REEL CINEMA STAFF
A big ‘thank you’ to the staff of the Reel Cinema who have been carrying out regular Litter Picks in the area around the Cinema and Time Square. This has not gone unnoticed. Your efforts are very much appreciated.
OPEN FOR BUSINESS
The Bug Hotel at the Allotment is thriving with many guests taking up residency.
LITTER PICK
It was wonderful to see so many of our Volunteers return to their weekly Litter Pick on Sunday last. So many familiar faces that hadn’t been seen for months due to the restrictions. They were happy getting back to their regular routes.
Twenty-seven bags of Litter were collected. Six were from Kitty’s daily Litter Picks. She also collected one bag of Cans and one bag of Glass.
Eight bags were as a result of a Litter Pick carried out by the Lisheen Fields Residents.
Six bags were from a Litter Pick on the Killumney Road and in St. Oliver’s Cemetery.
Henry collected six bags of Litter from various areas during the week.
Regular Litter Picks are being carried out on Wood Road by Denis O’Rourke and friends.
Tony, Kitty, Martin, Hugh, Maureen, Gay, Eoin, John, Ferghal, Denis, Ger, Sheila, Jer, Ray, were some of the Volunteers doing Litter Picks last weekend.
TRAFFIC ISLAND CLEANING
Tom, Pat and Oran, three of our Volunteers were out early and tackled the Traffic Islands on the Carrigrohane Road Junction on Sunday morning.
After completing the cleaning, they cleaned the footpaths that lead to Leemount Cross.
IRISH BEE CONSERVATION PROJECT
Members have been busy manufacturing and preparing Lodges for both honey and solitary bees.
The unique Bee Lodges have been designed by IBCP and have been awarded a trademark by the Trade and Design Examination Division in Government buildings.
WORLD BEE DAY is on the 20th May and in conjunction with the Irish Heritage Trust (Fota House) and the Office Of Public Works, a Pollinator Trail will be launched at Fota House and Arboretum. It will be open to the public between 12am and 4pm on Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd.
For those who would like to volunteer their help on either or both days send your contact details to volunteers@ibcp.ie
A new Apiary in Fota has also been established. Hopefully people will be able to be invited there soon to learn what is happening.
It is hoped Bee Lodges will be installed in various locations. If you would like to volunteer your time to erect these, send your contact details to volunteers@ibcp.ie. Volunteer training will be provided when safe to do so.
The group is always looking for new people to join. If you feel you have a skill to offer in Administration, Funding, Organisational Skills, PR or Planning/Development be sure to make contact.
Some members recently visited Fota Gardens. It was wonderful to see all the flowering trees and primroses in blossom. A paradise for the bees and hover flies who were gorging on the nectar and pollen.
A work day is being held on Saturday 24th April at the Apiary in Fota from 2pm to 4pm. An opportunity to get out in nature, help out a little and enjoy some freedom again.
Directions: Coming from the city take the right turn before Fota Wildlife Park entrance through the green gate. Drive along the narrow road for about 1 mile. You will then be at the back of Fota Wildlife Park. The Apiary is in a field on the right.
THE FORGOTTEN ONE
Oops, how was this missed. An eagle eyed passerby tipped us off.
CLEANING CONTINUES
Denis continued cleaning more of the signs around Ballincollig. He has also started cleaning the Dog Fouling Bins.
MAIN STREET PLANTERS
As well as a tidy up on the Planters on Main Street and some new stones, this week some pruning was done.
ALL IRELAND POLLINATOR PLAN
Keep an eye out from this month on for the rare Tawny Mining Bee.
One of the most distinctive solitary bees (deep red hairs on the thorax and orange hairs on the abdomen), it usually comes out of hibernation in April and is around until June.
Often found in gardens, it nests by making little volcano-like burrows into bare soil.
Thought to be extinct in Ireland for 87 years, the Tawny Mining Bee was rediscovered in 2012. Since then, it has been recorded from the coast at North Wicklow and from some additional locations in Co. Kilkenny. It was recorded for the first time in Counties Kildare and Dublin in 2019 and in Down, Tipperary and Waterford in 2020.
A sighting has been confirmed already this year in Co. Carlow.
Visit the Biodiversity Page on our website for more information.
Each month the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan issues a newsletter which can be found on our Biodiversity page.
ONGOING WORK
John and Anthony cleaned the area around the Raised Flowerbed on the Killumney Road. The seat in this area is in constant use by locals and passersby.
John started work tidying the flowerbed in front of the Poly Tunnel at the Allotment.
The Planters on Killumney Road and Inniscarra Bridge were painted by Tony this week. They are now ready for planting.
The area around the Inniscarra Bridge needs to be tackled next week.
FLOWERBED GETS A SPRING CLEAN NEAR THE BALLINCOLLIG RUGBY CLUB
