A new booklet has been released celebrating Great Irish Grasslands. This guide has been developed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, with support from the National Biodiversity Data Centre and the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan.
Species-rich grasslands (or native meadows) are among the most important habitats on the island of Ireland. They support a huge number of species above ground and in the soil. In the last few decades these fragile habitats have been disappearing fast. This has enormous implications on the thousands of different species grasslands support, including bees, hoverflies, beetles, spiders, grasshoppers, butterflies, moths and worms.
To raise awareness of these precious habitats, Great Irish Grasslands have created a Grasslands Trail – a network of publicly accessible grasslands spread across the country. All these sites are managed sensitively, with nature conservation and grassland diversity in mind.
The Grasslands Trail booklet contains a profile of each of the nine sites to give you a flavour of what you might see when you visit, from orchids to rare breed cattle, patches of meadow to vast grassy habitats. All the grasslands on the Grasslands Trail are supported by a range of management actions to ensure that they are in the best condition for wildlife. The booklet also contains information on parking and access, and links to find out more.
The booklet contains just a few examples of great Irish grasslands. Use the hashtag #GrasslandsTrail to share other locations which might be added in the future!
The Grasslands Trail booklet has been developed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, with support from the National Biodiversity Data Centre and the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan. Visit the Great Irish Grasslands website for more information: https://www.greatirishgrasslands.ie/the-grasslands-trail/