Kilcullen climate group gets biodiversity study grant

Ecologist Nuala Madigan, and Cliona Kelliher.

A €4,000 grant given to Kilcullen Community 4 Climate Action will be used to to assess and study a particular element of biodiversity in the town, writes Brian Byrne.

The group is one of just two in the county who won grants under the Environment and Nature Fund scheme, jointly administered by The Community Foundation for Ireland in partnership with the National Parks and Wildlife Service. A total of €400,000 in supports are being provided nationally by the fund, which is now in its third year. 

The local grant will pay for the services of a professional ecologist to do the study, and Nuala Madigan of the Irish Peatland Conservation Council has been commissioned to do the work for Kilcullen.

“There is already a Biodiversity Plan in place being managed by Kilcullen Community Action,” says Cliona Kelliher of the climate action group. “We’ll be doing our project in tandem with them.”

The provision of the grant also involves hosting a public event as part of the project, which will likely be by way of a talk at the end of the work.

Cliona says the project is important not just for the group and the Kilcullen Biodiversity Plan, but also has national significance. “All of the data that Nuala collects will also go into the National Biodiversity Data Centre.”

The climate action group is also considering the production of a short video in tandem with the project, for which separate funding would be required. “I think it would be nice to have this so that the community can see the richness of the biodiversity around us.”

Winning the grant is a good way for Kilcullen Community 4 Climate Action to start their year's activities. “It helps for people to see what we are doing, and possibly get new members.”

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