Biodiversity Day to be held in Leitrim on May 25

Among ecologists, Leitrim is recognised as having a unique variety of habitats and wildlife, from boglands to pasturelands, from mountains to valleys, from lakes to woodlands.

To raise awareness of this richness, Good Energies Alliance Ireland (GEAI) last year commissioned a study of the local biodiversity around Lough Allen and the Leitrim Way and now is organising a Biodiversity Day on May 25 to deliver the report of this study and an Action Plan to publicise its findings and to encourage preservation of what we have.

“I am very excited about our first Biodiversity Day”, said Leslie O’Hora, communications Director of GEAI. “We have a very full programme organised with talks about our local amazing findings and action plan, also presentations from local farmers working towards sustainable farming practices, an overview of the Leitrim Biodiversity Plan and of course a Keynote Speech from the irrepressible Éanna Ní Lamhna, who is fascinated with our local ecosystems.”

The Biodiversity Day will be held in Ballinaglera Community Hall. Starting at 9.30, it will include presentations of the Biodiversity project findings and Action Plan as well as reports from other projects, organisations and County plans.

Uniquely, the morning talks will be followed by lunch and after lunch, everyone will be invited to participate in a mini Field Trip to the banks of our local Yellow River to look at the invasion of foreign species of plants, their impact on the river banks, and ways to eradicate them. The event will finish up at 4pm.

“We are expecting a good attendance on the day”, concluded O’Hora. “The presentations promise to be most interesting and relevant to everyone living in the Northwest region. No special expertise is required, just interest in knowing more about what we have and how to preserve it. All welcome, entrance is free.”

For more information, call 071 9643117 or email goodenergies@geai.ie. The event will be online as well as in person, please email us to get the online link.