5 days ago
How to develop a community biodiversity action plan
The National Biodiversity Data Centre has launched a new guide for groups who want to produce a community biodiversity action plan for their local area.
A community biodiversity action plan is a comprehensive strategy designed by the community to safeguard the biodiversity unique to a specific region.
The plan helps to organise and give direction for local actions that can help both the environment and local residents.
Community groups around the country are producing action plans to guide their biodiversity actions over three to five years.
Almost 300 action plans from across Ireland have now been published on the dedicated online portal.
Biodiversity
The general steps for developing an action plan include: assembling a team; engaging an ecologist; involving the wider community; assessing local biodiversity; setting goals; and writing the plan itself.
The plans are are tailored to preserve special habitats, and restore or recreate new habitats.
By focusing on the local level, these plans ensure the protection of rare species that might not receive adequate attention in broader conservation efforts.
Preserving local biodiversity through action plans can provide a natural buffer crucial for building resilience against the adverse effects of climate change.
One of the core objectives of the plans is to balance conservation efforts with sustainable development.
Therefore, the responsible use of natural resources is encouraged to ensure that economic progress does not come at the cost of biodiversity loss.
Guide
The aim of this new publication is to provide guidance to community groups new to working on this area by offering a simple seven-step approach to producing a plan.
The booklet – written by Juanita Browne, editor of Biodiversity Ireland, with assistance from Dr Úna FitzPatrick, chief scientific officer at the National Biodiversity Data Centre – includes an introduction to the subject and an outline why producing an action plan is of benefit to communities.
The appendices include an overview of the type of actions a group can choose from, depending on whether they want to focus on pollinators, bats, or birds.
This 36-page guide, which also includes a list of possible funding streams for community groups, is available to download through the National Biodiversity Data Centre website.
