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Monday 9am - 5pm Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm

LIFE Raft

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Protecting NI's most important seabird colony from invasive non-native species. A partnership between RSPB NI; RDCA; CCGHT; and DAERA.

Funded by EU LIFE [LIFE20 NAT/UK/000349], National Lottery Heritage Fund, Garfield Weston Foundation, and DAERA.

13/10/2026

🌊 LIFE Raft Conference - Celebration, Reflection and Looking Forward 🌊

On the 8th of October, we were delighted to welcome so many people to Corrymeela Centre for the LIFE Raft Closing Conference.

As we reflected on the achievements of the project, it was wonderful to have the opportunity to share successes, lessons learned, and the legacy that LIFE Raft has created for Rathlin Island.

A huge thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to the day. We are especially grateful to all our speakers for their insightful and inspiring presentations, and we were honoured to welcome the Minister, whose attendance highlighted the importance of collaborative conservation efforts and the value of the work delivered through the project.

Over the course of LIFE Raft, partnerships, local knowledge, volunteer support, and community involvement have been at the heart of everything we have achieved. The closing conference was a fitting celebration of these collective efforts and an opportunity to look ahead to the future of biosecurity and conservation on Rathlin Island.

Thank you to everyone who has supported the project along the way. While LIFE Raft may be coming to a close in December, the impact of the project will continue for years to come.

17/09/2026

🐭 Nobody wants unwanted crew members on board⛵

A recent Yachting Monthly article highlighted just how much damage rodents can cause, from chewing through wiring and safety equipment to contaminating food stores. The good news is that prevention is often simple.

To help keep rodents off your boat:
✅ Store food in sealed containers
✅ Remove rubbish regularly
✅ Keep lockers and storage areas clean and clutter-free
✅ Fit rat guards to mooring lines where appropriate
✅ Inspect ropes, fenders and supplies before bringing them aboard
✅ Check for and seal potential entry points

For island communities like Rathlin, rodent prevention is about more than protecting your vessel. Good biosecurity helps safeguard native wildlife, supports local livelihoods that depend on a healthy natural environment, and strengthens ongoing conservation efforts to keep invasive species from impacting the island's unique ecosystems and community.

A few preventative measures can save you from costly repairs, protect local biodiversity, and help keep unwanted visitors where they belong.

Learn more about biosecurity on Rathlin Island: https://rathlin360.com/biosecurity-cmap/

Prevent-Detect-Respond - Contact Charlie, CMAP Biosecurity Officer with any questions - [email protected]

RSPB Northern Ireland Rathlin Development & Community Association LIFE Programme The National Lottery Heritage Fund Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Garfield Weston Foundation Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council Causeway Coast & Glens Heritage Trust

14/09/2026

🌿 Join Us this Evening at the Branson Centre

As Ric finishes up on the LIFE Raft project he will be giving a talk on the biodiversity monitoring work he has been leading on Rathlin.

We'll also share the latest project updates and discuss the ongoing rat monitoring work across the island.

📅 Monday 14 September
🕡 6:30pm
📍 Branson Centre, Rathlin

Everyone is welcome to attend. Come along, hear what's been happening, and chat with the team.

RSPB Northern Ireland Rathlin Development & Community Association LIFE Programme Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs The National Lottery Heritage Fund Northern Ireland Garfield Weston Foundation Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council Causeway Coast & Glens Heritage Trust

08/09/2026

Farewell Ric!

After years of early mornings, surveys, species counts, data crunching and report writing, it's time for us to say goodbye to Ric, our Senior Research Assistant.

Ric has been a key part of the LIFE Raft project since day one, playing a huge role in our biodiversity monitoring and helping us better understand and protect Rathlin Island's unique wildlife.

We're incredibly thankful for all his hard work and friendship over the years and wish him all the very best for the future.

Before he goes, Ric will be sharing an insight into the biodiversity monitoring work he’s been leading on Rathlin. We will also share a project update and overview of the ongoing rat monitoring work.

📅 Monday 14th September
🕕 6:30pm
📍 Branson Centre

Everyone is warmly invited to come along.

Good luck, Ric, and thank you for everything! 🌿

RSPB Northern Ireland Rathlin Development & Community Association LIFE Programme The National Lottery Heritage Fund Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Garfield Weston Foundation Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council Causeway Coast & Glens Heritage Trust

02/09/2026

🐾 We had a fantastic day on Rathlin Island last Thursday for our Farmers’ Biosecurity Demonstration delivered through the LIFE Raft and CMAP projects.

Attendees had the opportunity to watch Woody, our biosecurity dog, demonstrate how a biosecurity check is carried out, providing a fascinating insight into this important work.

A big thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to the discussion, and a very special thanks to Marina for providing the delicious, sweet treats that kept us all going! 🍰☕

It was great to see the LIFE Raft and CMAP projects working together to support biosecurity awareness across the island.

RSPB Northern Ireland Rathlin Development & Community Association LIFE Programme The National Lottery Heritage Fund Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Garfield Weston Foundation Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council Causeway Coast & Glens Heritage Trust

19/08/2026

🌙 Ever wondered what Rathlin's seabird colonies sound and look like after dark?

The LIFE Raft team are carrying out night-time thermal surveys using specialist binoculars that detect heat signatures in complete darkness.

This allows us to quietly monitor cliffs, shorelines and harbours without disturbance, while gathering vital evidence to help declare Rathlin a predator-free island. ✨

As the nights will start to draw in please can everyone be vigilant. If you see a potential sighting, please complete the Submit a Sighting form – thank you!

https://rathlin360.com/submit-a-sighting/

RSPB Northern Ireland Rathlin Development & Community Association LIFE Programme The National Lottery Heritage Fund Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Garfield Weston Foundation Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council Causeway Coast & Glens Heritage Trust

12/08/2026

A big thank you and farewell to our wonderful colleague Marta as she leaves the LIFE Raft project.

From early mornings in the field to dedicated biodiversity monitoring across Rathlin Island, her passion for conservation has helped make a real difference.

We're grateful for everything Marta has contributed over the years and wish her every success for the next chapter.

Best of luck and thank you from all of us at LIFE Raft! 🌿💙

RSPB Northern Ireland Rathlin Development & Community Association LIFE Programme The National Lottery Heritage Fund Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Garfield Weston Foundation Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council Causeway Coast & Glens Heritage Trust

30/07/2026

A warm Rathlin welcome to Karen Lunan and Ana Klenovsek from EU LIFE, who visited the island this week to see first-hand the progress of the LIFE Raft project. 🌊🍃

The visit was a great opportunity to showcase the progress being made and share the positive impact how EU LIFE funding is having for nature, wildlife, and the local community.

We look forward to continuing our work together to deliver lasting benefits for Rathlin Island. 💚

RSPB Northern Ireland Rathlin Development & Community Association LIFE Programme The National Lottery Heritage Fund Northern Ireland Garfield Weston Foundation Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council Causeway Coast & Glens Heritage Trust

15/07/2026

🐾 Woody Visits Rathlin! 🐾

Last week, Woody our conservation detection dog paid a visit to Rathlin Island with his handler to help monitor for any signs of rats. Woody searched several key sites around Church Bay, focusing on areas where rodent activity would be most likely to be detected.

His visit attracted plenty of attention from visitors, many of whom stopped to watch him at work.

It was a great opportunity to showcase how specially trained detection dogs support island biosecurity efforts and play an important role.

RSPB Northern Ireland Rathlin Development & Community Association LIFE Programme The National Lottery Heritage Fund Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Garfield Weston Foundation Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council Causeway Coast & Glens Heritage Trust

02/07/2026

Great to welcome Chair, Dr Simon Thurley CBE and representatives from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to Rathlin Island last week! It was fantastic to share the progress of LIFE Raft and showcase the work completed to date.

A big thank you for your continued support, it’s making a real difference 💚

Address

Ballycastle
BT546TE

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Website

https://rathlin360.com/life-raft/

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