Staff and students at Kilrush Community School have been busily transforming the green lawns around their school into a haven for wildlife ahead of the inaugural Kilrush Biodiversity Week, which takes place from Monday, 23 April to Sunday, 29 April 2012.
The programme of events will celebrate the many aspects of Biodiversity in Kilrush and its environs from family days out in beautiful natural amenities to information and discussions about threats to biodiversity.
As part of the inaugural initiative, students and their teachers at Kilrush Community School will host a public wildlife gardening exhibition on Saturday, April 28th from 2:30 PM.
It is anticipated that the schools’ biodiversity garden will feature at least six different habitat areas. They include the planting of hundreds of native hedgerow and trees, which have been selected for wildlife interest and habitat value. They include Hawthorn, Holly, Guilder rose, Hazel, Crab apple, Alder, Bird cherry and Rowan.
A 20m-by-20m native woodland habitat also is proposed featuring a selection of tall native trees including Oak, Ash, Blackthorn, Yew Aspen and Hazel. It is proposed that when the woodland develops in about 5 years time, bluebells, primroses and ramsons will be planted to develop an attractive woodland ground flora.
Meanwhile, a herb bed is being developed along with a raised school vegetable garden. Other habitats being developed include butterfly patches, woodland glades and marshes.
Commenting on the project, Shane Casey, Biodiversity Officer with Clare County Council, said: “It is wonderful to see how enthusiastic the students are, and there has been a huge support from the staff, parents, local community and businesses, as well as environmental organisations such as CELT and Coillte who have donated a huge amount of plants and trees.”
According to Shane Casey: “The take home message for Kilrush Biodiversity Weekend is that Biodiversity is not some incomprehensible scientific discipline, but rather the ordinary plants and animals we see outside our windows and on our doorsteps every day.
Mr. Casey that that Kilrush Biodiversity Week coincides with the preparation of the Kilrush Development Plan 2014-2020, which he said “will have a significant focus on amenity, biodiversity and green infrastructure.”
“It is projects like that being developed by Kilrush Community School that will help enhance the local community and make Kilrush a more attractive town to live and work in, as well as visit”, he explained.
OTHER EVENTS:
A full programme of public events will be held on the weekend of April 28-29. There will be an early start on Saturday morning with a Dawn Chorus Walk in Vandeleur Woods at 5:30 AM. A Moth Exhibition and Bug Hunt for children takes place in the Vandeleur Woods from 10:00 AM, followed by a composting demonstration at 1pm and a guided tour of the beautiful Vandeleur Walled Gardens. At 2:30 PM, Kilrush Secondary School will host a Wildlife Gardening Exhibition, while the day will concluded with a late night bat walk in Vandeleur Woods at 9:30 PM.
On Sunday 29 April, the focus will turn to the Shannon Estuary when a discounted price for Dolphin Watching Boat Trips will be available to members of the public (to avail of the offer contact Geraldine on 065 9051327, quoting Kilrush Biodiversity Week). Meanwhile, Inland Fisheries Ireland will be inviting people to enjoy the marine touch pools at on Cappa Pier at 12:00 PM, and participate in a seashore walk from 4pm to discover the abundance of nature along the estuary from seaweed to waders.
