Irish Wildlife Trust - Waterford Branch

04/03/2026

04/03/2026

Interesting

🆕New Guidance - Citizen Led Asian Hornet Trapping

🔗Visit the link to learn about widespread trapping of Asian hornet: https://invasives.ie/asianhornet/trapping/

ℹ️ This guidance has been developed to ensure that monitoring matches the currently known status of Asian hornet in Ireland. At this time there is no evidence of Asian hornet overwintering in Ireland.

💡Remember that looking out for Asian hornet and submitting suspected sightings is the single most effective action everyone can take.

📝Report suspected sightings in Ireland with a photograph through this online form https://records.biodiversityireland.ie/record/invasives or the Biodiversity Data capture app.

03/03/2026

Rooks busy collecting for nest building

10/02/2026

Interested in composting or looking for simple ways to live more sustainably? Join us for a free, in-person composting workshop designed to inform, inspire, and get you started.

This practical session is suitable for everyone, from experienced gardeners to complete beginners. You’ll learn useful composting tips, discover the benefits of composting, and see a range of composting methods demonstrated on the day. It’s also a great opportunity to meet others with an interest in sustainability.

The event is free to attend, open to all, and lunch will be provided. Places are limited and registration is required.

Book your place via Eventbrite here:
https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/compost-workshop-tickets-1982513500247

08/02/2026

Thanks to Maire and Paul for leading the walk today on the new Greenway. Irish Wildlife Trust

04/02/2026

The EU is pushing for significant deregulation, under the guise of "simplification". Nature is under attack. Not in one big blow, but through chipping away at one vital law at a time. Once lost, these protections rarely return.

We demand that our European leaders defend the laws that protect people and nature, not bow to polluters and vested interests.

Take Action: sign the petition at iwt.ie/what-we-do/hands-off-nature/

More info on this EU-wide campaign: handsoffnature.eu



BirdLife Europe and Central Asia WWF ClientEarth European Environmental Bureau - EEB
Irish Environmental Network Environmental Pillar Sustainable Water Network - SWAN Friends of the Earth Ireland

04/02/2026

Worth a visit

Snowdrop Month returns to Altamont Gardens this February.

From 1–28 February, visitors are invited to enjoy one of Ireland’s finest snowdrop displays, featuring over 150 named varieties, alongside hellebores and other early spring blooms. Set across a 40-acre estate along the River Slaney, Altamont offers a peaceful winter walk rich in biodiversity and natural beauty.

The gardens are open daily from 9am to 4.30pm, with free entry and complimentary guided tours at 2pm, Monday to Friday throughout February.

Snowdrop Month is a wonderful opportunity to experience the arrival of spring in one of Ireland’s most loved gardens, cared for by the Office of Public Works.

Learn more ➡️ https://cutt.ly/ttx0W4Vd
Plan your visit 👉 www.heritageireland.ie

Altamont Gardens Heritage Ireland Visit Carlow Carlow Tourism

04/02/2026

Dragonflies are more than just beautiful — they are bioindicators of freshwater health. Changes in water conditions, like pH shifts or excess nutrients (eutrophication), can affect their survival. By monitoring dragonfly abundance, scientists can track the health of wetlands and freshwater habitats.

During their nymph stage, dragonflies are voracious predators, feeding on aquatic larvae and invertebrates. As adults, they use their forward-positioned legs to capture prey mid-flight. Fast and agile, they can reach speeds of 36 km/hr, keeping insect populations in check and supporting the wider food web.

Next time you visit a lake, river, or pond, watch for a flash of iridescent colour and appreciate these incredible freshwater predators.

📸 Photo credit: Luc Hoogenstein
🐝 This article was taken from a blog on our website by Amanda O Driscoll https://naturenetworkireland.ie/our-nature-insights/dragonflies-2/

04/02/2026

Have you noticed this decline?

A landmark study charting wetland birds coming here for wintertime over the past 30 years has revealed mixed fortunes for 63 species of migratory waterbirds in Ireland.

04/02/2026

26/12/2025

Part 2: geese in formation