A Kinvara Tidy Towns collaboration with Kinvara Ballinderreen Tree Gang Kinvara Area Biodiversity Plan 2021~2024
EUROPEAN AGRICULTURAL FUND FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT: Funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development Europe Investing in Rural Areas
The LEADER Programme 2014-2020 is financed by the Department of Rural and Community Development under the Rural Development Programme Ireland (LEADER) 2014-2020 and by the EU under the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe investing in rural areas. photo credit- Luis De Morais Kinvara Area Biodiversity Plan 2021~2024
Introduction Biodiversity, short for ‘biological diversity’ is the word used to describe the whole variety of life on earth. A local nature or biodiversity plan sets out a number of agreed actions to help us to conserve, enhance and highlight the natural environment in our local area.
Kinvara (Cinn Mhara), literally ‘The Head of the Sea’ has been a fishing village, market town and port. Today it is a major tourist destination along the Wild Atlantic Way standing at the gateway to the unique limestone flags of the Burren.
We live along the margins of Kinvara Bay into which flow underground rivers creating a unique environment for flora and fauna, but we also have a traditional agricultural industry. Kinvara Tidy Towns in conjunction with members of Kinvara Ballindereen Tree gang attended a series of on-line biodiversity workshops hosted by Burren Beo during Winter/Spring 2021 and have compiled this list of Biodiversity Actions as a result of that activity. This plan groups actions identified into manageable projects.
All members of the local community including individuals, families, schools, clubs, and other organisations are welcome and encouraged to get involved in the Kinvara Area Biodiversity Plan to enhance and celebrate our wonderful natural and built heritage.
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Project Project/ Brief Description Community Time Project Project/ Brief Description Community Time No. Activity/ Involvement Frame No. Activity/ Involvement Frame Event Event 1 Hollytree Three-year plan to Leader – Kinvara 2021 - 3 Biodiversity To erect signs aimed Leader – Kinvara 2021 - Garden develop Hollytree Tidy Towns 2024 Awareness at raising awareness Tidy Towns 2024 Biodiversity garden as a biodiversity group. of biodiversity, nature, group. Project defined area in village. and wildlife throughout Key input being the Kinvara community open consultancy plan by Cross Groups green spaces. Cross Groups Lynne O’Keefe-Lascar. Collaboration Collaboration The main elements are Galway Country Estates wildflower meadow With a view to promoting Council management, planting of biodiversity friendly Families additional native / Burren Councillor gardens in homes, Schools plant species, increased Joe Byrne, estates, businesses, other signage to promote Community public areas, and sports Sports grounds. awareness, development Volunteers, grounds through various Wider of an ornamental raised initiatives. Lynn O’Keefe- community. bed and willow fencing to Lascar, separate the dark woods, Burrenbeo. 4 Pots for Promotion of growing Leader – Kinvara 2021 - wildflower, and hay Pollinators pollinators in pots Tidy Towns 2024 meadows. Initiative at home and placing group. 2 Tree planting C. 2300 native trees will Leader – Kinvara 2021- seven pots in the village & Wildflower be planted (Oak, Birch, Ballindeereen 2024 to encourage more Meadow Goat Willow, Spindle, Trees Gang. pollinator friendly flowers Cross Groups creation Burren Scots Pine, Crab in our landscapes. Collaboration Apple, Alder, Wild Cherry, Objective is to increase Rowan, Hawthorn, Hazel). Cross Groups Marie Mannion people’s awareness of Led by Collaboration & Mary McGann, Initial main objectives pollinators plants and Kinvara Galway Country are 1) Preparation of soil Kinvara Climate their importance as much Ballinderreen Council for planting in Trealla, Action, needed food for our Tree gang. Ballycleary. pollinating insects and National Kinvara bees. Biodiversity Data 2)Plant, maintain and Tidy Towns, Centre monitor trees in an Ballinderreen experiment, which Bee Wild, Wider explores different aspects community, Wider of the Miyawaki method. Businesses & community Groups. 3)Create and manage volunteers wildflower meadow in Kinvara & around trees. Ballinderreen.
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Project Project/ Brief Description Community Time No. Activity/ Involvement Frame Event 6 Kinvara 1. Complete posting of Leader – Kinvara 2021 - Heritage Trail signage and plaques. Tidy Towns 2023 Development group. 2. Run an awareness Project campaign to promote the Heritage trail Cross Groups and built heritage in Collaboration Kinvara. Kinvara Heritage 3. Potentially run a Group covid friendly walk during Heritage Kinvara week. Timeline to be Community finalised. Council
Kinvara Tourism Group Biodiversity To explore potential joint Leader – Kinvara 2022 - Initiative project(s) working with Tidy Towns 2024 7 the ten environment / group. climate groups in Kinvara. One idea is a calendar to promote biodiversity and Cross Groups sustainability. Collaboration Project Project/ Brief Description Community Time No. Activity/ Involvement Frame Climate / Event Environmental 5 Kinvara Promote awareness Leader – 2021- Groups involved Earthkeepers among primary school Earthkeeper 2022 to be confirmed. Family children of biodiversity Group Wider Adventures and leave no trace community of Bucket List principles during their Kinvara summer adventures Cross Groups 8 Biodiversity Development of trail Leader – Kinvara 2022 – with their families. This Collaboration Nature Trail (signage and launch Tidy Towns 2024 programme is a fun and Kinvara Tidy Development event). Start at group. active initiative to apply Towns Community centre via learning outside of the the green road up to active green schools’ Kinvara Plastics Hollytree garden. Cross Groups programmes ran by each Free Collaboration of our primary schools. Kinvara National Burrenbeo. Schools Others to be idenitifed.
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Project Project/ Brief Description Community Time No. Activity/ Involvement Frame Event 9 Run series of Potential talks may Leader – Kinvara 2021 - talks which include and will not be Tidy Towns 2024 communicate limited to: group. the 1. Explore the importance of biodiversity of our biodiversity Cross Groups coastal area including and raise Collaboration its unique hydrology. awareness Burrenbeo. within the 2. Foraging. community. Others to be 3. Biodiversity in Kinvara identified. 4. Wildlife gardening.
5. Promote awareness and knowledge of insects, birds, and animals of Kinvara. 10 Tree audit Complete tree audit Leader – Kinvara 2021 – throughout the village of Tidy Towns 2024 Kinvara, name and tag. group.
Potential Funding Sources Cross Groups Collaboration County Council Community Support Grants - http://www.galway.ie/en/services/ Residents communityenterpriseeconomicdevelopment/grantschemes/ Groups, Climate Action Opportunity Fund 2021 GCC-ENV-25(ME)-00 (4).pdf Schools, Kinvara Community Council. Local Leader Company, Galway Rural Development- http://www.grd.ie/ External expertise may be The Heritage Council https://www.heritagecouncil.ie/funding required.
Community Foundation for Ireland - https://www.communityfoundation.ie/ grants/types-of-grants
The Wheel Funding handbook has excellent advice on how and where to apply for grants https://www.wheel.ie/sites/default/files/media/file-uploads/2018-09/ the_wheel_EPA_Fundinghandbook_web.pdf
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Subject Organisation/ Websites Resources to Support Projects Group/Professional Service Subject Organisation/ Websites Geology, soils, Geological Survey of https://dcenr.maps.arcgis.com/ Group/Professional groundwater (includes Ireland (www.gsi.ie) apps/MapSeries/index.html?ap- Service OS discovery base pid=a30af518e87a4c0ab2fb- Archaeology, National monuments https://maps.archaeology.ie/ maps) de2aaac3c228 monuments service HistoricEnvironment/ Habitat mapping Heritage Council https://www.heritagecouncil. Bat information and Bat conservation https://www.batconservationire- (www.heritage.ie) & ie/content/files/best_prac- support Ireland land.org/ Green schools Ireland tice_guidance_habitat_sur- Biodiversity - All you National Biodiversity https://www.biodiversityireland. vey_mapping_onscreen_ver- need to know Date Centre ie/ sion_2011_8mb.pdf / https:// How to record Record biodiversity - https://www.biodiversityireland. greenschoolsireland.org/ Biodiversity Biodiversity Ireland ie/record-biodiversity/ wp-content/uploads/2016/08/ Biodiversity Reports Biodiversity: https://www.epa.ie/pubs/re- Habitat_mapping.pdf Environmental ports/biodiversity/ Heritage maps Heritage Council https://heritagemaps.ie/We- Protection Agency - monuments, (www.heritage.ie) bApps/HeritageMaps/index. Biodiversity plans, The Galway County https://biodiversity.galwaycom- architectural areas of html information, and event Biodiversity Project munityheritage.org/ interest, environmental listings maps, 1st, and 2nd ed. Biodiversity Calendar National Biodiversity https://www.biodiversity- OS maps resource Website ireland.ie/projects/monitor- Historic maps, Ordnance Survey http://map.geohive.ie/mapview- ing-scheme-initiatives geology, conservation, Ireland/Geohive er.html Bird information and Birdwatch Ireland, http://www.birdwatchgalway. population (www.osi.ie) support Galway Branch org, www.birdwatchireland.ie Heritage Galway Country https://heritage.galwaycommu- Conservation areas, National Biodiversity https://maps.biodiversityireland. Heritage Office nityheritage.org/ habitat data, citizen Website ie/Map science portal, Miyawaki Method Akira Miyawaki | http://www.akiramiyawaki.com/ birdwatch Ireland, Inventor of Manmade Bats, Geology, Forest Woodlands etc. Nature Trail Various - see website http://www.outdoorrec- Conservation National Parks and http://webgis.npws.ie/npws- development links reationni.com/wp-con- areas, site synopsis, Wildlife viewer/ tent/uploads/2015/08/ protected habitat data Toolkit-for-the-Develop- ment-of-Community-Trail-Net- Environment Galway Country http://www.gaillimh.ie/en/ser- works_ORNI_2015.pdf, https:// Resources Council Environment vices/environment/environmen- www.noticenature.ie/about/ talawareness/ walking-trails-in-ireland/ www. irishtrails.ie Folklore, school’s Duchas, National https://www.duchas.ie/, www. Place name Placenames Database https://www.logainm.ie/ collection, photo Folklore Collection, kinvara.ie of Ireland archive The Cresswell Archive Pollinator advice All Ireland Pollinator https://pollinators.ie/ (old kinvara photos). Plan
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Subject Organisation/ Websites Group/Professional Service Trees Resources 3 Heritage Trees https://data.gov.ie/dataset/her- of Ireland, Native itage-trees-of-ireland, https:// woodlands trust www.nativewoodlandtrust.ie/ Trees Resources 4 Crann (Trees for Crann (Trees for Ireland www. Ireland) crann.ie Wildflower meadow Various - see website https://www.biodiversityireland. & Wild seeds supplier links ie/practical-advice-on-manag- resources ing-wildflower-meadows, www. wildflowers.ie, www.suffolkwild- lifetrust.org/conservationad- vice/meadows-and-grassland, https://www.teagasc.ie/publica- tions/2020/wildflower-meadow. php, https://irishseedsavers.ie, https://www.bloomingnative.ie/ Subject Organisation/ Websites Wildlife information Vincent Wildlife Trust, https://www.vincentwildlife.ie, Group/Professional and support Irish Wildlife Trust www.iwt.ie Service Protecting local Water Local Authority http://watersandcommunities. Sources Water Programme ie/ Rivers, lakes, Environmental https://gis.epa.ie/EPAMaps/, catchments, water Protection Agency https://www.waterwaysireland. quality, licensing, (www.epa.ie), org/ waste enforcement Waterways Ireland Signage Resources National Biodiversity www.biodiversityireland.ie, Website, National www.pollinators.ie Biodiversity Data Centre Talk & Advice Burren Beo website, https://Burrenbeo.com/, https:// Greenfoundation www.greenfoundationireland.ie , Ireland, Cuanbeo, www.cuanbeo.com/ Others to identify over time & source Trees Resources 1 Trees and tree http://heritage.galwaycom- planting- ‘Galway’s munityheritage.org/content/ Living Landscapes heritagepublications/galways- Part 2: Trees and living-landscapes-part-2-tre Woodland’ Trees Resources 2 Potential external www.treecouncil.ie /www.for- professional expertise estryservices.ie if needed
12 13 This biodiversity plan is one of six that came about as a result of the 2021 Community Biodiversity Training and Awareness Programme delivered by the Burrenbeo Trust and funded by Galway Rural Development. Up to eight participants from each community attended a place-based Biodiversity Training course, which included 10 hours of initial activity-based learning covering all aspects of heritage but focusing on Biodiversity. This culminated in each community creating a Biodiversity plan. Workshops on various topics were provided to the communities in order to give them the skills necessary to put their plans into action. Creating their own plan gives each community a strong sense of ownership and agency. Each of the six plans is unique and reflects the interests, skills and needs of the local community.
Design and printing of the plans was funded by Galway County Council.
EUROPEAN AGRICULTURAL FUND FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT: Funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development Europe Investing in Rural Areas
The LEADER Programme 2014-2020 is financed by the Department of Rural and Community Development under the Rural Development Programme Ireland (LEADER) 2014-2020 and by the EU under the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe investing in rural areas.