As Biodiversity Year comes to a close, national environmental groups have launched a showcase of biodiversity projects and events which took place in 2010, at the European Representation offices in Dublin. The showcase event, organised in co-operation with the European Commission representation in Ireland, runs until Friday 17th December, is open to the public, free, and features a public biodiversity information workshop on Thursday 16th December.
“This exhibit shows over forty ways that environmental groups have raised awareness and understanding among the public and target audiences during the year,” explains Joanne Pender of the Irish Wildlife Trust.
The projects show how the public’s consumption patterns affect biodiversity locally and globally. For instance, Tropical hardwoods, which are used in garden furniture and decking, are often logged illegally from rainforests. Ireland imports tens of thousands of tonnes of illegally felled timber each year.
Many of the projects also included training in how to survey and record information about nature.