Line-up of events announced as National Biodiversity Week 2025 kicks off in Clare

A series of biodiversity events will take place across County Clare as part of National Biodiversity Week, which runs from Friday, May 16 to Sunday, May 25, it has been revealed. 

Clare County Council’s Biodiversity Office, in conjunction with the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), Heritage Council, BirdWatch Ireland, Irish Seed Savers, Clare Libraries, National Biodiversity Data Centre, Inis Artists, and local experts, has organised a number of events which will include biodiversity talks and field outings to mark the occasion.

This year’s varied programme includes a talk on identifying the sounds and calls of some of the county’s bird life, workshops on native orchards and plant identification and a field outing to learn about bats. There will also be events aimed at younger groups.

Barry O’Loughlin, Biodiversity Officer, Clare County Council, said, “National Biodiversity Week is a great way for the public to learn about habitats and species in their local area from experts in their field, the measures that can be taken to enhance biodiversity in their local area, and at the same time participate in citizen science biodiversity recording initiatives. The events are free to attend and will appeal to all age groups. People are advised to book their place in advance.”

The programme of events taking place in Clare for National Biodiversity Week 2025 include the following:

On Friday, May 16, Karen Healy of Bat Conservation Ireland will give an outdoor talk and walk on the ‘Ennis Bat Safari’ in Ballybeg Woods at 9pm to learn about the Lesser Horseshoe Bat and other species in Clare using handheld bat detectors. Those attending are advised to bring warm clothing.   

Irish Seed Savers, in conjunction with the Council’s Biodiversity Office, will host two workshops on the creation and management of traditional native orchards, the first on Saturday, May 17, in Quin and the second on Tuesday, May 20, in Doonbeg. The event is part of the local biodiversity action funded project, ‘Return to Nature Clare Church Biodiversity Project’ led by Clare County Council’s Biodiversity Officer. 

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On Monday, May 19, Tara Adcock, Birdwatch Ireland’s Urban Birds Project Officer will give an online talk on the ecology of swifts and suitable nest box installation on churches and other buildings. The swift population has undergone declines in recent years. On Wednesday, May 21, John Lusby, BirdWatch Ireland Raptor Officer, will give an online talk on barn owls and the identification of suitable habitat site selection for the installation of barn owl nest boxes. 

Botanist Phoebe O’Brien will deliver an in-person workshop on wildflower identification on Saturday, May 24 in Inagh. The half day course will cover the identification of plants and grasses on church lawns, creating a herbarium of plants and how to use Flower Insect timed counts. Also on Saturday, May 24, the National Biodiversity Data Centre will lead a field outing on the identification of damselflies and dragonflies at Corofin. 

On Sunday, May 25, Clare County Council’s Biodiversity Officer, Barry O’Loughlin, will lead an outdoor event at Shanakyle Bog near Parteen which will cover the changes since rewetting of the bog in 2021 and other biodiversity enhancement actions undertaken. 

From Friday, May 16 to Monday, May 26, Inis Artists will display their artwork at the De Valera Library in Ennis where the main theme of the exhibit is the Lesser Horseshoe Bat. This is available for all age groups to attend and to learn about the life cycle of this rare species.

Clare libraries will host events at the Edna O'Brien Library in Scarriff and are aimed at younger groups, including a talk on swifts on Tuesday, May 20 at 6.30pm and a screening of Puffin Rock and puffin craft activity on Thursday, May 22, at 3:30pm, along with this, De Valera Library Ennis will also host a Biodiversity Mini-Bug Storytime and Craft Session on May 22 at 3:30pm.

National Biodiversity Week is organised by the Irish Environmental Network, with support from NPWS and the Heritage Council’s Biodiversity Officer Network. Events are run by IEN member groups, as well as by Biodiversity Officers, Heritage Officers and other local groups.

A range of other events have been organised by various groups throughout the county and are available to view at https://biodiversityweek.ie/. 

For further information on National Biodiversity Week and to register your place at any of these spectacular events, please visit: https://biodiversityweek.ie/ or contact biodiversity@clarecoco.ie.