40 Years of BirdWatch Ireland: A message from the Chair

[clydebirder]

Join with us this year in celebrating a very special anniversary: yes, it really is 40 years since the Irish Wildbird Conservancy, now BirdWatch Ireland, was established way back in 1969.
In so many ways – culturally, socially, economically – Ireland today is a dramatically different place to what it was in the late sixties. Nevertheless, against the backdrop of wholesale societal change, BirdWatch Ireland has maintained a strong and consistent voice for wild birds and their habitats, and for the intrinsic value of our natural heritage. We will be celebrating this with an exciting programme of events over the next twelve months. Now, in 2009, BirdWatch Ireland is stronger, and in better shape, than at any time in the past 40 years, with a growing membership and volunteer base, a skilled and dedicated professional staff and a focussed Board.

Fortieth birthdays can be pivotal events: the Ford Focus gets traded in for a Ferrari, hair is dyed, marathons are run, even tummy tucks considered – all in a desperate bid to deny the inevitable. You’ll be relieved to hear that there’s no mid-life crisis brewing at BirdWatch Ireland! Instead, we’re focusing on the future: on developing a strategic vision for what we aim to achieve for our wild birds and for nature conservation in Ireland in the next ten years. One thing is abundantly clear: until our natural environment infrastructure is perceived as a true national priority in the same way as health, roads infrastructure or water quality, we will struggle to implement our long-term conservation goals. And this is where you can help.

First of all, we need all the members we can get. A healthy membership gives us a strong voice that can’t be ignored, on behalf of wild birds. Help make our anniversary special by encouraging at least one person or family you know to join BirdWatch Ireland this year.

Secondly, with both local and European elections looming this summer, we have a great opportunity to engage, to inform and to lobby. Our politicians need to be aware that our natural environment infrastructure can have a role to play in addressing our current economic woes. We face significant environmental challenges that include dealing with climate change, water quality and flooding issues, not to mention the continued loss of Irish biodiversity. These are closely interlinked with our economy and our quality of life. Unless both the economic and environmental crises are dealt with in an integrated manner we will continue to pay; through the loss of ecosystem services provided by wild bird habitats, through European Court of Justice fines, through the deterioration of our natural environment infrastructure and ultimately, through our quality of life.

2009 is, of course, another significant milestone: the Birds Directive was signed into EU law 30 years ago in 1979. We had to wait a frustrating 21 years before this legislation was transposed into Irish law with the Wildlife Act 2000. In the absence of the Birds Directive, the conservation status of Irish wild birds would undoubtedly be a lot more precarious even than it is at present. BirdWatch Ireland continues to work closely with the National Parks and Wildlife Service to ensure that our wild birds receive the full benefit of this far-sighted legislation.


John Cromie
Chairman, BirdWatch Ireland

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