Ballyshannon people 'inspirational' - ecologist

Images: Ballyshannon Action.

The Ballyshannon community have been described as 'inspirational' by ecologist Dr Catherine O'Connell, following her visit there last week to help them prepare a Biodiversity Action Plan, writes Brian Byrne. Speaking afterwards on KFM radio, she said the people there are "prepared to put their money where their mouth is and actually do something about biodiversity."

Dr O'Connell's visit followed the awarding of a grant of €5,500 from Community Foundation Ireland towards the cost of developing a biodiversity plan. "They're not just shouting about the possibility of losing stuff," she told KFM's Eoin Beatty, referencing the community's ongoing fight against a plan to turn part of the area into a quarry. "They're prepared to pledge their gardens and everything for local biodiversity and it's an incredible thing to have going on."

Dr O'Connell said that on the initial visit she and the local group identified 110 different species in the area, in examining locations which included hedgerows, streams, gardens and frontage onto the local roads. "I'll be visiting again and I'm sure we'll be adding to that number."

The schedule is to finish the plan by the end of August. It will include an assessment of what people are currently doing that is good for wildlife and biodiversity in Ballyshannon and add some ideas to improve on that. "The idea is to provide more places for wildlife, for pollinators, for all that type of thing that is so important now. There's so much development everywhere, so much intensive agriculture, the land is changing rapidly and wildlife is suffering as a result."

Dr O'Connell noted some of the positives about the area she has already found, including the existence of tufa in the streams which indicates water of high quality. "There's a lot to think about. Something like this really focuses a community, and helps them to understand why biodiversity is important."

The full interview with Eoin Beatty can be heard here. 

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