Port Omna Beo Nature and Wildlife Group

Celebrating biodiversity in Portumna

Portumna Beo at the St Patricks Day Parade
Noreen Lyons
Learning about flora of Portumna with Caroline Lalor
Noreen Lyons
Wildflower identification workshop
Noreen Lyons
Sharing the message of biodiversity
Noreen Lyons

Port Omna Beo Nature and Wildlife Group formed in 2013, following a series of biodiversity training workshops initiated by People and Nature Galway Co. Co. and facilitated by Dr. Janice Fuller. The focus of the training was to produce a Biodiversity Plan for Portumna. We produced an action plan.
Port Omna Beo’s aim is to promote a greater appreciation of the beauty and wonder of nature in the area, the importance of biodiversity and the need to live more sustainably.
We have organised a variety of biodiversity events and training days. Our activities have included the following.
• The management of an old historical graveyard in a biodiversity-friendly way
• Butterfly and Bee Monitoring Day with the National Biodiversity Data Centre
• Talk on the White-Tailed Eagle
• Art and Botany workshop during the Shorelines Festival
• Three Wild Flower Identification days facilitated by ecologist Caroline Lalor
• Observing Birds of Lough Derg Day with Jamie Durant of Birdwatch Ireland.
• Planted organic native flowers and herbs to attract bees, butterflys and other pollinators.
• Dawn and Dusk choruses
• Deer Rutting and Badger Set observation.
• Annual Starling Murmuration viewings on Lough Derg
• Biodiversity Awareness Window Displays
• St. Patrick’s Day floats with Biodiversity themes
• Viewing Migratory Birds on the Callows with Stephen Heary

Evening Celebration:
We organised a special fundraiser to meet our insurance costs. It was an evening of fun, feasting and frolics interwove throughout with the theme of biodiversity. It generated a great sense of goodwill, community and awareness of just how good and tasty locally produced organic home-cooked food can be.

Ongoing Projects: Local Graveyard; Flora and Grasses of the Canal

Local Graveyard: Port Omna Beo grant aided by Agenda 21, have created a more biodiversity friendly environment in the local historical graveyard. The local Men’s Shed built the wooden flower boxes. We planted a variety of Butterfly and Bee-friendly flowers and created a herb patch. The work is ongoing.

Flora and Grasses of the Canal: With 2016 funding from Waterways Ireland we had 3 enjoyable, inspiring training days on the Canal with ecologist Caroline Lalor. There was a good attendance. We will be compiling this information into a publication – leaflet that will enrich the walkers experience of the canal.

Joint Project : Port Omna Beo and An Gáirdín:

We are currently producing a publication – leaflet/flyer on Native Woodland Trees and Flowers in Portumna Forest Park. Children from the local St. Bridget’s National School are involved in this project. They researched and identified local Native trees. The publication will be attractive, informative and we hope it will enhance the enjoyment of walking in the forest and create a greater awareness of the richness of the trees and flora there.

See here to download the leaflet

http://biodiversity.galwaycommunityheritage.org/content/places/galwaynature/guide-woodland-flora-leaflet-launch

This page was added on 04/04/2017.

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