Abbeyleix Bog - Local Bioblitz Challenge - 8th June

Abbeyleix Bog is one of 7 national sites to take part in this year's Local Bioblitz Challenge on Saturday, 8 June 2013. It is a fun event where each site will endeavour to record as many species as possible over a period of 24 hours - a biodiversity blitz census! The organisers of the Abbeyleix Bog site, also host variety of free guided family events, starting on Friday evening. 'Base camp' of the day's activities is the Abbeyleix Manor Hotel at the Southern end of the town of Abbeyleix, Co Laois.

Programme of guided events:

Friday 7th June

9.30 pm: Moth Trapping, Bat Detecting & Dusk Wildlife – Peadar Lynch & Regional Staff of National Parks and Wildlife Service

Saturday 8th June

5.00 am: Dawn Chorus Walk for early risers – Birdwatch Laois & Mark McCorry (Bord na Mona & Botanical Society of the British Isles)

9.00 am: Opening of Moth Traps – Regional Staff of National Parks and Wildlife Service

11.00 am: Looking for Wildlife on Bogs & Pond Dipping – Tadhg O’Corcora (Irish Peatland Conservation Council)

12.00 am: Foraging for Wild Food (‘Plants you can eat!’) – Mary Bulfin

2.00 pm: Be a Bog Detective! (particularly for kids 7 and older) – Mary Healy & Theresa Kelly (Clara Bog Visitor Centre, National Parks and Wildlife Service)

3.00 pm: Chasing Butterflies and Dragonflies – Annemarieke Van Der Voort, Clare Coffey & Mark Slattery (Abbeyleix Bog Project)

4.00 pm: Discovering Wildflowers – Fiona MacGowan (Botanical Society of the British Isles)

All guided events will start from the entrance to the bog next to the car park of the Abbeyleix Manor Hotel, situated at the southern end of Abbeyleix town.

All information is available on 'abbeyleixbog' Facebook page, as well as website www.abbeyleixbog.ie.

For media and general enquiries about the Abbeyleix BioBlitz, please contact Dr Mark McCorry at 087 9027683

More information about the Local BioBlitz Challenge can be found here and the information about the National Biodiversity Data Centre here.