Our last submission reminisced about walks on the beach, making me feel quite nostalgic about being able to travel further than five kilometres from the house to take in the glory of nature!
However even if we are currently confined to a small radius around our homes, we can still find and enjoy the bounty of nature. Walking and listening to birdsong, trying to spot and identify them in the garden, keeping an eye out for snowdrops and primroses as they make their way skywards, it's incredible how much nature we can find around us when we take the time to look.
In 2019, as part of the An Urgent Enquiry project, artist Mark Clare designed 'missing' posters for an endangered native species of solitary bee, Osmia Aurulenta. This insect thrives in sand dunes and is one of the most efficient pollinators, an essential part of our ecosystems. Mark's posters were installed on Wexford beaches that year to highlight the importance of understanding and protecting even something as small as an insect.
An advantage of less movement and road traffic is that wildlife is thriving, in towns as well as the countryside. Why don't you make a list of the flora and fauna you can spot around your house? Biodiversity Ireland has a list of wildlife commonly found in urban and rural gardens if you need some help getting started.
Backyard Biodiversity:
https://www.biodiversityireland.ie/projects/additional-survey-schemes/backyard-biodiversity/species/
You can also read more about the An Urgent Enquiry project here: http://www.anurgentenquiry.ie/mark-clare.html
Comments