Biodiversity

No Mow May

We are asking you to join us, the Adare Tidy Towns team in helping Ireland’s bees. Right now, bees are struggling to survive because there are not enough wild flowers to give them the food they need.

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Please let your garden do its own great thing and lock away your lawnmower for the month of May.

Wildflowers for All 2023

We worked with Greensource to create 500 packs of wildflower seeds to deliver to every household in Adare this March. We are looking forward to seeing these blooming in gardens across the town.

Each packet provided will cover 1 square metre. That is potentially 500 square meters of native wildflowers planted, growing and providing food for our pollinators and supporting biodiversity. You don’t need a large garden to contribute to supporting biodiversity, and you don’t even need to actively garden. Just leave nature to do its thing!

Why plant native wildflowers?

Wildflowers improve air and water quality They prevent soil erosion by spreading their roots and stabilising the surrounding soil. If the soil in your garden is not stabilised, nutrients in the soils may get washed into rivers, streams or other water systems.

Native wildflowers are perfectly adapted to local weather conditions, you don’t need to protect them for temperatures, rain or lack of rain.

Native wildflowers have evolved to live in harmony with other native species such as insects and animals – they rely on these species for pollination and in turn they are a food source for these other species.

Many species of insects, birds and animals will only eat certain plants, or in the case of insects such as butterflies, will only lay their eggs on wildflowers as they are a source of food for their larvae.

They are easy to care for as they are less prone to disease and do not need fertilisers.

When there is less food available during wintertime, wildflower seeds are an important food source for birds and small animals.

Wildflower-rich habitats support a wide variety of insects and wildlife. A natural symbiosis occurs between insects that pollinate wildflowers, enabling them to develop seeds and to spread and grow in other places, and the wildflowers that provide food and shelter for insects and small animals.

What is the source?

Blooming Native Wildflower Seed

Bee Facts

• There are 100 bee species in Ireland: the honeybee, 21 species of bumblebee, and 78 species of solitary bee.
• Bees are the most important pollinator of crops and native plant species in Ireland. They are a key component of our wildlife and one of the busiest, least appreciated work forces we have. A study from the Department of the Environment found that bees are worth €53m a year to the economy.
• In Ireland crops such as apples, strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes, blackcurrants, peppers, courgettes and pumpkins are reliant on bees for pollination.
• It is estimated that almost three quarters of our wild plants rely on insect pollinators, of which bees are most important.

Source: https://pollinators.ie/record-pollinators/bees/

Useful Links

• No Nettles Required : No Nettles Required: The Reassuring Truth about Wildlife Gardens | NHBS Academic & Professional Books
• All Ireland Pollinator Plan: All-Ireland Pollinator Plan » All-Ireland Pollinator Plan (pollinators.ie)
• National Biodiversity Data Centre: National Biodiversity Data Centre A Heritage Council Programme, Documenting Ireland’s Wildlife (biodiversityireland.ie)

Adare Riverwalk

The Adare riverbank walk is visited by nature journalist Albert Nolan

The river Maigue is home to many birds and waders. Here is a recent (2022) Winter Bird Assessment undertaken as part of the Adare Flood Relief Scheme Study.

Biodiversity education series

Here is a podcast on Spring Flowering plants issued by the National Biodiversity Center. Have a look and see what you can identify and log with the National Biodiversity Data Centre. 

Everyone of us has a role to play, both as an individual and as part of a community to sustain our populations of native species in the area.

A report on the biodiversity of the village was produced by Will Hayes M.Sc., Limerick, Ireland in 2018. Images of the species he identified in the report can be seen in the following galleries.

Biodiversity related posts showing activity and progress in this area.

If you are interested in meeting like minded people in increasing the awareness and importance of our biodiversity please contact us at adaretidytowns@gmail.com.

The Facebook Feed of Biodiversity Ireland is shown below to allow you to see the latest activities of this fantastic organisation.