Write a commentThe Ring of Gullion team and NIEA have teamed up to provide a workshop for members of the public who are interested in finding out more about the bumblebee and how to find them. The workshop is happening this Saturday 9th April from 10.00am to 1.00pm in the Pastoral Centre Jonesborough. Booking is essential through the Ring of Gullion website www.ringofgullion.org
An indoor session will provide an introduction to some of the Ireland’s 20 species of bumblebee and NIEA’s Aoibhinn Corrigan will discuss identification methods, bee behaviour and conservation issues associated with these essential pollinators.
We will then venture outdoors to some nearby bee-friendly habitats to explore the variety and abundance of bumblebees and sharpen up identification skills, using some of the common techniques, methods and materials associated with bee surveying. This workshop is not suitable for young children. Please wear appropriate clothing and footwear for a walk outdoors.
Councillor Mickey Ruane, Chairperson of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council explains, “This time of year our garden’s hedgerows and wild open spaces are buzzing with bumblebees. We hope attendees will continue to put their new wildlife ID skills into action by recording what they see on the CEDaR Online Recording website http://www2.habitas.org.uk/records/form, helping us to build a better picture of the wildlife in the Ring of Gullion area.”
Bees are a very important for wildlife, gardeners and farmers. Ireland is home to 101 different known types of bee, including bumblebees, honeybees and solitary bees. Unfortunately more than half of Ireland’s bee species have declined in their numbers since 1980. Three species have become extinct in Ireland within the last 80 years. Bees are declining due to habitat loss, particularly of flower rich grasslands, hay meadows, and field margins and through the increased use of pesticides.
Gardens are where most people first experience wildlife and provide essential feeding sites and homes for lots of wildlife. Gardens may be small individually but collectively they make up a large proportion of greenspace, which is increasing as more houses are built. It is important for all of us to encourage wildlife into our gardens at home, school or workplace. In the summer, gardens provide a great source of nectar for bumblebees and butterflies, which in turn attract small mammals and birds.
Newry Mourne and Down District Council are hosting a family wildlife gardening workshop in the afternoon of the 9th April in the pastoral centre. The workshop will start at 2.00pm-4.00pm. Bring along some old welly boots or un-loved plants pots/containers for up-cycling and filling with pretty flowers to take home. Contact Danielle Begley for more details on Danielle.begley@nmandd.org or 028 3031 3100.
Follow the Ring of Gullion on Facebook to keep up to date on what’s happening or visit our website on www.ringofgullion.org. The Ring of Gullion has moved to new offices:- Crossmaglen Community Centre, O'Fiaich Square, Crossmaglen, BT35 9AA. Tel:-(028) 3082 8590
This workshop is free and supported by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, Northern Ireland Environment Agency, Ring of Gullion Landscape Partnership and the Heritage Lottery Fund.
