Description

Welcoming biodiversity into your garden and community

Join us for a day of learning all about biodiversity and what this looks like in our communities and gardens. We will explore the links between native plants and wild pollinators and learn how to save and propagate native seed to enrich the habitats in our green spaces. We will look at the how to create wildlife corridors to connect the biodiverse patches in our communities. Together we will learn how small changes in the way we manage existing habitats can encourage a greater diversity of native species. Our actions will result in gardens that store and sequester more carbon. We will learn simple techniques to observe and monitor biodiversity so we can measure the impacts of our changes.  All of this will benefit our vegetable gardens and orchards as a thriving ecosystem creates a natural balance in pest and predator species.  The knowledge can be brought back to our local communities to help combat biodiversity loss and climate change.

 

Learning outcomes

  • An understanding of what biodiversity means in practice and why it’s important.
  • An introduction to common native plants and wild pollinators, and the links between them.
  • Basic techniques in saving and propagating native wildflower seed.
  • How to recognise and manage biodiverse-rich areas in gardens and communities
  • How to create wildlife corridors that connect areas that are rich in biodiversity.
  • An understanding of how biodiversity can help with pest control in vegetable and fruit gardens.
  • Simple skills to monitor and record biodiversity.
  • Empowered and encouraged to transform green spaces into biodiversity-rich spaces that are carbon sinks.

 

Practical skills

  • Saving, storing and propagating native wildflower seed
  • Pricking out and potting on wildflower plugs
  • Simple techniques for monitoring and recording species in grasslands
  • Observing nature

 

Tutor – Linda Gilsenan

Linda is a designer of wildlife-friendly gardens for individuals, community groups, and companies, and is an organic gardener with a passion for biodiversity. Volunteering at The Organic Centre, and Plants for a Future before setting up her own practice, Linda has facilitated courses in Biodiversity and Organic Growing at Airfield Estate Dundrum, the Sanctuary Dublin 7 and the VEC.

You can find Linda Gilsenan at Wild Way Garden Design on Instagram.

 

Cost : €80

Bookings & Information

Our courses always get positive feedback from participants and you will benefit from on hand expert tutors with years of experience in their field. It’s a great opportunity to meet like-minded people and spend some time in our gardens, orchards and woodlands in beautiful East Clare.

You can book courses online or you can telephone us on 061 921866 or 921856.

  • Workshop prices: from €80
  • 10% discount for supporters.
  • Workshops suitable for adults only – children under 18 years are not permitted to attend.
  • There is a 100% refund for cancellations made at least 2 Weeks prior to the course date. No refund after that time.
  • Café serving lunch and refreshments

The Night Orchard Pop Up Café will open onsite at Irish Seed Savers on each course day serving hearty lunches, soups, homemade cakes and tea / coffee. The café is vegetarian and uses organic, locally sourced, in-season ingredients to produce healthy and nutritious food.