West Wicklow Environmental Network

19/10/2026

Last chance to sign the petition that challenges an agenda which seeks to weaken environmental protection across the EU.

Stop the dismantling of European environmental protections. Stand up for forests, wildlife, clean air, and safe water - our nature depends on it.

14/09/2026

Successful Bat Walk in Baltinglass!

On a recent warm dry September evening, West Wicklow Environmental Network met in the old Stratford Lodge school in Baltinglass to learn all about Irish bats. Guest speaker was Justin Ivory a member of Bat Conservation Ireland’s bat panel.

We learned that there are in fact nine species of Irish bats and worldwide about 1500 species. Our bats are all insectivorous and feed on things like moth, midge and cranefly and are really important for pest control in agriculture.

We stepped outside into the warm evening air, with our bat detectors set to 45kHz. Almost instantly the detectors were buzzing as we could hear and see the Common Pipistrelle zipping past us between the trees overhead… to read the full article visit our website!

https://www.westwicklowen.ie/blog/successful-bat-walk-in-baltinglass

Patrick Hunt, WWEN Committee

Successful Bat Walk in Baltinglass Recently, on a warm dry September evening, West Wicklow Environmental Network met in the old Stratford Lodge school in Baltinglass to learn all about Irish bats. Our guest speaker was Justin Ivory a member of Bat Conservation Ireland’s bat panel. Bookings were br...

31/08/2026

WWEN are delighted to let you know about our next event, a Bat Talk and Walk.

DATE: Friday, 11 September, 2026

TIME: 7.30pm to 9.30pm

VENUE: Stratford Lodge, Old Primary School, Church Lane, Baltinglass.

EIRCODE: W91 KX75 (It’s the Eircode for the new school next door to our venue)

REGISTRATION: This is a free event but registration is required as numbers are limited. You can register by email to [email protected] or by completing the form on https://forms.gle/HPWXbZZ1tLKgYJL9A

The Bat talk and walk event will be led by Justin Ivory, Community Water Officer. Justin will give us a Presentation / Quiz on Ireland’s nine bat species before heading outside shortly after sundown. We will explore the area near Baltinglass Abbey and the Slaney River, a short walk from the hall. Using bat detectors, we will learn how to recognise various bats by their pattern and frequency of clicks, taking into account the habitats locally. This promises to be a very interesting and informative event on Irish Bats and their fascinating lives.

Please dress appropriately for the Irish weather and wear suitable footwear.

Attendees under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

25/08/2026

03/08/2026

West Wicklow Environmental Network is at the Tinahely Show today, chatting with people about nature and all things environmental, if you're at the show call by to say hello, we're up the hill from the main entrance, near the Craft Village and the Bumbleance.

27/07/2026

27/07/2026

NEW WWEN EVENT! River Dipping in the Greese River, Dunlavin

Saturday 15 August, Free event.

11am and 12.30pm

Get up close and personal with river life with an interactive river dipping session in the Greese River in Dunlavin. This Heritage Week event, led by nature expert Patrick Hunt, will include a demonstration of river dipping followed by an interactive session where participants will discover the hidden life of the river, develop new identification skills and learn what river invertebrate life can tell us about our natural environment.

River dipping is a sampling of river water with bucket, net and tray to identify the invertebrate life and hidden creatures that have their home in the river. Equipment is provided, though participants are welcome to bring their own hand nets, if they have them.

This is a free event but booking is essential as numbers are limited.

Booking is at this link:

Please register below for the West Wicklow Environmental Network Heritage Week river dipping workshop in Dunlavin on Saturday 15 August This Heritage Week event, led by nature expert Patrick Hunt, will include a demonstration of river dipping followed by an interactive session where participants wil...

01/07/2026

In June an important event on Invasive Species in Ireland was hosted by WWEN. If you couldn't make the evening, a report is available from our website

https://www.westwicklowen.ie/our-impact/sharing-knowledge