There was a fantastic turnout on Thursday, 11 June, for the launch of the biodiversity report compiled in the Clonea Power area over the last 12 months by ecologist Kevin Collins. Clonea Power Tidy Village spearheaded the work with funding from Community Foundation Ireland and the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO)
There was a fantastic display by Mayfield Birds of Prey, with particular interest in the Long-eared Owl, which is one of only two owl species in Ireland, the other being the Barn Owl. Carrick on Suir Men’s Shed provided a very practical demonstration to the group on how to make bird boxes.
Dr. Catherine Keena of Teagasc hosted a very interesting discussion on biodiversity and hedgerow management. In particular, she emphasized the importance of the dandelion as a source of nectar and pollen for bees, hoverflies, and butterflies.
Cúan Cusack facilitated a very interactive workshop to develop prints of leaves and flowers using the sun’s rays, which was a great hit with the school children from Clonea Power National School.
Paul Carrol from the Friends of the Clodiagh group had a most interesting display of the amazing freshwater pearl mussel, which can live up to 140 years and is found in the river Clodiagh, which runs through the village. The Friends of the Clodiagh group provides active intervention to breed the pearl mussel, as the population of mussels in the River Clodiagh is in danger of extinction. One of the next elements of the project will include identifying suitable stretches of the river to receive juvenile freshwater pearl mussels from the hatchery by 2030.
Kevin Collins provided a summary of findings from his biodiversity report. Kevin documented 52 species of bird and 12 species of butterflies around the village of Clonea Power and on 5 farms in the area. Species that are listed in the EU Habitats and Birds Directives, such as the Otter, Soprano Pipistrelle Bat and Kingfisher, living in the area and also an endangered species, the stock doves, a pair of which he also discovered living in the area. Invasive alien plants like Himalayan Balsam were identified and mapped for future action.
His report also examined EPA reports on water quality in the River Clodiagh, and of note is the promising results, which were very favourable, showing an improvement in quality over previous years.
Kevin is now in the process of liaising with LAWPRO and the Waterford Council to identify future actions to preserve the wildlife in and around the village and to identify supportive actions to encourage other species to thrive. The Committee intends to apply for funding to progress to the next phase of implementing some of the identified actions.
A public meeting to present the findings, including a slideshow of images of significant plants and animals from the area, will be held later in the Summer. Landowners and farmers who are interested in helping to progress initiatives from the Action Plan will be most welcome to participate in this event. Further details can be found on www.waterfordbiodiversity.ie or by contacting the committee on cloneatidyvillage@gmail.com
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