Biodiversity and how farmland is managed are closely linked. Recent years have seen a reduction in the biodiversity value of farmland, and much of the variety and diversity which was once such a characteristic feature of the Irish countryside has been lost. But the Irish farming community presents an opportunity for arresting this decline. farmers and their families can be a positive driver of change by ensuring that biodiversity features of value on their land are retained. These retained features could then be the basis upon which biodiversity enhancement measures could be delivered. Ensuring there is diversity in the Irish landscape is one important contribution that the farming community can make and are making to building resilience to address the challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss.
The National Biodiversity Data Centre is hosting a month-long (virtual) Festival of Farmland Biodiversity for May 2023. The Festival of Farmland Biodiversity will focus on challenges to addressing the biodiversity crisis across much of the farmed landscape in Ireland.
The purpose of the Festival is to encourage a more positive engagement around the topic of biodiversity and farmland, and to highlight some of the ways that farmers are working to support biodiversity on their farms. The rationale for the National Biodiversity Data Centre’s approach is that if all farmers took some evidence-based actions to help biodiversity, no matter how small, the cumulative impact of these actions could address biodiversity loss in the Irish landscape.
Changing the narrative around farmland biodiversity
A framework for biodiversity action
A diverse landscape supporting biodiversity can be achieved by adopting a four-stage process for action:
- Retain existing biodiversity-friendly areas.
- Maintain existing areas through positive biodiversity-friendly management.
- Restore areas that once provided support for biodiversity.
- Create new biodiversity-friendly areas to enhance its biodiversity value.
The possibilities for transformative change where farmers across the island of Ireland take small and large actions on their farm to help biodiversity are enormous. We know from the science what works for biodiversity, and for many aspects of biodiversity a lot of small actions can deliver surprisingly successful results. We are seeking the help of the farming community to deliver this transformative change by taking actions for biodiversity.
What will it involve?
- Sharing advice on evidence-based actions on farmland to help biodiversity
- Highlighting seasonal actions for pollinators on farmland
- Videos highlighting actions farmers have taken to help pollinators for the Protecting Farmland Pollinators EIP project
- Sharing examples of actions framers have taken to help biodiversity
- Highlighting the threat posed by invasive alien species
- ‘Biodiversity on your Farm’, profiling species that occur on farmland, how to record your sightings and simple biodiversity management tips.
- On-line course to learn how to identify farmland birdss
- Getting farmers involved in biodiversity surveying and monitoring
Evidence based actions to help farmland biodiversity
The possibilities for transformative change where farmers across the island of Ireland take small and large actions on their farm to help biodiversity are enormous. We know from the science what works for biodiversity, and for many aspects of biodiversity a lot of small actions can deliver surprisingly successful results. We are seeking the help of the farming community to deliver this transformative change by taking actions for biodiversity.
Biodiversity on your Farm
The ‘Biodiversity on your Farm’ project will help you learn more about the species on your farm. Every week we will focus on a different species, and share a simple farmland biodiversity management tip, find out more here
Across the year we will be highlighting 40 species, with a focus on pollinators, to take part, send your sightings here
Supporters
There are many partners, programmes and projects currently happening in Ireland all working towards the same objective of improving the conservation of biodiversity on farmland. The National Biodiversity Data Centre is pleased to be working in collaboration with these supporters to promote the Festival of Farmland Biodiversity 2023:
- All-Ireland Pollinator Plan
- Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
- Teagasc
- National Rural Network
- Farming for Nature