News from Biodiversity Ireland
September 2025

This monthly newsletter provides an update on some of the work of the National Biodiversity Data Centre and highlights upcoming events. 

Biodiversity Training

Join us on Wednesday, 24th September 2025 | 12:00 – 13:00 for a free webinar exploring how to access and use biodiversity data to support your conservation projects.

Learn how to:
✅ Navigate tools like the Citizen Science Portal and Biodiversity Maps
✅ Download species records using filters and other parameters
✅ Understand how data flows into the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)

Whether you're a consultant conducting environmental assessments, a community group or business planning local biodiversity actions, or a citizen interested in local wildlife, this webinar will show you how your records contribute to vital datasets—and how you can access and use these tools effectively.

Please note: If joining from your phone, you will need the Microsoft Teams app but you do not need to make a profile to join.

Explore Your Shore Dataset Update
 

Our Explore Your Shore! dataset has been updated with validated records to the end of April 2025 and now contains almost 29,000 marine species records! Managed by the National Biodiversity Data Centre, this dataset an invaluable tool for tracking coastal biodiversity and is generated by citizen science.

A highlight of the recent update was the April sighting by recorder Maja Stankovski of a Red Mouthed Goby (Gobius cruentatus) at Inish Barna, Galway, making it the northernmost record we have for this species in Ireland. Thanks to observations like this we are tracking the impacts of climate change on Ireland's marine species. The dataset keeps on growing, helping scientists monitor species distributions in Irish waters, and we are currently validating May and June records.

Image credit: Maja Stankovski

Water Heritage Day 

On Water Heritage Day, we had the privilege of attending two fantastic local events in Co.Sligo, to shine a spotlight on the pressing issue of invasive species and promote Check, Clean, Dry. Both events were funded by LAWPRO, bringing together local organisations and nature enthusiasts, united by a shared passion for safeguarding our native wildlife.

Lisa Cronin (Lecturer for Water Science) and her students from ATU Sligo were hosted by the Ballisodare Fishing Club to discuss our local river health and demonstrate how the community can get involved. Another event, presented by The Sligo Rivers Trust, delivered an informative boat tour along Lough Gill. The ambition at these events was to raise awareness about the impacts of invasive species and the importance of reporting sightings of invasive species. Check, Clean, Dry are simple, but effective biosecurity measures we can all take when using Ireland’s inland waterways. 

What stood out during these events was the genuine commitment and enthusiasm from everyone involved to protect our local biodiversity. It reminds us that tackling the problem requires local awareness, community involvement and practical action. As we reflect on National Heritage Week, let’s continue to work together to ensure Irelands rivers, landscapes and wildlife can thrive for generations to come, as heritage is about what we pass on.

Image: ATU Sligo Students promoting Check, Clean, Dry Campaign on Water Heritage Day.

Make hay while the sun shines

To celebrate Heritage Week in August, and this year’s theme ‘Exploring Our Foundations’, we thought it would be interesting to look back at the tradition of haymaking on farms, which has taken place in Ireland for several centuries and forms part of our cultural and natural heritage.

Read this lovely blog, with lots of old photographs, written by Ruth Wilson, the All Ireland Pollinator Plan Farmland Officer.

Image: Hay being gathered in to store in the hayshed, 1940s