As the world has become increasingly bright at night, what are the consequences for Irish wildlife?

With many species dependant on interactions with the night sky for feeding, breeding, migration and movement, this Dark Sky Ireland talk, hosted by Wexford Naturalists' Field Club, will delve into the ecology of these well-adapted species and discuss the opportunities that lie in protecting dark skies. 

Marina Mulligan, Dark Sky Ireland Ambassador will explore the importance of naturally dark places for wildlife along with the effects of light pollution on ecosystems. Marina is a conservation biologist with interests in habitat restoration, biodiversity conservation and science communication. Her involvement with Dark Sky Ireland began while working at Wild Nephin National Park/Mayo Dark Sky Park where she was introduced to Mayo Dark Skies. As an advocate for the creation of ecological corridors (including dark corridors) that connect species populations, she hopes to inspire others to take positive actions to protect the natural environment. 

Details of the talk are as follows:

Time:    8pm
Date:    Thursday, 3rd October, 2024
Venue:  The Pumphouse, Wexford Wildfowl Reserve.

Non-members of the Wexford Naturalists' Field Club are very welcome. Admission for non-members is €5 which includes light refreshments.  

The 2025 Community Water Development Fund is now open for applications.

The Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) has opened the Community Water Development Fund for 2025 and welcomes grant applications from community groups in County Wexford and nationwide. LAWPRO is a national shared service working on behalf of the 31 local authorities in Ireland coordinating efforts to achieve good water quality in every county in Ireland.

Speaking about the fund, a LAWPRO spokesperson said: “We are delighted to once again be able to offer community groups grant aid for water quality projects in Wexford. The Community Water Development Fund has supported locally led projects since 2018 and this year the fund changed. Medium to large scale water quality projects are the focus of this call and we welcome applications from €5,000 to €50,000 and beyond subject to procurement”.

The fund supports communities to deliver positive actions for water quality, protection, and awareness through community grants. In the 2024 funding call, over €700,000 grant aid was awarded to 155 water quality projects.

The fund is open to all community and voluntary groups to help in the protection and management of water quality, both locally and in the wider catchment.

The guidelines can be downloaded and the grant application form completed online at lawaters.ie from 18th September with a deadline of 20th November, 2024.

Have you a garden, big or small? Here's a wonderful booklet packed with ideas on simple ways to help biodiversity in your garden.

It was written by Juanita Browne and illustrated by Barry Reynolds and provides a step-by-step guide to practical actions that you can take to help biodiversity in your garden.
To access, click here

This guide was funded by The Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht through the National Parks and Wildlife Service’s National Biodiversity Action Plan Fund, with support from the Heritage Council and the Local Authority Heritage Officer Network.