The National Biodiversity Data Centre launched a recruitment campaign in January 2024 for the role of Programme Manager Invasive Species.  Due to that recruitment process being unsuccessful, we are now readvertising the role with an amended specification. The National Biodiversity Data Centre also manages thematic work programmes and plans to support the implementation of aspects of biodiversity policy. One of the key work programmes is around Invasive Alien Species. The Centre has built a large knowledge-base around invasive species in Ireland  https://invasives.ie/, it manages the ..read more

The National Biodiversity Data Centre manages thematic work programmes and plans to support the implementation of aspects of biodiversity policy. One of the key work programmes is around Invasive Alien Species. The Centre has built a large knowledge-base around invasive species in Ireland  https://invasives.ie/, it manages the National Invasive Species database, provides alerts for newly arrived species, and it provides supports to Government departments on the implementation and reporting of EU Invasive Species Regulations and other invasive species policy areas. Closing Date for Applica ..read more

The National Biodiversity Data Centre is delighted to launch its first Strategic Plan for 2024 – 2028. This ambitious plan outlines the Data Centre’s core objectives over the next five years, with the aim of creating an Ireland where biodiversity is understood, appreciated, and valued, and decisions that impact on biodiversity are informed by evidence and knowledge. Ireland is in the midst of a biodiversity emergency. The evidence shows that the complexity of our ecosystems is declining, and many species found in our country are endangered or under threat of extinction. Of the 3,466 species as ..read more

Ireland’s Citizen Science Portal – Recording Summary 2023  We had another great year of recording activity with 163,502 records submitted through Ireland’s Citizen Science Portal in 2023. Records were received from 8033 individual recorders across all 32 counties. An interesting trend with data submitted through the Citizen Science Portal is that more than half of recorders only submit one record during a calendar year. In contrast to this we had 38 recorders who submitted over 1000 records, nine of which submitted over 2000 records. Recording Activity from 2017 – 2023 – Showing the perc ..read more

The National Biodiversity Data Centre is delighted to release two new free resources exploring the importance of native hedgerows, and how to plant them to help biodiversity. We would like to thank the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) project for funding these resources. Protecting Farmland Pollinators was an EIP project funded under the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) under the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 ..read more

The National Biodiversity Data Centre has published its 25th  edition of Biodiversity Ireland which is our bi-annual newsletter. It is a way of showcasing aspects of the project work of the National Biodiversity Data Centre, but also to highlight some of the recording and survey work undertaken by key partners. Please read below for Liam Lysaght, the Centre’s CEO message on the newsletter ..read more

Sherkin Island Marine Station was founded in 1975 by Matt Murphy and his late wife, Eileen and was run by Matt and his family until 2015, when project work ceased. Now Matt is retired and, with the help of his family, including his daughter Susan Murphy Wickens, is working towards an archive of data collected. Earlier this week, the first dataset ‘Sherkin Island Marine Station Phytoplankton Records from the Southwest Coast of Ireland. Series 1: Long-term data series from Roaringwater Bay/Long Island Bay and South of Sherkin Island, Co Cork 1980-2014’ from the Marine Station was published on Bi ..read more

The Annual Reports for the All-Ireland Bumblebee Monitoring Scheme and the Irish Butterfly Monitoring Scheme have been published. Both monitoring schemes are citizen science schemes that track population and phenology (flight) trends in Irish bumblebees and butterflies, detecting the impacts of factors such as land use and climate change on populations. For butterflies, it involves walking a fixed route (transect) on a weekly basis from April to September, when weather conditions are favourable. For bumblebees, the fixed route (transect) is walked once a month from March until October. In both ..read more

‘Festival of Farmland Biodiversity’ farm survey results 2023 The National Biodiversity Data Centre hosted a month-long (virtual) ‘Festival of Farmland Biodiversity’ in May 2023. The purpose of the Festival was to encourage more positive engagement on the topic of farmland biodiversity, and to highlight some of the ways that farmers can work to support biodiversity. It invited farmers to share content on social media about biodiversity features on their own farms. engagement around the topic of biodiversity and farmland There was good engagement with this year’s Festival of Farmland Biodiversi ..read more

One of the key values of the National Biodiversity Data Centre is a recognition that biodiversity conservation is a science-based discipline and the best outcomes for conservation result from evidence-based actions. Ensuring that the work of the National Biodiversity Data Centre is grounded in science and that a scientific approach is adopted in the delivery of its work is fundamental to the success of the company. For this reason, we are seeking a Chief Scientific Officer to join the senior management team of the National Biodiversity Data Centre. More information is available in the candidat ..read more