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Volunteer Training
Take part in free volunteer training in 2008 in the Antrim area
10 Top Tips
Ten things you can do to help enjoy and protect Northern Ireland’s biodiversity
Biodiversity Activities
Try some family fun Biodiversity activities
Autumn Seed Harvesting
Help increase the amount of native woodland in Northern Ireland by collecting the seeds of native trees such as ash, wild cherry, oak and holly
Download Recording Cards
Belfast Hills Partnership in association with the Environment and Heritage Service has published a series of recording cards to encourage people to record animals, birds and plants earmarked as “priority species” in Northern Ireland
Take Part - Links
Places that you can visit and take part in exciting Biodiversity activities
Volunteer Training
Six Mile Water Guardians’ Training Events 2008
A great opportunity to learn about wildlife recording and practical conservation skills, whilst enjoying the outdoors along the Six Mile Water. Training is free of charge and suitable for all abilities – no previous experience or equipment is necessary. It may also be suitable for children over 8 years, who must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Please bring boots and a waterproof coat.
To book your place or for further information, please contact Elaine Upton or Ruth Wilson, Antrim Borough Council T. 9446 3113.
Woodland Management (Conservation Volunteers NI), Saturday 12 January, 11am-3pm
Do you know your Ash from your Oak or your Alder from your Willow? This is your opportunity to get to know more about native trees and woodland management and have a go at building habitat piles to help encourage invertebrates and fungi to the area. Lunch will be provided.
Bird Box Building, Saturday 16 February, 10am-12noon
A Valentine’s Special – help build some bird boxes which will create a safe haven for nesting birds in the spring. We will then go in search of suitable sites to put them up.
Meadow Management (Conservation Volunteers NI), Saturday 29 March, 11am-3pm
Did you know a meadow can provide a rich habitat for insects and butterflies? Find out how to identify some of our wildflowers such as Common Knapweed and Yellow Rattle and why we need to manage meadow areas to encourage such plants. Finally, try your hand at helping us recreate a small stretch of meadow along the Six Mile Water. Lunch will be provided.
Bat Waterways Survey (NI Bat Group), Wednesday 16 April, 7-9pm
Learn about the bats that live in our area, including the Daubenton’s bat, which can be found foraging over open water, taking insects on or near the surface of the Six Mile Water. Discover how to identify their calls, which is only possible with the use of specialised equipment.
Wetland Bird Survey, Saturday 26 April, 10am-12noon
Do you know your Grey Wagtail from your Dipper? Come along and learn how to identify the water bird species that make the Six Mile Water their home and find out how you can help monitor them for the future.
River Monitoring Training (Ballinderry Fish Hatchery Ltd), Saturday 17 May, 10am-12noon
Freshwater Bug Sampling will provide equipment, training and support for those who wish to help monitor the health of the Six Mile Water. The session will include surveying for aquatic insects, such as mayflies, which are excellent indicators of environmental change and a river’s health. No previous experience necessary.
Invasive Species Day (EHS), Saturday 7 June, 11am-3pm
Alien invaders on the river bank!! Find out who they are, how they affect our local biodiversity and what we can do to help. Then, lend a hand to map, monitor and control some of the invasive plant species in the area.. Lunch will be provided.
10 Top Tips
Ten things you can do to help enjoy and protect Northern Ireland’s biodiversity
- Explore! Biodiversity is everywhere – it includes you and every living thing around you. So whether you live in the heart of the city or in the middle of the countryside, start looking for the variety of life on your doorstep today. You’ll be amazed how much there is to see.
- Make some feathered friends. No matter where you live, in a flat or surrounded by fields, you can help our feathered friends by putting up bird boxes or bird tables during the cold winter months. Just make sure you put out the right kind of food and you should have all kinds of grateful visitors. And as a good friend should, get to know their names!
- Go wild in the garden. Whether you’ve got acres or just a window box, you could create your very own wildflower ‘meadow’ to help keep local species thriving. Wildflower gardens help support other local wildlife as well as giving you a wonderful, colourful garden to enjoy!
- Get your hands dirty. If you want a bigger challenge than planting flowers in your own garden, sign up as a volunteer with one of the many conservation organisations in Northern Ireland. You could plant trees, wildflowers and get to know some of our native species just that little bit better – all with the added advantage of having some fun
- Invite some new neighbours in. With some of their natural habitats in decline, bats and hedgehogs could do with your help to find suitable homes. You can help by sharing a little bit of your home with them – put up a bat box or set up hibernating hedgehog homes in your garden. You never know who you’ll see from the breakfast table!
- Keep it clean. The things we leave behind can seriously damage our local biodiversity. So deal with your rubbish responsibly, don’t litter and recycle or reuse whatever you can.
- Sign up. Becoming a member of any one of Northern Ireland’s many active conservation organisations won’t cost you very much and it will help you learn more about our local biodiversity.
- Put your rubbish to work. Turn your muck into magic for the garden by starting a compost heap. You’ll save money on fertiliser for your garden and create a warm, safe place for lots of small animals – maybe even hedgehogs if you’re lucky. It doesn’t have to be huge to make a difference and it could really boost your garden’s performance too.
- Take some local action. Find out what’s going on in your area – a number of Local Biodiversity Action Plans are currently being developed by District Councils across Northern Ireland. You could find you’re living near a nature reserve or an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or even the homes of some of our most threatened birds, animals and plants. No matter where you live, there will be ways in which you can make a difference!
- Make a splash. Creating a wildlife pond in your garden can bring stunning dragonflies, and bathing birds to your back yard and create a whole underwater world for frogs, newts and diving beetles.
Biodiversity Activities
Try some family fun Biodiversity activities, click on the links below to download instruction sheets
Mammal watch : Badger watching EDU011 (320kb)
Feeding Birds EDU015 (384kb)
Setting up a Butterfly / Insect garden EDU002 (192kb)
Watching Wildlife : Making a hide EDU012 (128kb)
Making a garden pond EDU008 (384kb)
Making a pond life aquarium EDU006 (384kb)
Cleaning, preserving and mounting skulls and skeletons EDU010 (704kb)
Autumn Seed Harvesting
Help increase the amount of native woodland in Northern Ireland by collecting the seeds of native trees such as ash, wild cherry, oak and holly.
Tips on how to find and grow seeds, and how to nurture young trees are available from Conservation Volunteers Autumn Seed Harvest Handbook at http://www.toof.org.uk/download/
Download Recording Cards:
Help Record Sightings of our Native Species
Belfast Hills Partnership in association with the Environment and Heritage Service has published a series of recording cards to encourage people to record animals, birds and plants earmarked as “priority species” in Northern Ireland.
The cards feature four species with two requiring urgent conservation action at this time of year - the pink waxcap fungus – resembling a pink ballerina, and the barn owl. The Irish hare and the marsh fritillary butterfly are also featured in the cards for people to look out for later in the year.
The information gathered from the recording cards will be used to help the conservation of each of the species through concentrating efforts and guiding decisions on where to target action and invest resources. More information is available on our News page.
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Barn Owl Recording Card.pdf [256kb] |
Irish Hare Recording Card.pdf [256kb] |
Pink Waxcap Recording Card.pdf [256kb] |
All recording cards are in PDF format and require a PDF reader to view them. Click here to download Adobe Reader
Take part - Links
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