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Today, May 20th, is World Bee Day and, in conjunction with Biodiversity Week and the National Biodiversity Data Centre, the Irish Examiner has published a booklet entitled Working Together for Biodiversity.
The booklet, which is free today with the Irish Examiner newspaper, aims to raise awareness about the incredibly important role that bees play as pollinators, as well as the alarming decline in bee numbers across Ireland and the world.
Believe it or not, wild bees are actually facing extinction and even our beloved bumblebees are in danger. It is essential that society reverses this worrying trend because bees are vital to agriculture, plant life and biodiversity. The problem is so serious that scientists both nationally and internationally are calling on individuals, businesses and governments to take action as a matter of urgency.
Positively, two Irish scientists have already begun to work to fight against this grave situation. In 2015, Dr. Úna Fitzpatrick from the National Biodiversity Centre and Professor Jane Stout from Trinity College Dublin, developed the All Ireland Pollinator Plan (AIPP) and it is already helping to reverse the decline in Ireland. The aim of the AIPP is to encourage as much of Irish society as possible to take action to protect bees and develop habitats and food sources for them.
If you would like to know more about what you can do to help protect bees, pick up a copy of today’s Irish Examinar and the free Working Together for Biodiversity booklet.
In addition, you can find out more about the inspiring work of Dr. Úna Fitzpatrick and Professor Jane Stout tonight on TG4 at 9:00 p.m. The programme Plean Bee introduces viewers to Ireland’s honeybees, bumblebees and 77 species of solitary bees. It also showcases some of the initiatives underway across the county that are helping to save our bees. One successful initiative in Derry City has been simply to reduce grass cutting in summer months to support the growth of wild flowers.
Locally, our own Cabragh Wetlands in Thurles, provides a valuable safe haven for endangered bees, but there is so much more we can do. So why not get involved?
For more information on the All Ireland Pollinator Plan visit Pollinators.ie (click HERE). It has detailed suggestions on how every person, school, business and County Council can play their part in this most worthy of causes.
With this week, being Biodiversity Week (May 15th-23rd), why not take a walk, enjoy the sunshine (in the company of an umbrella) and take some time to make the acquaintance of the rich variety of garden birds that visit our garden’s and hedgerows daily.
Today, The Irish Times, in association with BirdWatch Ireland, are giving away a magnificent glossy poster featuring Ireland’s twenty most common garden birds, including robins, thrushes, different types of crows, tits and finches; all contained in today’s newspaper.
The poster is illustrated by Mike Langman, with expert notes by Niall Hatch of BirdWatch Ireland. The poster is double-sided and content appears in both the English and Irish language. It’s an excellent reference and a great resource for adults, children and classrooms alike.
In addition, and from today, an interactive page with information on the featured birds and an audio of each bird’s song can be found by clicking HERE.
This week is Biodiversity Week and it aims to encourage young and old to celebrate and explore Ireland’s rich variety of flora and fauna. Biodiversity is the term that refers to all the different biological life that exists in an area, including plants, trees, insects, animals, fungi and even bacteria.
Online Events.
All this week Biodiversityweek.ie is hosting a series of wonderful online events that the whole family can enjoy. Activities include webinars on how to build a bat box, templates for tidy towns groups, mammals of Merlin Wood, summer wild flowers, gardening for bees and butterflies and better management of hedgerows for biodiversity. All the events are free and available to access by clicking HERE.
Biodiversity Photographic Competition.
Be in with a chance to win €500 by entering the 9th Annual Biodiversity Photographer of the Year competition. The competition is open to amateur photographers and this year they are looking for photos that celebrate Ireland’s rich web of life. Photographs must be taken in the month of May and submitted by May 31st. For more information click HERE.
Backyard Bioblitz.
Ever wondered what that plant was or what’s the name of that bird? During biodiversity week ecologists and wildlife experts will identify it for you. Simply share a photo of your mystery flora or fauna item on Twitter or Instagram with #BackyardBioblitz. For more information click HERE.
Biodiversity Scavenger Hunt.
This is a great activity for children and families. By clicking HERE you can download one of two scavenger hunt worksheet challenges to aid the exploration of biodiversity in your area. Complete the worksheets and submit them by May 23rd to be in with a chance to win a prize from the National Biodiversity Data Centre.
Biodiversity Week and Green Schools.
Green Schools Ireland have an action packed schedule of events for schools during Biodiversity Week. Activities include online events, videos and competitions that explore birds, trees, insects and flowers. For more information click HERE.
Stop Talking – Take Action.
Lockdown is starting to lift, but with today’s miserable weather Thurles.info thought our readers would benefit from a midweek ‘lift’ also.
Here’s one especially for all you dog and cat lovers out there.
In the video featured hereunder, watch the incomparable Benedict Cumberbatch, Olivia Coleman, Julian Clareyand others read this hilarious set of letters aloud. They are sure to give you all a well earned midweek laugh.
Explanation:
In 2014, author, journalist and literary critic, Nicholas Lezard, wrote an article for the Guardian Newspaper (Click HERE to review).
In it, Mr Lezard made his views on dogs quite clear. They were, as far as he was concerned, inferior to cats. Readers and dog lovers everywhere took umbrage at this assertion and what followed was a series of witty retorts in the form of letters to the editor.
From yesterday May 9th to May 15th is Coeliac Awareness Week.
Every day this week the Coeliac Society of Ireland will host a number of free online events. This year the events focus on the psychological impact of living with coeliac disease and gluten intolerance. Webinars will explore gluten-free cooking, wellbeing, mental and physical health challenges, as well as advice on nutrition and sleep. To register for free and to view more details about the schedule of events click HERE.
What is Coeliac Disease?
Coeliac disease is a condition where a person is intolerant to the gluten protein found in wheat, barley, rye and oats. Gluten is therefore found in foods made from these ingredients, including breads, pasta, cakes and many processed foods.
Coeliac disease is an auto-immune disease which means that your immune system mistakenly attacks your own body. When a person with coeliac disease eats gluten, the lining of the small intestine is damaged which in turn stops the body’s ability to absorb nutrients.
There is no cure for coeliac disease but a gluten free diet keeps the condition under control. If left undiagnosed however, the condition can result in osteoporosis, anaemia, infertility and some types of cancer.
Symptoms of coeliac disease can range from mild to severe and may include diarrhoea, bloating, abdominal pain, weight loss and malnutrition. It is not certain what causes coeliac disease but it is thought to be some combination of genetic and environmental factors.
It is believed that the condition effects 1 in every 100 people, with an estimated 50,000 people living with coeliac disease in Ireland and a further 400,000 living with gluten intolerance.
If you have any concerns about your health and coeliac disease or gluten intolerance, please contact your GP.
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