Kildare’s Wildlife Watch: New biodiversity action plan for Kilcullen

Last week I visited the community of Kilcullen where, over the coming months and together with Kilcullen Community 4 Climate Action, I will be working on developing a community biodiversity action plan for the area.

This plan was funded by the Community Foundation for Ireland and will compliment their most recent biodiversity action plan.

The purpose of a biodiversity action plan is to identify the different types of plants and animals, map where they are found and set out a range of actions that aims to protect biodiversity within a community.

While although we are only in the early stages of spring, a short walk through Kilcullen last Saturday gave a glimpse of the diversity of life I can expect to find.

Native magpies, blackbirds and great tits, along with an oak tree, rose hips, snowdrops and lesser celandine were just some of the species identified.

An unwelcome resident by the name of winter heliotrope was also found!

Once the survey of the diversity of life is completed, recommendations to maintain and enhance the biodiversity within the community will be provided in the plan.

One of these recommendations may be to do nothing! Sometimes in particular areas of our communities, our local biodiversity can be thriving and the best we can do to help it is to simply enjoy the area and its biodiversity.

Over the coming months I will be visiting Kilcullen regularly to record the diversity of life as it emerges from its winter hibernation, so for all the residents of the area, if you see me with my camera and clipboard by a hedge at the Valley Walk along the River Liffey, or down by the Pinkeen River, please stop and I will share with you what I have found that day!

This week the white flowers of snowdrops and the yellow flowers of lesser celandine are both now blooming. Will you find them in your community this week?

Don’t forget if you come across a wildlife species that you would like help identifying, I would be happy to help. Contact me at bogs@ipcc.ie.