17-05-2025
Embark on a peatland adventure with Féile an Dúlra this week
The Irish Peatland Conservation Council (IPCC) has planned a busy summer of peatland and nature-themed events as part of Féile an Dúlra 2025, the council's festival of nature.
The festival kicked off on World Wetlands Day in February with the launch of the national 'Hop to It' frog survey, and was followed in April by World Curlew Day.
A week of free events has been planned as part of National Biodiversity Week, running until May 25.
Today (Saturday, May 17), the IPCC will hold a guided peatland nature walk to Lodge Bog in Co. Kildare, starting from the Bog of Allen Nature Centre at 10:00a.m.
IPCC guides will share the diversity of peatland birds that use this raised bog for nesting or feeding, and visitors will also get the opportunity to discover the variety of fascinating peatland plants.
From Monday, May 19 to Friday, May 23 10:00 a.m.-4:00p.m., there will be free admission to the Bog of Allen Nature Centre, where the history, cultural traditions, flora and fauna and archaeological importance of peatlands can be discovered within the peatland exhibition.
The peat-free wildlife gardens will also be open, allowing visitors to explore the largest public display of carnivorous plants in Ireland and the UK.
On Tuesday, May 20 at 11:00a.m, the IPCC will host a butterfly walk at Lullymore West nature reserve. Lullymore West is known nationally as a butterfly haven, as 26 of Ireland's 35 butterfly species have been recorded on the site, including the threatened marsh fritillary butterfly.
In collaboration with the Native Woodland Trust, the IPCC will guide a walk and talk at Girley Bog on Wednesday, May 21, meeting at Girley Hall at 7:00p.m.
This will provide an opportunity to learn all about bog habitats and the various plants and animals that call this precious habitat home.
For those who do not have time to join one of the biodiversity walks, there is still an opportunity to learn about peatland biodiversity as the IPCC will host an online talk at 1:00pm on Thursday, May 22, titled 'Lunchtime with IPCC'.
All the events are free and people are encouraged to get involved and explore their peatland heritage for Biodiversity Week.
The IPCC has lots more events planned for later this summer, with a bat walk on June 20, International Bog Day on July 26 and Heritage Week from August 16.
