Category Archives: Biodiversity

Water Heritage Day

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Celebrate Water heritage day  ( Sunday 25th August  9.30am)  meet at Canal Square!  All are welcome.  Bat Boyd chairman of KKB environmental sub committee and Pat Durkin of Birdwatch Ireland  Kilkenny  lead a  biodiversity walk along the river Nore. Experience the beautiful flora and fauna of the river Nore which flows to the centre of Kilkenny city. The results of the extensive removal of invasive weeds including Himalayan balsam will also be reviewed.

There is a lot of interest along the river bank  and will also review Alien Invasive Species, non natives, indigenous species and endangered species in the context of our riparian biodiversity. These  include the grey squirrel , mink, signal cray fish, mitten crab, and our most recent invasive water mold asphonomyces astaci ( white claw cray fish plague).

We will also talk about immediate threats from the mollusks kingdom Asian Clams and Zebra Mussels.

Plants to be reviewed include the  Impatiens glandulifera  not to be confused with our native Heracluem Sphondaelium ( cow parsley) and Heracleum mantegazzianum (giant hogweed).

We will also be looking at winter heliotrope and other invasive’s present from the Gonnera family. Non-natives but not invasive’s such as the sycamore , horse chestnut and rye grasses as well as native sedge’s.

It will be great fun hope to see you there Email us at mail@keepkilkennybeautiful.com  or ring  086-1075532 to be put on out text list  and to get further details of our environmental  actions and clean  ups.

Mid Kilkenny beekeepers come to the rescue

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At this time of year it  is a regular occurrence that bees swarm. The honey bees  should not be confused with wasps. Generally the bees will coalesce into a large bundle around the queen bee located possibly on a wall as they decide where they’re going to go to next. The bees in this situation are quite docile and the risk of getting a sting is  low so long as the bees are not disturbed.

This week KKB called in the mid-Kilkenny Beekeepers  to help when a swarm landed on one of Kilkenny’s historic limestone walls in the city centre. Congratulations to the beekeepers who had a volunteer out within an hour to help and a local building contractor who assessed to gain access. The swarm was collected and brought to a new hive. It is important that we protect and look after our pollinators in particular the honey bees.

 

Community Orchard on Bennettsbridge rd. gets summer weeding.

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Many thanks to the Lions Club and Dukesmeadows residents association who joined forces with KKB to undertake a Summer weeding of the Bennettsbridge rd., community orchard. The orchard has a variety of  fruit tree types and also fruit bushes in an attractive location adjacent to  the access route to the river Nore walks. The variety of trees and bushes  is attractive for  our pollinators and also provide autumn fruit  and berries which is of interest to  wildlife.

Sycamores/Aylesbury and Talbot’s Inch residents on balsam pick

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Congratulations to the Sycamores/Aylesbury and Talbots inch residents who joined the Bishops Meadows/Talbots inch weir balsam pick. This work forms part of the Keep Kilkenny Beautiful balsam invasive species eradication programme in the city and environs.

Information panel in relation to the Talbot’s inch suspension bridge which was washed away in the 1947 floods

Information panel in relation to the Talbot’s Inch suspension bridge which was washed away in the 1947 floods

 

 

 

Congratulations to Turas Nua

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Congratulations to Turas Nua and KKB volunteers for all the hard work undertaken Keeping Kilkenny Beautiful. Work included weeding, mulching and maintenance of sustainable planting on the Sion  Road and also undertaking removal of invasive Himalayan balsam along the river Nore adjacent to Ossory Bridge.

Many hands make light work!

You can also  join the many volunteers, clubs and local businesses   who are working to keep Kilkenny beautiful.!  See our  events page to join and be  part  of  the   environmental actions being undertaken to Keep Kilkenny Beautiful.

Bee friendly Community Orchards on approach roads

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Keep Kilkenny Beautiful welcomes all to our city,  at this time of year our approach roads are spruced up, and this includes the bee friendly  community orchard on the Waterford  road. the trees are currently in flower and we await a great fruit crop later in the year.  Congratulations to the Kilkenny Bahai  community who  came out to  maintain  the Orchard   and  Kilkenny welcome sign!.

Plant for the Planet and treeplanting week

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KKB and Dukesmeadows residents  participated in a UN-backed global initiative which is being spearheaded in Ireland by the charity Crann, Trees for Ireland through their easy treesie project. With support from Kilkenny County Council, children are assisted in planting native and naturalised trees in their local area. Kilkenny City  was selected for a ceremonial tree planting in advance of Earth Day next Monday . This project will assist in providing a shelter belt and wildlife corridor, capture carbon and of course beautify our area.The fruit trees are also very important for our wildlife and pollinators.

Fruit tree planting at Dukesmeadows

Many children around the country have already had a chance to join in this environmental learning opportunity, planting over 14,000 trees in their local parks, community gardens, roadside verges and hospitals as part of the challenge for Ireland’s children to plant a million trees by 2023.

The trees have been specially selected by the team of specialists in easy treesie – Crann. Joining in this activity ties in with many curriculum objectives at local schools and will assist in their winning the International Green Flags.

There was a presentation at Dukesmeadows during the planting on the subject of trees and their importance for our city  by Orla Farrell of Crann . A great planting was has by all.  Our  children will have the opportunity to benefit from the fruit of their labours for many years to come.

KKB have been working with many groups throughout Kilkenny over the last number of years to plant  hundreds of fruit trees and bushes  suitable for their location.A number of community orchards have already been established and additional orchards are being planned. This action  continue over the next number of years. Residents associations and voluntary groups who would like to participate in this action are more than welcome to contact KKB for the next planting season.