Burren in Bloom, the annual celebration of the rich biodiversity of the Burren will take place online this year from 8pm to 9:15pm each evening from Tues 18th of May to Saturday 22nd of May.
Events will feature inspiring community initiatives from the Burren and beyond, short presentations by local enthusiasts on their favourite Burren flora, and in-depth talks with some of the leading specialists in biodiversity like orchid expert Brendan Sayers, naturalist David Cabot and ecologist and author Pádraic Fogarty.
Áine Bird, Coordinator of the Burrenbeo Trust says, “Burren in Bloom, now in its 16th year is a fantastic occasion to engage with and learn about our natural heritage in the biodiversity hot spot which is the Burren. While the online platform may not let us physically be in the Burren to experience it, it does give us the opportunity to hear from a variety of inspiring voices on biodiversity from across the country. We are also delighted to be partnering this year with the National Biodiversity Data Centre’s All Ireland Pollinator Plan to specially focus on the important role of community stewardship in biodiversity actions.”
To kickstart the events, on the evening of Tuesday 18th, six community groups who have recently completed a biodiversity training programme with Burrenbeo Trust will launch biodiversity plans for their local area. The Burrenbeo Conservation Volunteers who have been working in the Burren for the past 10 years will also reflect on their decade of work in the region.
On the 19th of May we will hear the stories of two inspirational communities; Ennis Tidy Towns and the Monaghan Dispersed Orchard Project both of whom have done outstanding work for biodiversity in their places.
Short presentations by entomologist Dara Stanley on ‘My Top Ten Burren Flowers and Bees’, by herbalist Lisa Guinan on ‘My Top Ten Burren Medicinal Flowers’, and by botanist Cillian Roden on ‘My Top Ten Burren Rare Plants and Places’ will be followed by more in-depth talks by keynote speakers on the evenings of 20th, 21st and 22nd May. The keynote talks include ‘Writing About the Burren: the jewel in the ecological crown of Ireland’ with naturalist and author David Cabot, ‘Gems of the first water – Burren orchids’ with orchid specialist, Brendan Sayers and ‘Farming Vs Rewilding for Biodiversity’ with ecologist, author and campaign officer with Irish Wildlife Trust, Pádraic Fogarty.
“We invite everyone with an interest in our natural heritage to attend this year’s Burren in Bloom and join us in celebrating the national biodiversity week (17th – 23rd May) and the World Bee day (Thursday 20th May) which fall within this week. All events are free to attend but registration is essential through www.burreninbloom.com”, says Áine Bird, Coordinator of Burrenbeo Trust.
Burren in Bloom is partially supported by The Environmental Protection Agency and the Heritage Council.
Visit Burren in Bloom for the programme of events and registration links and Burren Beo for all information on the Burrenbeo Trust.