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Tralee Bay Wetlands Ecology Park
Transition Kerry and Tralee Bay Wetlands have been working together for a number of years, building a partnership of community-based nature protection and restoration, local biodiversity and climate education and action.
Transition Kerry Climate & Biodiversity Community Leadership Programme
Tralee Bay Wetlands was one of the venues for the Tralee group of the Leader Funded
Transition Kerry Climate & Biodiversity Community Leadership Programme from 2019 – 2022.
This has enabled the planting of native hedges and woodlands for demonstration purposes
and these habitats are maintained as part of educational workshops when the opportunity
arises. Tralee Bay Wetlands is featured in our video which captures some of the biodiversity actions happening with the Transition Kerry From the Ground up Network
LAWPRO
Transition Kerry is the community group that Tralee Bay Wetlands work with under the Local Authority Water Programmes (LAWPRO) applications. We have been successful in 2021, 2022 and 2023 in these funding applications. We engage with local schools and the general public under these programmes.
Our themes have been:
2021: Water quality, nature trail development, tree planting – to highlight nature-based approaches to issues around water pollution
2022: The Wonders of Willow – Iontas an Saileach – to highlight the significant role played by willow (saileach) in our wetland ecosystems
2023: Ponds for biodiversity, climate and nature-based solutions – to highlight the role that ponds play in terms of biodiversity, climate and wetland habitats
2024: 2024: Telling the Story of the Rivers of Tralee – Ag Insint Scéalta h-Aabhainneacha Thrálí
(Past – Present – Future) – to highlight the importance of the local rivers to the town of Tralee.
AXA Parks Living Willow Fence
In 2022-23, we again partnered with the Wetlands under the AXA ParksCommunity Foundation Ireland funding.
This has enabled the creation of a living willow fence around the perimetre of the parking areas and the replacement of the existing old wooden fence, which is rotting. A living willow seating area and coppice have been planted too. This willow is also a renewable and sustainable resource for other community groups, schools and members of the public who want to replicate it on their land. The willow and other plant materials from onsite are being used to create experimental rafts, acting like ‘floating islands’, which may help with restoring the quality in certain areas.
Kerry Biodiversity Week
Together we collaborate on community events for Kerry Biodiversity Week. These have included the Meitheal to repair the living willow dome which was created in October 2022 as part of the ‘ Transition Kerry From the Ground Up’ event at the end of the LEADER Programme.
Wild Bee Festival:
Tralee Bay Wetlands has hosted the Wild Bee Festival in August 2023 and July 2024 in collaboration with National Biodiversity Data Centre and with the support of Transition Kerry, Tralee Tidy Towns, IWT – Kerry Branch and Kerry County Council. This has become an annual festival and celebrates and highlights the work being done in Tralee, Kerry and the National Biodiversity Data Centre around actions for pollinators, areas managed for biodiversity and the role of ecological corridors as habitats for pollinators.