This year 23 July marked International Bog Day, an important moment to highlight and celebrate the important contribution that bogs make to climate, biodiversity, water quality, and wellbeing in our communities.
Across the country members of the Community Wetlands Forum hosted events to celebrate the beauty and benefits of bogs, by connecting communities to their local bogs and the joys they provide.
Attendees at a lizard workshop at Girley Bog with Rob Gandola from the Herpetological Society of Ireland.
While we often hear about the important role of trees in combatting climate change, bogs too have a very significant role to play. While peatlands cover just 3% of the earth’s surface, they contain around a 33% of the earth’s terrestrial carbon. A hectare of raised bog in near natural condition contains 10 times as much carbon as the equivalent area of rainforest, according to peatland expert Dr Florence Renou-Wilson.
We often overlook the importance of peatlands, however, community initiatives to promote and protect the benefits of our bogs are changing that and playing a crucial role in changing hearts, minds and attitudes to our bogs and our relationships to them.
Measuring peat depth at the biodiversity training at Ardee Bog.
The events across the country for International Bog Day show that our bogs continue to be gathering places for our communities, and important sites of meitheal and togetherness, all in the name of a sustainable future.
Pictures featured in this Blog are from events at Girley Bog, Co. Meath, Shanakyle Bog, Co. Clare and Ardee Bog Co. Louth
