US ecology expert to attend Donegal Bees event

Award-winning local enterprise Donegal Bees is holding a special talk and nature walk in Glencolmcille to mark World Environmental Day.

Guest speaker at the event held on Wednesday, June 5 is the renowned US botanist and author Professor Robin Wall Kimmerer.

The event kicks off at 3:30 pm with a nature walk from the Glencolmcille Parish Church of Ireland at An Tsraid in Glencolmcille. The walk will be led by biodiversity and environment expert,  Professor Alex Weir, a professor at the State University of New York (SUNY).

Professor Weir is originally from Omagh but currently resides in the Glencolmcille area. He has been the recipient of the SUNY Chancellors Award for Excellence in Teaching and has discovered and named many new species of fungi from around the world.

The walk will feature a guided tour of the beehives at Donegal Bees, led by director and co-owner, Thomas Ellis. Participants will then return to An Tsraid for a brief talk on the history of the Church, followed by Dr. Alex Weir, who will discuss local biodiversity and introduce Professor Kimmerer.

Áine Curran, Director and co-owner of Donegal Bees, says the event is free and aims to raise awareness about environmental issues. "We also want to explore ways we can collaborate to protect our natural surroundings. Professor Kimmerer will discuss the connection between ecology and science and share her insights on the importance of plants in our environment."

Kimmerer is a scientist, decorated professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, and this is her first visit to Ireland. She is the author of ‘Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants’, which has earned her international acclaim. Her first book, Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses, was awarded the John Burroughs Medal for outstanding nature writing.  

Donegal Bees Ltd, co-owned by Thomas Ellis and Áine Curran and located in Glencolmcille's Gaeltacht area, is Ireland's largest award-winning beekeeping supply company. For the past decade, their mission has been to make beekeeping accessible and affordable. Recognizing its importance for environmental preservation and historical awareness, they are now developing beekeeping educational courses and tours to integrate with the cultural, heritage, and environmental resources of Glencolmcille.

Attendance at the World Environmental Day event is free, but people need to book online here. They will also be holding a fundraiser for BUMBLEance on the day and all donations are welcome.