International Bog Day occurs on Sunday 31st of July and to celebrate the Irish Peatland Conservation Council are holding an open day. All are welcome to this event that takes place from 2-5pm at the Bog of Allen Nature Centre, Lullymore, Rathangan, Co. Kildare. On the day there will be a talk on the Bog Woodlands followed by a guided excursion to the Lodge Bog woodlands.
Bog woodlands are listed as a priority habitat for protection under the EU Habitats Directive. In Ireland bog woodlands are associated with intact raised bogs. The habitat is rare with documented sites in Ireland covering less than 35ha.
“From this survey we hope to gain more knowledge of bog woodland habitats which are an EU conservation priority and a little known face of Irish bogs” says Michael Kenny, Conservation Officer with the IPCC. “In this International Year of the Forest, IPCC are delighted to be undertaking a survey of this rare woodland type”.
Visitors are also invited to join IPCC on a guided walk of Lodge Bog an example of an intact raised bog close to the Bog of Allen Nature Centre where you can see some of the ongoing conservation work being undertaken by IPCC staff and volunteers. For young visitors, a pond dipping session and froggy search will provide entertainment and the peatland museum and wildlife gardens will be open all day for visitors to browse at their leisure.
All are welcome to this free open day and for those visitors intending on going on the bog walk bring strong footwear.
This Bog Woodland Habitat Survey and Volunteer Training Programme is supported by Kildare County Council under the Community Heritage Grant Scheme 2011.