Imagine the difference we could make if gardens in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown became more biodiversity friendly? DLR Volunteer Centre is delighted to announce a new partnership with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council's Biodiversity section. This year we are launching the 'Gardening for Biodiversity' pilot project, which aims to build a community of volunteers who are taking small steps to protect and encourage biodiversity in their own gardens. We are calling on citizens of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown to get involved! The project was inspired by the 'Gardening for Biodiversity booklet' compiled by Laois County Council and written by Juanita Browne. We believe that this project will help us to build habitats for our wildlife which will increase biodiversity. It will also support our local citizens to #keepwell and bring a sense of purpose during this COVID period. Being surrounded by nature is good for our health and wellbeing as well as for nature!

Commenting on the project, Juanita Browne writes: “It’s really encouraging to see this Gardening for Biodiversity scheme from Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and the Volunteer Centre. What a brilliant way to bring together experts and amateur gardeners, to share knowledge of such a rewarding pastime. During lockdowns, I think we’ve all developed a greater appreciation of nature; and our gardens, balconies and local parks have become so much more important to us. It’s been proven that spending time in nature is good for both our physical and mental health, so it’s beneficial for us too to bring more biodiversity right to your doorstep, whether it’s feeding wild birds or growing plants that help our wild bees and butterflies. It’s good for your local wildlife but all these interactions are good for you, too!’’

So what's involved? We would like you to try to take one small action to increase biodiversity in your garden. Whether you are new to this, or have been gardening for biodiversity for a long time we would love you to join us. We will have a group of volunteer biodiversity enthusiasts standing by to help you on your way and provide a link to resources and FAQs. We are also planning to gather stories and images from our volunteers to create a storybook to capture this community action!

Please enter your name and email address via the link below and representatives from the Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Volunteer Centre will be in touch in mid-February when the project launches.

The following videos were produced by Laois County Council to accompany their Gardening for Biodiversity Booklet.