2014 Press Releases
Which Irish university has the most native species?
UCC will participate in a new intervarsity competition to see which campus can record the most native species over a 24 hour period.
Ireland’s first intervarsity BioBlitz takes place on Thursday May 1st. As part of UCC’s Green-Flag programme, and with support from the National Biodiversity Data Centre and An Taisce, the BioBlitz will pitch UCC against Trinity, DCU, and NUI Galway.
The aim is to discover how many animal and plant species can be recorded on the campuses of our third level institutions during a 24 hour period. Tad Kirakowski speaking at UCC said ‘we are excited to see how many species can be recorded in each campus in 24 hours and biodiversity will win throughout as we engage students and staff in recording biodiversity in their place of work and study’
‘This is an important contribution to data recording through citizen science and adds to the important outreach mission of our universities and institutes’ according to Professor John O’Halloran, Head of School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences.
The Bioblitz starts at 17.00 on Thursday May 1st. All trapping, identification and/or observation for each species has to be done and logged within the 24 hours. On the day there will be a running tally of the number of species being logged in UCC and at the three other universities. More details can be found here http://bioblitz.biodiversityireland.ie/intervarsity/.
There will be a number of events taking place as part of the Blitz, including a bat walk on campus at 9pm on Thursday, mammal trap opening at 9am in the distillery fields and more to be announced shortly. Pop in to BioBlitz HQ in the Cooperage building in Distillery fields over the day and see what’s going on.
Running tally’s from the four campus’s may be viewed at http://records.biodiversityireland.ie/bioblitz.php?bkey=IntervarsityBioBlitz2014 and we will be posting on twitter at #UCCbioblitz to let everyone know how we’re getting on and what’s going on.
There is still time to get involved! For further information check:
http://www.ucc.ie/en/bees/
http://www.ucc.ie/en/build/environment/greencampus/
or contact:
t.kirakowski@ucc.ie 086 0886481