Sarah O'Reilly (Aontú)

We have incredible biodiversity in Ireland. This week represents a great opportunity for people not only to enjoy it aesthetically but also to understand the necessity of our biodiversity. On Sunday, Cavan Public Participation Network, along with the Irish Environmental Network, launched National Biodiversity Week in beautiful Belturbet, County Cavan. There was a huge turnout with a wide range of outdoor workshops. Attendees got to enjoy Turbet Island, which is a very unusual island in the middle of a town that hosts a lot of biodiversity. People were able to record the biodiversity in the area on their loop walk.

A range of events is happening over the next week in Cavan that will appeal to various age groups. It is great to see children in particular taking great joy in being in forests and out enjoying natural scenery. In my local forest there is a bat walk. It is a wonderful way to build community and take people out of the digital space we find ourselves in and increasingly more attached to. A number of events taking place in Cavan will appeal to both younger and older generations. They range from more data-based workshops to ones that encourage a deeper understanding of Irish biodiversity.

One workshop that stood out was on beekeeping and biodiversity. Thankfully, in recent years we have developed a deeper appreciation for our pollinators and a greater understanding of the vital role they play in sustaining the Irish ecosystem. We need to continue that kind of education. Bees pollinate more than 70% of our wild plants and one third of the food that we eat, from apples to clover. Without them our native flora, food production and the wildlife that depends on these habitats would be at serious risk. If people go to the Cavan Public Participation Network Facebook page, they will find all the activities that are on during the week.

Little steps can happen in different ways. My local parish church, which has land available, decided to do more planting and parishioners made an outdoor classroom beside a lake where they hold little workshops for students close by. Little steps like that are all very encouraging but they need to be funded. If the windscreen of my car over the past couple of weeks is anything to go by, things are improving.