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Clare Biodiversity Action Plan 2024-2030 Questionnaire

What is Biodiversity and why is it important to County Clare?

Biodiversity refers to the different forms of life in an area. This includes all plants and animals (including humans), fungi, algae and all other microscopic life forms and the ecosystems of which they are part of. Each of these species and organisms work together to maintain balance and support life.  This could range from native trees, shrubs and birds in your garden, to local lakes and ponds, hedgerows, bogs, wildlife sanctuaries, nature reserves, national parks, etc.

Ecosystem services are all elements of nature that either directly or indirectly bring value to human well-being, and biodiversity is critical to underpinning these services. Biodiversity provides ecosystem services such as food security through pollinators, clean water through functioning healthy wetland ecosystems; carbon capture through stocks tied to native woodlands and peatlands; flood prevention in the form of natural reservoirs linked to wetlands, coastal sand dunes and upland peatland habitats; education and research opportunities; amenity and recreation; and natural resources.

Purpose of the Questionnaire

The questionnaire aims to capture stakeholders views on biodiversity and to gain an understanding of the biodiversity issues they would like to see raised in the Clare Biodiversity Action Plan 2024-2030. The questionnaire also aims to collate information and identify biodiversity knowledge gaps which may inform actions during the plan preparation process.

What is Citizen Science and how can I get involved?

Citizen science is data collection by members of the public to help answer research questions. Having a strong recording community is essential to citizen science. This can take the form of different surveys for example the ‘bumblebee monitoring scheme’, the ‘Irish butterfly monitoring scheme’, the ‘Marsh Fritillary Monitoring Scheme’, the ‘Garden butterfly monitoring scheme’, ‘Explore your shore’, the ‘Dragonfly Ireland 2019-2024’, the ‘Irish Garden Bird Survey’, the ‘Irish Wetland Bird Survey’, the ‘Countryside Bird Survey’, the ‘Irish hedgehog survey’, the ‘Irish stoat survey’, the ‘Rare plant monitoring survey’, ‘Flower-Insect Timed (FIT) Count’, the ‘All Ireland Daubenton’s Bat Waterways Survey’, bioblitz recording activities, ‘BATLAS’ survey, ‘Hop To It’ National Frog Survey Ireland. Many of these surveys are coordinated by organisations such as the National Biodiversity Data Centre (NBDC), Birdwatch Ireland, Bat Conservation Ireland and the Irish Peatland Conservation Council (IPCC) and can be completed somewhere simple as in your garden or in your local park and village. The information collated by communities and members of the public helps inform which species are in decline and what measures can be undertaken to assist with their conservation. The more communities take part in biodiversity citizen science projects the more information is recorded to help conserve local biodiversity. We are looking for your engagement to take part in these surveys. 

What is the Clare Biodiversity Action Plan 2024-2030?

The next Clare Biodiversity Action Plan 2024-2030 provides a framework for biodiversity action for the next 6 years with the aim of halting biodiversity loss in County Clare. It will be underpinned by the objectives of Ireland’s 4th National Biodiversity Action Plan which comprises six key overarching objectives. The Clare Biodiversity Action Plan will comprise an overall vision supported by a set of objectives/themes, targets, actions, and key performance indicators (KPIs) which will set the trajectory of how the plan will achieve its vision for biodiversity and address the Biodiversity Emergency at local authority level in County Clare. An emphasis is placed on actions that are measurable and achievable within the lifetime of the plan. The Clare Biodiversity Action Plan will run in parallel with the Clare County Heritage Plan 2024-2030 and take into account the strategic biodiversity objectives outlined in the Clare County Development Plan 2023-2029.

How will we prepare the New Clare Biodiversity Action Plan?

Clare County Council are preparing the Clare Biodiversity Action Plan 2024-2030. We are seeking your views on the key actions and opportunities for Clare’s biodiversity over the next six years. We want to hear from you! 

This survey will inform the preparation of the draft Clare Biodiversity Action Plan by helping to identify the key biodiversity issues, knowledge gaps and needs of County Clare which will then be used to formulate the objectives and specific actions of the new Biodiversity Action Plan. 

Next Steps

It is envisaged a draft of the Clare Biodiversity Action Plan 2024-2030 will be prepared and placed on public display in Autumn 2024. Submissions and observations on the draft Clare Biodiversity Action Plan will be accepted from members of the public and these will feed into the final Plan which it is envisaged will be completed, endorsed and ready for implementation by the end of 2024.

 

 

1.  

How important is Clare County Council in terms of delivering for Biodiversity? (please tick as appropriate)

* required
2.  

How important is the Clare Biodiversity Action Plan to you/your community? (please tick as appropriate)

* required
Clare Biodiversity Action Plan
National Biodiversity Action Plan
All Ireland Pollinatior Plan (e.g. ‘no mow may’, pollinator friendly mowing regime, planting pollinator friendly bulbs)
Biodiversity Citizen Science Projects (Examples below): • bumblebee monitoring scheme, • Irish butterfly monitoring scheme • Marsh Fritillary Monitoring Scheme • Garden butterfly monitoring scheme • Explore your shore • Dragonfly Ireland 2019-2024 • Irish Garden Bird Survey • Irish Wetland Bird Survey • Countryside Bird Survey • Irish hedgehog survey • Irish stoat survey • Rare plant monitoring survey • Flower-Insect Timed (FIT) Count • Bioblitz • All Ireland Daubenton’s Bat Waterways Survey • BATLAS
‘Biodiversity Emergency/Crisis’ declared by Dail Eireann in 2019
Citizens Assembly on Biodiversity Loss
4.  

Are you involved in a biodiversity project in your locality (e.g. community biodiversity action plan, tree planting initiative, pollinator friendly management practices, eradication of invasive species, bird nest box and bat roost box installation, etc.)?

* required
5.  

Does your local area have a Community Biodiversity Action Plan? 

* required
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Awareness Raising: Raising awareness of Clare’s biodiversity through training, education (primary and secondary schools), publications, events, social media and new technologies
Promoting best practice in conservation, restoration and management of our biodiversity
Increasing community involvement in biodiversity
Collecting information on Clare’s biodiversity to inform knowledge gaps (research, data collection, baseline surveys and inventories)
Mainstream biodiversity into decision making and planning processes.
8.  

Are you aware of any initiatives being undertaken by Clare County Council to protect, conserve or restore biodiversity? 

* required
In your garden/home/land/farm
In your community
In County Clare
In your work
Nationally
Biodiversity Citizen Science Projects
Not interested
10.  

Are you interested in taking part in a Community Biodiversity Training event?

* required
11.  

If yes, what type of training are you interested in?

* required
12.  

In what role are you responding to this survey? (Please add additional roles if you do not feel represented by the list below) 

* required
14.  

 What age category is the participant of this survey in?

* required

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