Communities and Biodiversity
The Galway Buzz
Celebrating the work of community groups for nature
There are many community groups and Tidy Towns groups around County Galway that are working hard to protect and enhance biodiversity in their towns, villages, townlands and parishes for the benefit of their communities and the natural world. These groups provide great example and inspiration for us all.
Projects include tree planting, controlling invasive species, planting for pollinators and, possibly most importantly, raising awareness of the importance of biodiversity in our everyday lives among their communities.
A small sample of some of the work done by community groups in County Galway is highlighted below. More examples will be added shortly.
Athenry Tidy Towns https://www.facebook.com/Athenry-Tidy-Towns-339779479471811/ collaborated with Athenry Music School and the Children’s Tree Campaign https://childrenstreecampaign.org/ to plant ten thousand native trees in early 2020. Athenry Tidy Towns have a long record of planting trees in and around the town and won a National Tree Project Award in the Tidy Towns competition in 2018 for their tree planting efforts.
Headford Environment Group https://headfordenvironmentgroup.org/ ran ‘Walking Wildlife Workshops’ in 2019 with a range of experts highlighting the range of biodiversity that can be seen and enjoyed along the Sandybanks walk in the town. Check out this video for a summary of the walks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xk-9Ode132s.
The Headford Environment Group have successfully implemented numerous excellent biodiversity projects including a pollinator trail, community orchard, interpretive signage, native hedgerow planting etc. They have a Biodiversity Plan which guides their work. Check out their Facebook page to follow their activities https://www.facebook.com/HeadfordEnvironmentGroup/
The Monivea Wildlife Audit http://Monivea Wildlife Audit has been recording and celebrating nature and wildlife in the Monivea area including Monivea Woods and surrounding bogland for several years. They have put up bird boxes, run schools projects and use webcams to record local wildlife. Working with Monivea Tidy Towns they aim to discover, record and ultimately enjoy the rich biodiversity of the Monivea area.
The Inisbofin Nature Trust https://www.facebook.com/inishbofinnaturetrust/ are a voluntary group dedicated to protecting the unique biodiversity of Inishbofin. They regularly share video clips of wildlife on the island such as the cuckoo, dolphins, basking sharks and the very rare corncrake.
Williamstown Tidy Towns https://www.facebook.com/williamstowntidytowns/ group have developed a beautiful walking route along an old bog road. This is a fantastic amenity for the town, which provides an opportunity to enjoy the natural world while getting some free air and exercise. In order to stay connected with their community during the Covid crisis Williamstown Tidy Towns have gone online and are very active on their virtual tidy towns group https://www.facebook.com/Williamstown-Galway-Virtual-Tidy-Towns-104454217878591/?modal=admin_todo_tour
Cleggan Tidy Towns group have been working hard for many years to control Giant Rhubarb in their area https://biodiversity.galwaycommunityheritage.org/content/people/projects/cleggan-tidy-towns. Their dedication is really making an impact to contain this serious invasive species.
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