Galway City Council is ‘buzzing’ to be a runner up in the ‘Sustainability and Climate Heritage Award’ at the National Heritage Awards, on Friday 15 November 2024. The National Heritage Awards celebrate the most engaging events of National Heritage Week. With over 2,500 events held in Heritage Week in 2024, Galway City Council was honoured to be shortlisted for the Wild Bee Festival, at a ceremony in The Grand Chapel and Hall, Kilmainham Hospital, hosted by Síle Seoige.
The ‘Wild Bee Festival 2024’ was nominated for the award by the National Biodiversity Data Centre, in recognition of the festival’s work to promote sustainable practices and to raise awareness about climate change’s impact on heritage.
The Wild Bee Festival is an annual event coordinated by the National Biodiversity Data Centre to raise awareness of Ireland’s pollinators, and how to help them in the local community.
The Galway City Wild Bee Festival in August 2024 was organised by Galway City’s Biodiversity Officer, and featured a weekend of free talks and workshops led by biodiversity experts from the National Biodiversity Centre, Dr Una Fitzpatrick and Kata Chandler; community groups, including the Friends of Merlin Woods, Colin Stanley on recording pollinators, and Grace Clinton from Fenit’s Changing Tides on the work being undertaken to protect the threatened Large Carder Bee; and Galway City Council Craft Gardener, Robert Steed on Creating Community Meadows. Biodiversity Officer, Paula Kearney led a walk through Barna Woods and a talk on helping pollinators in Galway City and the Biodiversity Action Plan.
Speaking about the award, Lisa Smyth, Senior Executive Parks Superintendent in the Recreation and Amenity department said, “Galway City Council is delighted to have been shortlisted for the Sustainability and Climate Heritage Award for the Wild Bee Festival 2024. Thanks to our staff for their work on this festival, and on the ground every day protecting our natural heritage. This festival is one of a range of activities we do in Galway City Council to support biodiversity, including wildflower meadows, sand fencing at Grattan Beach, Buaile Bó Ballyloughane conservation grazing pilot, grass management, and management of invasive species, to name but a few. Thanks also to the public for their support and engagement to protect our rich natural environment in Galway City”.
If you’d like to help wild bees and other pollinators in Galway City, you can:
1. Don’t mow, let it grow!
2. Plant pollinator friendly trees
3. Avoid using insecticides, fungicides and herbicides
4. Create nesting habitats for pollinators
5. Choose nectar and pollen-rich plants for your garden
For more information please on ways to help pollinators, see https://Pollinators.ie/Top-Ten-Ways-To-Help-Pollinators/
The Wild Bees Festival 2024 was funded by Galway City Council through local property tax and commercial rates, and is supported by The Heritage Council and the National Parks and Wildlife Service through the Local Biodiversity Action Fund.