Dawn Chorus events in various parks and woodlands.
While birds are in full voice throughout the summer months, the dawn chorus offers listeners a special opportunity to hear the largest number of birds singing together at the highest volume. According to Birdwatch Ireland, people who have never before experienced a full dawn chorus in a woodland or well-wooded garden are often astonished how many birds seem to be involved. Here's a sample of meeting places tomorrow to which the public are welcome (supervised children also welcome but no dogs or other pets). In Dublin, meeting points are in the car park of Ardgillan Demesne, Balbriggan, at 5.30am, in Grange Road car park, Marlay Park, Rathfarnham at 4am and in the main car park, Newbridge House, Donabate at 5.30am. For a full list of events, see www.birdwatchireland.ie.
Biodiversity Day speakers
The speakers at the Climate and Biodiversity Symposium to mark International Biodiversity Day on Tuesday in Cultivate, Temple Bar, Dublin, reads like a Who's Who of environmental experts. They are Matthew Jebb, taxonomist at the National Botanic Gardens, Colman Ó Críodáin, conservation scientist with the National Parks and Wildlife Service, Éanna Ní Lamhna, nature expert and broadcaster, Oisín Coghlan, director of Friends of the Earth, Billy Flynn, project coordinator with Irish Wildlife Trust, Anja Murray, natural environmental officer with An Taisce, Karin Dubsky, environmental scientist with Coastwatch Ireland and Donnacha O'Dulaing, city heritage officer with Dublin City Council. As Ireland is threatened with financial penalties for failure to comply with EU directives on the protection of habitats and biodiversity, let's hope then that this distinguished panel of experts can move the agenda forward. Web, a coalition of NGOs working on biodiversity will also be launched at the event. Admission free. Bookings on tel: 01-6745773.
Meanwhile other events on International Biodiversity Day include a seminar on climate change, biodiversity and peatlands at the Organic Centre, Rossinver, Co Leitrim. Speakers include Prof Mike Jones, School of Botany, Trinity College Dublin and Dr Jennifer Hanafin from Met Éireann. Tel: 071-9856898.
This is also be the inaugural Clare Biodiversity Week. Tel: 065-6846408.
And the Irish Wildlife Trust is holding a series of talks, Nature in Our Lives, in libraries in Dublin city and county.
Explore Biozone
The Eco-Unesco Young Environmentalist Awards take place on Monday between 11.30am and 2.30pm in the Round Room of the Mansion House, Dublin. The display will include 34 shortlisted projects created by young people on the island of Ireland. Visitors can also explore Biozone, an interactive exhibition with games developed for National Biodiversity Week. The showcase will be followed by the announcement of the winner of the Young Environmentalist of the Year.
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EcoWeb
www.actforclimate.ie
A new website encouraging people to e-mail general election candidates to ask them to support a climate change law. According to Friends of the Earth, creating such legislation is the only way measures to reduce carbon emissions will be implemented.