4.6.4 Biodiversity and the Community

Communities have a key role to play in protecting biodiversity and having a high level of biodiversity will improve the quality of life of neighbourhoods. The City Council has for many years encouraged citizens to take an active role in protecting their local environment, and stewardship projects can be a way to overcome social exclusion, promote health and well-being and strengthen community spirit while increasing biodiversity and raising awareness of it. Business

organisations have taken part in conservation activities in parks and open spaces as part of their corporate and social responsibility programmes. Third-level institutions have been working with Parks Services to provide training and support volunteerism for students in biodiversity management. These programmes are facilitated by the Parks Services’ Biodiversity Section, working with many non-governmental organisations, community groups, businesses and voluntary bodies.

The City Council has taken a leading role in the implementation of national plans and programmes for biodiversity and citizen science. For example, it was the first local authority to implement Birdwatch Ireland’s National Action Plan for Urban and Suburban Birds.

Dublin’s parks and open spaces provide an important resource for learning about the environment and climate change. Educational bodies from primary through to third-level regularly use our parks network as ‘outdoor classrooms’. Parks staff provide guided walks, lectures and information for schools and organise environmental education events and programmes year-round in parks, many coinciding with national events such as World Wetlands Day, National Tree Week, International

Biodiversity Day and National Heritage Week. The development of Native Tree Trails in our parks is an example of an educational resource. North Bull Island Interpretative Centre hosts school tours and is a National Discover Science Centre in association with Science Foundation Ireland to promote sustainability. The National Biodiversity Training Centre hosts public educational training workshops in DCC parks. These are just some of the many educational resources provided.

Policy

• To continue to work to enable NGO’s to implement national strategies for nature conservation through public parks and open spaces.
• To develop the educational resources of Dublin City parks to promote sustainability and biodiversity through providing facilities for the public to use, making information about parks freely accessible online and through organisation of formal and informal activities by Parks staff.