Irish Peatland Conservation Council

The IPCC together with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands hosted a conference titled 'Futureproofing Ireland's Peatlands: Dutch Lessons in Restoration' at the Bog of Allen Nature Centre and Lodge Bog Reserve. IPCC would like to thank all those who joined us for this conference. #LoveBogs

IPCC have observed the autumn caterpillars of Europes only protected butterfly, the marsh fritillary on Lullymore West. The IPCC and volunteers will now conduct a habitat assessment and larval nest count, this data will contribute to the nationwide population monitoring. #LoveBogs

Wildlife Gardening DIY Tips 🦔🪵

Leave a small pile of stones, sticks and logs in a corner of your garden to provide a home for hedgehogs. Rotting wood also provides shelter for a range of insects and fungi.

So you don't clear away fallen leaves or branches; they will make a cosy home for someone!

Wildlife Gardening Tips 🐦🌳

Encourage birds into your garden by providing water and feeding them in winter with bird feeders. They enjoy seed mixes and mealworms. However, do not give them high energy foods during the spring and summer months, as it can interfere with the growth of their chicks. 🪺

Wildlife Gardening DIY Tips 🐸🦦

💦A Water Feature💦
A pond in your garden will introduce aquatic creatures and plants and attract many passing wildlife visitors to drink and bathe in the water. The larger the pond, the greater the diversity of wildlife living in it will be.

Wildlife Gardening DIY Tips

Start a compost heap 🪱
This is a great way to recycle the nutrients in your garden and help birds.
Of the peat moss harvested in Ireland, 66% is used by amateur gardener. So if you are buying compost, make sure that it is peat-free to combat the destruction of peatlands

Wildlife Gardening DIY Tips

Ivy 🍃
This plant is surprisingly helpful in attracting a range of wildlife. Encourage it to produce flowering stems by pulling the shoots away from their support so that they hang free. The flowers will attract butterflies which feed on their nectar.

The Bog of Allen Nature Centre was the venue for an NBDC butterfly monitoring training facilitated by Jesmond Harding of Butterfly Conservation Ireland.

After an informative talk, participants got outdoors and put their new theory into practice with a visit to Lullybeg nature reserve.

Wildlife Gardening Tips

One of the best things for your garden is plant native plants and trees. Thistle, hawthorn, ivy and oak are some of the plants that provide seeds and shelter for animals and birds. Native wildflowers like clover, wood sorrel and meadow flowers help support pollinators.

How do I make a Wildlife Garden? 🦋🦔🐞

Wildlife gardening actually requires the minimum amount of maintenance.

Diversity is the Key: The more diverse your garden is in terms of different plants and features and habitats then the more likely you are to attract a great variety of wildlife.

A big shout out to our volunteers for their amazing work over the last few weeks! 💚

There has been amazing progress in the gardens at the Bog of Allen Nature Centre already this summer. Our volunteers have been planting native wildflower beds in peat-free compost to encourage more pollinators.

🌍 It's World Peatland Day! Did you know peatlands cover around 3% of the global land surface but play a huge role in fighting climate change and protecting biodiversity?
They provide us important services such as:
🌱 Carbon Storage, 💧 Flood Mitigation, and 🦋 A refuge to Wildlife!

Free Bat Walk Event!🦇

Join us for a fun and informative evening of bat hunting. This is a great chance to get outside and discover some of Irelands wildlife that you would not always hear or see.

🤎Meet at the Bog of Allen Nature Centre
🤎20th June- 9:30 pm

Our new ID swatches have arrived! 📑

We made great use of our identification swatches for National Biodiversity Week, where volunteers discovered plenty of butterflies and dragonflies.
These amazing resources from the NBDC, ensure that you are always able to identify any creepy crawly 🐝

The Irish Peatland Conservation Council had a busy biodiversity week, and we would like to say a big thank you to all who participated in our events 🐝🐸 .

As Biodiversity Week has drawn to a close for 2025, don't forget to value Ireland's biodiversity throughout the year!

Lunchtime with IPCC- 22nd May at 1pm 🤎

Join the IPCC for a lunchtime online talk for National Biodiversity Week 2025. You can join this free zoom 40 minute talk from your kitchen to your office.

Visit ipcc.ie/events for more details.

Girley Bog Walk & Talk- 21st May 🐦🐝🔭

In partnership with the Native Woodland Trust, join us as we explore Girley Bog and its different habitats.

Meet at Girley Hall Fordstown (Eircode: C15 PV21) at 7pm

For more information visit biodiversityweek.ie or ipcc.ie/events

Lullymore Butterfly Walk- 20th May 🦋🐛

Join in on an exciting butterfly hunt in Lullymore West. We will be meeting at the Bog of Allen Nature Centre at 11am. The IPCC recommends participants wear strong footwear and appropriate clothing for all weather.🌸🌷

Visit ipcc.ie or biodiveristyweek.ie

Free Admission 🐛🐞🦇
All visitors can enjoy free admission to the Bog of Allen Nature Centre throughout the week (19 to 23rd May) in honour of National Biodiversity Week 2025.

The Bog of Allen Nature Centre is open from 10-4pm Monday to Friday. No bookings needed.

Lodge Bog Guided Nature Walk- 17th May 10am 🦔🐞

Join us tomorrow for our free guided nature walk to Lodge Bog for National Biodiversity Week 2025, exploring the fascinating life found on peatlands.

The IPCC recommends participants wear strong footwear and appropriate clothing for all weather.

Events, Things To Do Kildare - Wildlife Watching, Bog Walks, Family Fun, Courses & Open Days Events, Courses, Workshops, and Open Days at the Bog of Allen Nature Centre and throughout Ireland.

Biodiversity Week Events 16-25th May 🐞🐛
IPCC are hosting a range of free events during the week and we would like you all to join us.
🦋17th May- Lodge Bog Guided Nature Walk
🦋20th May- Lullymore Butterfly Walk
🦋21st May- Girley Bog Walk and Talk
🦋22nd May- Lunchtime with IPCC Online Talk

In Irish mythology, butterflies or Féileacán were thought to be human souls of the departed who were returning to reassure their loved ones or bring a message. It is said that their light wings allow them to pass between the two worlds. 🌿✨

The carnivorous plants have been busy! 🪰🐜

As the carnivorous plants in the greenhouse were getting a trim so that they can grow back healthy for the summer, we found an interesting surprise.

A single pitcher plant can catch up to 250 prey items, such as mites, midges, spiders and beetles.

Early thorn- Selenia dentaria

This tiny traveller made an appearance in our wildlife gardens at the Bog of Allen Nature Centre this week. Their beautiful wings are designed perfectly to camouflage against the trees on which they feed. 🪵

Home is where the hive is! 🐝🌼

We have begun our bumblebee monitoring on Lullymore West and have recorded many queen bees buzzing past.

To help bumblebees you can:
🌺 Plant native flowers
🌺 Create wild unmanaged habitat
🌺 Cut the grass less
🌺 Avoid using pesticides or weed killer

Irelands Largest Spider! 🕷🕸

This semi-aquatic creature showed up in our wildlife gardens this morning and gave us quiet a surprise.

The Raft Spider is mainly found in bogs and fens. They are famous for their ability to skim across the waters surface due to special hairs on their legs.

“I care more about Drosera than the origin of all the species in the world”- Charles Darwin

The Sundew (Drosera rotundifolia) has come up to feed and soon the bogs will be full of these passive predators.

Check out our website at buff.ly/33nNGFV to find out more about peatland plants.

Peatland News has arrived! 🗞📰

IPCCs newsletter, Peatland News, has now been sent out to our Friends of the Bog. This spring issue features the new peat soils map of Ireland, an analysis of the Nature Restoration Law and much more.

For more information visit: buff.ly/kN0d0qk

Did you know that there are no rabbits on bogs? 🐰🐇

This is because rabbits rely on burrows, but peat is too waterlogged for them to build these burrows. Therefore, if you see an animal hopping across the bog, it is more than likely the native Irish hare as they make 'forms' for shelter.

Happy World Curlew Day! ❤️

It is not too late to come along to our Curlew Walk, where IPCC guides will provide an information talk on this wading bird.

We will be meeting at the Bog of Allen Nature Centre at 11 am this afternoon (Friday 18th April). We hope to see you there!