Sneem Tidytowns

08/11/2024

Delighted to announce that the Garden of the Senses has been awarded a Community Green Flag and Pollinator Plan award today. Thanks to the foresight of Sneem Development Co-op who purchased this 2 acre site for the community 56 years ago and Cara, Joe and the CE team who keep it looking so lovely all year round
https://www.independent.ie/regionals/kerry/south-kerry-news/celebrations-in-kerry-as-communities-mark-green-flag-award-success/a859150489.html

05/11/2024

Sneem river is a Blue Dot water body - what does this mean?

03/11/2024

Did you know we have the endangered freshwater pearl mussel in Sneem river...

01/11/2024

Absolutely delighted to get a Silver medal and win the overall Pollinator Award

22/10/2024

We're planning on joining Killarney Tidy Towns to learn how to tackle invasive rhododendrons, let us know if you are interested in joining us

🌿 Join Killarney Mountain Meitheal! 🌿

Our 2024/2025 season is in full swing, and we need YOUR help to restore the beauty of Killarney National Park! Over the next few months, we're working hard to clear invasive rhododendron, and we’d love for you to join us.

🗓 When?
Every Sunday and Tuesday morning from 9am - 12pm.

📍 Where?
Under the shadow of the 14th-century Muckross Abbey, clearing the rhododendron in Abbey Wood.

Why volunteer?
✨ Get outdoors and enjoy some fresh air
✨ Meet new, like-minded people
✨ Help restore the biodiversity of our native woodland
✨ Enjoy a well-deserved cup of tea after a rewarding morning!

If you’ve got a few spare hours, we’d love to see you there! Let’s make a difference together 🌳💪 .ie

21/10/2024

Join the campaign to ban bottom trawling in EU waters

Destructive bottom trawling is rampant in Europe’s marine protected areas. The European Union (EU) seabeds are the most trawled in the world, causing damage to vital ecosystems that lasts generations. Urge EU lawmakers to protect the ocean, fisheries, and our future.

21/10/2024

Inspirational interview with Seán Ronayne on Saturday in case you missed it

Ornithologist, Seán Ronayne chats to Brendan about his debut book ‘Nature Boy’, how a near-death experience changed his outlook, his autism diagnosis, and why he has poured his heart and soul into his mission of re-connecting people with nature. Seán is on Instagram

20/10/2024

If you have a septic tank, can you fill out this survey?

To advance the Republic of Ireland’s National Inspection Plan by identifying top-down (governance) and bottom-up (engagement) pathways towards higher levels of septic tank remediation to generate...

20/10/2024

lesser horseshoe bats...

31 Days of Bats

Day 20: Lesser Horseshoe Bat

Rhinolophus hipposideros

crú-ialtóg bheag

The lesser horseshoe bat belongs to the Rhinolophidae family of bats, while the other resident species belong to the Vespertilionidae family.

Horseshoe bats differ from the Vespertilionid bats in that they have a number of flaps or folds of skin around their nostrils, called a noseleaf, that form a horseshoe shape.

The lesser horseshoe hangs freely by its feet and wraps its wings around its body, the only resident Irish species to do so.

The range of the lesser horseshoe bat in Ireland is, for the most part, limited to six western counties – Clare, Cork, Galway, Kerry, Limerick and Mayo.

The species has been recorded once in Roscommon and twice in Sligo. Fragments of a lesser horseshoe bat skeleton have been found alongside prehistoric remains in a cave in Waterford, indicating that it was formerly more widespread on the island.

It roosts mainly in roofs of old houses or in outhouses, stables or old cottages.

In winter this species hibernates in caves, disused cellars, mines and souterrains. The lesser horseshoe bat’s distribution in the west is strongly linked with broadleaved and mixed woodland and it usually forages in woodland and scrub.

The Irish population of this species is estimated at 14,000 individuals and is considered of International Importance because it has declined dramatically and become extinct in many other parts of Europe.

In Ireland the species has been counted regularly in winter and summer roosts since the 1980s by the National Parks and Wildlife Service and, more recently, also by The Vincent Wildlife Trust.

Bat Conservation Ireland currently manages this scheme to monitor the species. Data collected from this scheme shows that the species increased significantly between from the early 1990s to present.

Population increases may be the result of improved protection, increased woodland cover or climate change, or a combination of these and other reasons.

Photo courtesy of Paul Van Hoof

17/10/2024

Brilliant volunteers still hard at work this morning despite the showers

15/10/2024

Did you know that Sneem is a Blue Dot catchment? Find out how Mayo are managing theirs...

03/10/2024

Put pressure on people looking for your vote to implement Marine Protected Areas to save our seas

01/10/2024

🦇31 DAYS OF BATS🦇

Did you know October is Bat Appreciation Month?

We are going to mark each day of October with a bat fact, update you on projects, share batty activity ideas and we will introduce you to the 9 resident bat species we have in Ireland.

🗓DAY 1

If you are new to bats and want to learn more about them, it's easy to get started! Check out our Online Training Platform 👇

http://training.batconservationireland.org

It's free to sign up & new modules will be added soon

26/09/2024

Some good advice here, also if near a river, avoid leaving piles of mown grass on the river bank, use it to mulch under trees away from the river so avoid excessive nitrates getting into the river

20/09/2024

Fabulous morning for our River Clean litter pick, thanks to the brilliant kids from Sneem National School who did most of the work, I think they'd ask smokers not to throw their butts on the ground as they picked up over 300! Maith thú Clean Coasts