Events

Upcoming Events

Kildare Biodiversity Conference 2025

Our Senior Project Manager, Owen Murphy, will be speaking at the Kildare Biodiversity Conference which will take place on October 18th at the Keadeen Hotel. The event, organised by Kildare Wildlife Rescue in collaboration with Kildare county council , aims to unite individuals passionate about biodiversity.

Secure your ticket here

Past Events

Longford County Council’s Biodiversity Action Plan & Birding Backpack

We had the pleasure of attending the launch of Longford County Council’s Biodiversity Action Plan & Birding Backpack , September 25th, at Edgeworthstown Library — officially opened by Minister for Nature, Heritage & Biodiversity, Christopher O’Sullivan TD. 

Our team members Annie and Dana were on hand at our stand to chat about the Breeding Waders EIP and the vital conservation work being carried out through the project. 

It’s inspiring to see biodiversity and educational initiatives like these being supported and rolled out. 

A big thank you to everyone who stopped by — and a special thanks to Minister O’Sullivan for taking the time to visit our stall and speak with the team! 

Culture Night – Thinking Through Water

Celebrating Culture Night with Nature! 

On Friday, September 19th, our Lead Ecologist Andrea Parisi led an inspiring educational walk along the beautiful River Belcoo to mark Culture Night.

The event was organised by artist Sinéad Curran, blending art, ecology, and community in a truly memorable evening.

Thanks to everyone who joined us to explore the local landscape and learn more about the biodiversity that surrounds us! 

Ploughing Championships 2025

What an incredible few days at this year’s Ploughing! We enjoyed connecting with so many people and sharing the fantastic work happening across our EIP.
It was a great opportunity to catch up with colleagues from other initiatives and organisations too.
Special thanks to Christopher O’Sullivan TD, Minister with special responsibility for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, for taking the time to discuss the progress of the Breeding Waders EIP, and for supporting the ‘Midland’s Mink Eradication Programme’, our exciting new collaboration with our friends the National Association of Regional Game Councils (NARGC).
We also had the pleasure of welcoming some other great supporters of our Project; Senator Malcolm Noonan TD, Minister James Browne TD and Minister Kevin Boxer Moran.
Thanks to everyone who stopped by! Until next year…

Green Sod ireland biodiversity summer school 2025

Our Lead Ecologist Andrea Parisi presented a talk on Breeding Waders on Sunday, August 31st.

The Summer School took place at Kylemore Abbey, Co. Galway on August 30th & 31st, the two-day event brought together environmental NGOs, charities, professionals, community groups, and nature enthusiasts for a weekend of engaging talks and workshops.

Heritage Week 2025

We hosted a number of free events for Heritage Week which ran from August 16th to the 24th.  Thank you to Corncrake Life for collaborating on the Managing Grassland event and to Clonmacnoise and Dún na Sí for hosting our Echoes of the Callows and Meet our feathered friends events. Until next year!!

Native Species weekend Fota wildlife park

July 26th & 27th 
We were in great company at the Native Species weekend. Other exhibitors included Irish Whale and Dolphon Group, Nature Network Ireland and Irish Bee Conservation Project, to name just a few. Thank you to everyone who dropped by our standand to Fota Wildlife Park for hosting this wonderful, educational event. 

soil dependence open day

🌱 Base Ireland Soil Dependence Open Day – July 4th, 2025 🌱
We had a fantastic day at the Base Ireland Soil Dependence Open Day! The event was very well organised, featuring demo sites, insightful workshops, and a great lineup of speakers.
We were in great company alongside several other EIP’s (European Innovation Partnership). Base Ireland didn’t just host an informative day for attendees — they also created a valuable space for connection and collaboration between new and existing EIPs. We had constructive discussions around ongoing projects, common challenges, and opportunities for collaboration in pursuit of objectives.
We also appreciated the presence of Anne Maguire from the Department of Agriculture, who provided valuable guidance and continues to be a consistent source of support.
Huge congratulations to the Base Ireland team for organising this event!

Extensive grassland biodiversity event

June 12th

We had the pleasure of attending the Extensive Grassland Biodiversity Event, hosted by Teagasc and supported by The Heritage Council.

The morning kicked off with insightful talks from John Feehan, John Muldowney, and Helen Sheridan, each highlighting the vital role grasslands play in supporting biodiversity—each speaker mentioned ground-nesting birds, and the importance of nutrient rice soils required for their survival. 

The afternoon session took place in Birr Castle gardens, where speakers were spread across the meadows discussing everything from soil health to pollinators. It was a beautiful setting for learning and connection. 

We had a stall in the pavilion and enjoyed chatting with so many visitors about project’s work to date. 

It was a brilliantly organised event and we were delighted to be part of it

UCD festival

June 7th

 

We had a fantastic time at the UCD Festival on Saturday. We were in great company with BioBeo EU and BioOrbic Research Ireland.
Wonderful to meet so many people and introduce them to our native Curlew and the other Wader birds supported by the Breeding Waders EIP. Many great conversations were had.
Thank you to everyone who stopped by our stall.

Mullaghmore BioBlitz

May 25th

Our lead Ecologist Andrea Parisi and Donegal Project Officer Alena Kunkel presented at the Mullaghmore Bioblitz, a fantastic community event hosted by Mullaghmore Active.

Biodiversity Brunch & Networking Event

May 21st 

We attended the Glenveagh National Park Biodiversity Brunch & Networking event, celebrating Natura 2000 Day. Organised by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, the day featured excellent speakers and an adventurous afternoon exploring Glenveagh’s peatlands.

Inis Mór School visits

May 20th

We presented our educational programme to the enthusiastic students of national Scoil Rónáin and the Transition Year students from Coláiste Naomh Éinne. Their curiosity and excitement about our native wader species was truly heartening

Native Species Festival at Dublin Zoo

May 17th to 19th

Project Officers Annie Birtwistle and Laura McEntegart, along with Communications Manager Karen Nugent, proudly represented the Breeding Waders EIP at our information stall in Dublin Zoo.
It was a pleasure to connect with so many enthusiastic visitors and share insights into the vital conservation work being carried out by the project.

Curlew and snipe talk and walk with acres breifne

Saturday May 10th

Senior Project Manager Owen Murphy joined Clodagh Helen from Acres Breifne to deliver an educational evening, discussing the challenges and opportunities these birds face in the south Leitrim landscape.

Inis Mór Information Evening

Monday April 14th at 8pm

Senior Project Manager Owen Murphy visited Inis Mór to assess breeding wader habitat.

We held an information evening where locals and landowners were invited to learn about the EIP. The residents are incredibly passionate about their breeding wader population and are proactive in their approach to nature, biodiversity and sustainability.

A huge thank you to Dara, Ronan, Helen, and Deirdre for showing us around, and to Avril, Ciara, Stephanie, and the team from the Aran Island Energy Co-op for organising the information evening and making us feel so welcome.

We look forward to collaborating with all interested groups on Inis Mór.

Donegal Stakeholders Meeting & Tory Island Community Lunch

Stakeholders Meeting in Donegal Town, March 28th

 

We met with NPWS, Corncrake LIFE Project,Wild Atlantic Nature Life IP, LIFE on Machair, ACRES CP Team, BirdWatch Ireland and Donegal County Council Biodiversity Officer for a knowledge sharing session to find the best path forward working together for breeding waders across Donegal.

Tory Island Community Lunch, March 14th

 

Senior Project Manager Owen Murphy and Donegal Project Officer Alena Kunkel shared an overview of our project.The locals and our team engaged in an open conversation, providing valuable feedback and suggestions. We look forward to the next follow up meeting.

A huge thank you to everyone who attended and shared their insights. We look forward to future meet ups and continuing this collaborative journey!

World Wetlands Information Day 

Sunday February 2nd

What a lovely morning, spent in great company. People from Ballinahown and surrounding areas came out to celebrate World Wetlands Day. Ballinahown Community Development Group were gracious hosts, providing homemade healthy treats.

Thanks again to Local authority Waters programme for including us in this event. It was a pleasure to share information and enjoy the beautiful poetry from Jackie Gorman and spectacular artwork from Lelia Henry.

Farmer Information evenings mid shannon callows

Thursday Jan 30th and Friday Jan 31st

 

We recently held our first Landowner Information evenings for the mid-Shannon Callows area. Our first evening took place in Athlone Springs Hotel.
Our second evening took place in Ballinahown Community Hall.
Despite the challenges posed from the aftermath of the storm Éowyn, many Landowners joined us to meet the team and learn more about collaborating with the Breeding Waders EIP.

World wetlands day green schools webinar

Thursday Jan 30th

 

Our Donegal based Project Officers Alena Kunkel joined up with Green Schools to celebrate World Wetlands Day.
Alena delivered an educational talk on the Breeding Waders European Innovation Partnership project and the importance of wetlands for breeding waders.
Breeding Waders
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