Minister visits Laois to launch community biodiversity guide

A new guide to help communities across Ireland protect their local waterways, enhance biodiversity and respond to the challenges of climate change was launched in Portlaoise this week.

Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity Christopher O’Sullivan TD launched ‘Working with Water, Biodiversity and Climate Change: A Guide for Community Groups’ at a conference in the Midlands Park Hotel in Portlaoise on Tuesday, November 10.

Staff members from the Local Development Companies Network (LDCN) and the River Basin Management Service (RBMS) gathered to discuss effective measures to improve water quality, boost biodiversity, tackle climate change as well as opportunities for collaboration across the local community sector.

The new guide provides practical guidance and inspiration for local organisations seeking to develop environmental projects, while highlighting opportunities for support through the LEADER Programme, SICAP, TÚS, RSS and other Local Development Company initiatives.

Speaking at the launch, Minister O’Sullivan said: “Our local communities have an enormously important role to play in protecting Ireland’s natural environment. People know their local rivers, lakes, streams and landscapes better than anyone, and this publication provides them with practical ideas and guidance on how they can make a positive difference.

“Protecting water quality, restoring biodiversity and preparing for the impacts of climate change are interconnected challenges. We need to support communities to take action, and Local Development Companies provide an important vehicle to turn local ideas into meaningful environmental projects.”

The guide also outlines how environmental projects can be developed and supported specifically through LEADER funding, including training, feasibility studies, development plans and practical projects that deliver tangible benefits for local communities and wildlife.

Delegates were also informed of other funding programmes that could potentially complement LEADER and support them in their plans and projects.

Máirín Ó Cuireáin, CEO of the LDCN said: “The guide demonstrates how communities can make a real difference to their local environment through initiatives such as river restoration, native tree planting, wetland creation, invasive species control, biodiversity trails, water conservation and citizen science projects.”

Welcoming the launch, Anthony Coleman, Director of Services at the RBMS, said: “It was great to have so many from the Local Development Companies represented at the workshop today in Portlaoise. This event encourages community groups, community leaders and environmental volunteers to explore the potential of the LEADER Programme to deliver projects that benefit both people and nature, while also considering how to access the complementary water quality funding schemes administered by the RBMS on behalf of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.”

The publication emphasises that the most effective approaches to protecting waterways involve local communities working together with relevant stakeholders and environmental experts.

It highlights the importance of taking a catchment-based approach, recognising that what happens upstream can have a significant impact on water quality, habitats and wildlife further downstream.

Among the projects explored in the guide are the restoration of degraded rivers, the creation of ponds and wetlands, natural flood management measures, nature-based solutions, rain gardens, smarter villages and rainwater management planning, improved fish passage, and initiatives to provide habitats for threatened species.

The free guidance booklet also encourages local people to become actively involved in monitoring wildlife and water quality, building knowledge and developing a greater connection with their local environment.

Coinciding with the launch was a workshop between the staff of Local Development Companies and the RBMS. It aimed to develop opportunities to collaborate across the River Basin Management Plan, share knowledge and learnings and identify potential local projects that could benefit local communities.

Staff from Laois County Council guided attendees to their recently built rain garden, partially funded through the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

Georgina Ireland, Senior Executive Officer with Laois County Council, commented: “Laois County Council is delighted to support this event and showcase the benefits, both socially and environmentally, of nature-based solutions such as the beautiful rain gardens developed in Portlaoise by our Municipal District engineering staff in conjunction with the local Tidy Towns group.”

The guide was funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and compiled by the RBMS with support from the LDCN and the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme