Burren in Bloom, the renowned annual celebration of the unique biodiversity and natural heritage of the Burren region in County Clare and Galway commenced on May 3rd and will continued until May 26th.
With events scheduled for every weekend of May, this year’s programme promises a wonderful range of guided walks and workshops that explore various aspects of biodiversity in the Burren.
Exploration of rare and common orchids, plants and grasses of the high Burren, bird walks at dawn and dusk, butterfly walks at Ireland’s premier butterfly sites, bat walk, turlough walk and hazel woodland walk all offer immersive experiences into a variety of special habitats present in this unique landscape.
The programme also highlights actions that individuals or communities can take to make more space for nature on their own pockets of land through events such as a ‘wildlife pond workshop’ delivered by Féidhlim Harty, the pond advisor for Burrenbeo’s The Hare’s Corner biodiversity initiative or a visit to the famous Caher Bridge Gardens in Fanore, guided by its creator Carl Wright.
Two interactive Eco-Art workshops hosted in partnership with the Burren College of Art invite participants to make ocean-based art works from marine plastic waste collected in Clare and Galway – the results of which will be displayed at a collaborative SciArt installation, ‘Plastic Magnitudes’ in Brussels this summer.
The festival will culminate with two events that beautifully demonstrate the relationship between farming and biodiversity in the Burren – a ‘Bioblitz’ on a Burren farm where participants can help ecologists in recording flora of a beautifully diverse north Burren farm and a ‘Return to the Winterage walk’ to enjoy the arrival of the bounty of wildflowers to an upland Burren farm made possible by the farming practice of winter grazing there.
Áine Bird, Coordinator of Burrenbeo Trust says, ‘Burren in Bloom is a community celebration of biodiversity with a firm focus on highlighting our shared role in conserving it. Many of the events underscore inspiring actions for nature and heritage taken by farmers, individuals, and communities. We are grateful to the specialist walk and workshop leaders, local farmers and National Park and Wildlife Service guides that are enabling us to host such a diverse range of events.’
Pre-booking is essential for all events. While Burrenbeo Trust members have been given priority booking at a discounted price, all general tickets for Burren in Bloom events will be available to book from 18th of April. Children under the age of 18 go free for all events. For more information about the programme, please visit burreninbloom.com
This programme is coordinated by the Burrenbeo Trust, a landscape charity that does not receive any core funding. Find out more about Burrenbeo Trust and how you can support it at www.burrenbeo.com.
