Online edition: ew 2009-0900 Print edition: ISSN 2009-8464 ISSUE 18 | AUTUMN/WINTER 2018 The Hare Survey of Ireland 2017-19 Ireland’s wild geese Eric Dempsey introduces these migrant visitors Global biodiversity meeting 25th GBIF meeting hosted in Kilkenny Biodiversity Tales News from recording schemes for butterflies, bats and birds Contents Biodiversity Ireland Issue 18 Autumn/Winter 2018 Biodiversity Ireland is published by the National NEWS ......................................................................................................................................3, 6, 7, 13 Biodiversity Data Centre. Enquiries should be sent to the editor, Juanita Browne, [email protected] GBIF comes to Kilkenny ...............................................................................................................4 The National Biodiversity Data Centre, 25th GBIF Governing Board Meeting Beechfield House, WIT West Campus, Carriganore, Waterford. Tel: +353 (0)51 306240 Email: [email protected] Social Impact Award ......................................................................................................................8 Web: www.biodiversityireland.ie National Biodiversity Data Centre wins top Data Science award Management Board BIODIVERSITY BEGINNERS – Ireland’s wild geese .............................................. 10 The National Biodiversity Data Centre is governed by a Management Board, established by the Heritage Eric Dempsey introduces our migrant visitors Council. The Management Board is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the work of the National Biodiversity Data Centre and for ensuring Running with the Hare ...............................................................................................................14 proper corporate governance. Dr Neil Reid explains how you can contribute to the Hare Survey of Ireland The composition of the Management Board: Bernadette Guest Heritage Officer, Waterford City BIODIVERSITY TALES ...........................................................................................................16 and County Council Updates on birds, whales, bryophytes and vascular plants Dr Matthew Jebb Director, National Botanic Gardens Rachel Kenny Director of Planning, An Bord Pleanála Staff of the National Biodiversity Data Centre Dr. Micheál Lehane Director, Environmental Protection Agency Dr Peter McLoughlin Head of School of Science Juanita Browne, Ben Malone, and Computing All-Ireland Pollinator Plan Officer, Administrative & Engagement Department, Waterford Institute of Technology is responsible for engaging Officer, is responsible for day- with partner organisations to-day office management at the Nigel Monaghan Keeper, National Museum of to assist implementation of Centre. He also has developed and Ireland – Natural History Division the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan and to promote is coordinating the Centre’s engagement and outreach Jack Nolan Head of Nitrates, Biodiversity and the conservation of Ireland’s pollinators. She also programme, including organising the capacity-building Engineering Division, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine contributes to communications activities of the recorder workshops. Data Centre. Dr Ciaran O’Keeffe Director, National Parks Dr Tomás Murray, and Wildlife Service Dr. Úna Fitzpatrick, Senior Ecologist, deals with Declan Quigley Senior Port Office, Sea Fisheries Senior Ecologist, is responsible for much of the analysis, ecological Protection Authority the development of, and oversees modelling and national reporting Michael Starrett Chief Executive, delivery of, the All-Ireland Pollinator work of the Data Centre. His The Heritage Council Plan 2015-2020, and is responsible responsibilities include management of the Butterfly The National Biodiversity Data Centre is an initiative of for the plant and vegetation work programmes of the and Bumblebee Monitoring Schemes, and delivery the Heritage Council and is operated under a service Data Centre. This includes management of the National of the National Biodiversity Indicators, and providing level agreement by Compass Informatics. The Centre is funded by the Department of Culture, Heritage and Vegetation Database and contributing to development advice on biodiversity survey design. the Gaeltacht. of the Irish Vegetation Classification System. Colette O’Flynn, Gemma Hughes, Invasive Species Officer, is All-Ireland Pollinator Plan Officer, responsible for the Invasive is responsible for engaging with Species work programmes of the agri-business sector to assist the Data Centre. She manages implementation of the All-Ireland the National Invasive Species Database, provides Pollinator Plan and to promote the conservation of coordination of invasive species data and information, Ireland’s pollinators. and contributes advice and policy support at the national and European level. Dr Liam Lysaght, Centre Director, is responsible Barry O’Neill, for setting the strategic Data and ICT Manager, direction of the Data Centre is responsible for the IT and overall management of infrastructure and database the operations and work programme. He takes the management activities of the lead on much of the Data Centre’s citizen science Data Centre. He developed the Citizen Science Data engagement and is responsible for building relations Portal and other online data capture systems that are with partner organisations. He also serves as Head provided as shared services to partner organisations. of Delegation for Ireland to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Cover: Irish Mountain Hare © Mike Brown Delegates from all over the world travelled to Kilkenny in October to attend the Governing Board meeting of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Director’s Comment As I write, the World Wildlife hosting the 25th meeting of the Global Biodiversity Fund for Nature has published Information Facility’s (GBIF) Governing Board. GBIF its Living Planet Report 2018, is a huge global network of 59 participant countries and which provides a platform for 38 international organisations, all working together, the best science, cutting-edge using common data standards to promote the sharing research and diverse voices of vast amounts of information on biodiversity. on the impact of humans on The evidence shows that now, more than ever, we the health of planet Earth. need to have robust data and information to build the More than 50 experts from scientific evidence on how biodiversity is changing at academia, policy, international development and the global, regional, national and local levels. Like the conservation organizations have contributed to the management of any natural resource, and biodiversity report. This report has credibility. is most certainly a natural resource, we need fit-for- The Living Planet Index is ‘an indicator of the state purpose information management systems. This of global biodiversity and the health of our planet, and means providing access to as much data as possible, it tracks the population abundance of thousands of for researchers and policy makers to use in their work. mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians from It was exciting to have the global GBIF network in around the world’. It uses the trends that emerge as a Kilkenny. The Data Centre hosted a one-day symposium measure for changes in biodiversity; a surrogate measure which introduced delegates to the global work of GBIF for the health of the planet on which we live and we and highlighted some regional data and information depend. The Living Planet Report 2018 reports there has needs to address the challenge of biodiversity loss. Part been an astonishingly steep fall of 60% in biodiversity ‘we are the first generation that has a clear picture over the last 40 years. Even as a small island off the west coast of Europe, of the value of nature and the enormous impact we Ireland is not immune from these trends. Of the 3,000 or have on it. We may also be the last generation that so species that have undergone a Red List conservation can act to reverse this trend’. assessment, on average one in every three or four species is threatened with extinction here. This is a of the symposium also showcased some of the exciting truly shocking legacy that we are handing on to future work that is being done at the local level within Ireland, generations. The most succinct summation of where by NGOs, local authorities and citizen scientists. humanity is at, is the statement that ‘we are the first The word coming back from the international GBIF generation that has a clear picture of the value of nature delegates attending was that Ireland really is to the fore and the enormous impact we have on it. We may also in terms of bringing added value to data collection and be the last generation that can act to reverse this trend’. making it available for citizen engagement, promotion Sobering words indeed. and action at the ground level. Clearly, the use of such It was against this background that the National data and systems is still in its infancy in Ireland, but we Biodiversity Data Centre welcomed the global are well placed to deliver biodiversity conservation if we bioinformatics community to Kilkenny in early October, can get more buy-in from our politicians. 3 he National Biodiversity Data Centre hosted the 25th meeting of the Governing Board of Tthe Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) in Kilkenny on October 15-19th. GBIF is a global network of 59 Participant Countries