30 Apr 2026

National Biodiversity Week is fast approaching! Taking place Friday 15th of May to Sunday 24th of May, there are a variety of activities and events happening across Ireland to help you get into nature and explore the rich variety of life on the island.

From guided walks in bogs and forests, moth and butterfly identification, and birdwatching cycles, to workshops on gardening for biodiversity, nature sketching, and volunteer days to tackle invasive plant species, there is an event to interest everyone!

National Biodiversity Week is also running a Biodiversity Photographer of the Year Competition, which is open to all amateur photographers. Photos must be taken in the month of May 2026, and must be submitted by midnight on the 31st May 2026. You can find out more information here. This year, the main category is looking for submissions that celebrate Ireland’s rich web of life!

The full range of events happening is available on the website but below, we have highlighted some events featuring peatlands:

🌿 On Saturday 16 May at 10:30am, join StreamScapes for a field-based workshop to uncover the hidden wonders of bog ecosystems in Derreennatra Bog Natural Heritage Area, in West Cork. This is part of BioFest, a two-day festival in Ballydehob, celebrating biodiversity action. You can find tickets to this event here.

🌿 On Monday 18 May at 6pm, join the Irish Peatland Conservation Council (IPCC) on a guided walk of Lodge Bog, Co Kildare. Lodge bog is a raised bog that has been restored and conserved for biodiversity. You can find out more information on the event here. IPCC previously produced an infographic on Lodge Bog that can be viewed here.

🌿 On Tuesday 19 May at 11am, IPCC are also running a butterfly walk on Lullymore West Nature Reserve, Co Kildare. This is a cutaway bog that has regenerated into a refuge for biodiversity. Twenty-one of a total thirty-one Irish butterfly species are found on this bog. See event details here.

🌿 On Wednesday 20 May at 7pm, you can join IPCC and the Native Woodland Trust on a Biodiversity Walk around the beautiful Girley Bog and woodland, Co Meath. See event details here.

🌿 On Friday 22 May at 1pm, IPCC are running an online talk on Bogland Flora and Fauna. This talk will explore plants and animals that make bogs their home and their adaptations. See event details here.