Wildlife Crime & Conservation Conference 2022

Date: Sunday August 21st 2022

Venue: Sonairte Ecology Centre, Laytown, Co Meath

Organisers: PAW Ireland & Wildlife Rehabilitation Ireland

Programme – Sunday 21^st August 2022
Time	Topic	Speaker
8.30	Registration & Coffee
9.00	Welcome address by Chairperson	Lorraine Bull (Biodiversity Officer Dublin City Council)
9.10	Importance of tackling wildlife crime in Ireland, and launch of PAW Ireland App	Paddy Woodsworth (author, journalist, lecturer, cultural/environmental tour guide)
9.30	Vision for & and priorities of AGS for prevention of wildlife crime	Martin Walker (Superintendent, An Garda Síochána)
9.50	Wildlife crime case studies and the obstacles faced in the pursuit of prosecution	Kieran Buckley (District Conservation Officer, National Parks and Wildlife Service)
10.10	Introduction to Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime (PAW Ireland)	Damien Hannigan (Public Relations Officer for the Irish Deer Commission)
10.30	Questions & Answers
10.40	Coffee
11.00	Practical session: Mammals – crime and conservation	Vet: Liz Mullineaux (BVM&S, DVM&S, CertSHP, MRCVS, RCVS Recognised Specialist in Wildlife Medicine), & Badgerwatch Ireland, SRI
11.35	Practical session: Birds – crime and conservation	Vet: Mark Naguib (BVMS (Hons) CertAVP (ZooMed) MRCVS, RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Zoological Medicine), & BWI, GET
12.10	Practical session: Bats – crime and conservation	Vet: Heidi Hargreaves (BVSc, MRCVS), & Bat Conservation Ireland
12.45	Introduction to WRI and Wildlife Hospital	Aoife McPartlin (Wildlife Rehabilitation Ireland)
13.00	Lunch & Stalls
13.40	The Cultural Shaping of Nature – Irish Ethnobiology	Lorcan O’Toole, (Golden Eagle Trust)
14.10	Rewilding – a future strategy for the conservation of nature	Randal Plunkett (baron of Dunsany nature reserve, Irish film director, producer and editor, eco-advocate)
14.40	Rewilding project in Co Wicklow	Brian O’Toole (Wildacres Nature Reserve)
15.10	Coffee

15.55	Global Goals – Local Actions	Michael Ewing (environmental scientist, facilitator and life-long activist. Previously, coordinator of the Environmental Pillar, and the Irish Environmental Network)
16.25	Questions & Answers / Raffle
16.40	Close

Kieran Buckley (District Conservation Officer, National Parks and Wildlife Service)

Lorraine Bull (Biodiversity Officer Dublin City Council)

Michael Ewing (environmental scientist, facilitator and life-long activist. Previously, coordinator of the Environmental Pillar, and the Irish Environmental Network)

Damien Hannigan (Public Relations Officer for the Irish Deer Commission)

Heidi Hargreaves (BVSc, MRCVS)

Aoife McPartlin (Wildlife Rehabilitation Ireland)

Liz Mullineaux (BVM&S, DVM&S, CertSHP, MRCVS, RCVS Recognised Specialist in Wildlife Medicine)

Mark Naguib (BVMS (Hons) CertAVP (ZooMed) MRCVS, RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Zoological Medicine)

Lorcan O’Toole, (Golden Eagle Trust)

Randal Plunkett (baron of Dunsany nature reserve, Irish film director, producer and editor, eco-advocate)

Paddy Woodsworth (author, journalist, lecturer, cultural/environmental tour guide)

The Wildlife Crime & Conservation Conference on 21st August was a sellout event and a really enjoyable day in Sonairte Ecology Centre.

Extremely interesting ideas were shared and conversations were had about how best to protect and conserve our native wildlife. Thanks to the beautiful weather on the day some of the events could be held outdoors in the lovely courtyard which was also home to stalls from local artists and producers.

The Conference started with environmental author and journalist Paddy Woodsworth setting the scene by explaining the importance of tackling wildlife crime in Ireland. Supt Martin Walker (Superintendent, An Garda Síochána) presented the vision of AGS for the prevention of wildlife crime followed by Kieran Buckley (District Conservation Officer, National Parks and Wildlife Service) who explained the obstacles faced in pursuit of wildlife crime prosecutions.

Damian Hannigan (Irish Deer Commission) gave the delegates an overview of PAW Ireland and the rationale for setting up an Irish version of PAW UK, and PAW Northern Ireland.

International wildlife specialist vets Mark Naguib, Elizabeth Mullineaux and Heidi Hargreaves gave interactive presentations on the welfare, persecution, and need for conservation of wild birds, mammals and bats.

Aoife McPartlin (Wildlife Rehabilitation Ireland) explained how the need for the treatment of wildlife casualties has increased over the years and becomes steadily more essential if we are to preserve our native wildlife heritage and biodiversity.

After lunch Lorcan O’Toole (Golden Eagle Trust) brought the fascinating discussion of ethnobiology (the scientific study of the way living things are treated or used by different human cultures) into the day’s talks by talking about the cultural shaping of nature.

This was followed by Randal Plunkett‘s (baron of Dunsany nature reserve) presentation on his strategy and progress to date rewilding his estate in Co. Meath.

Then an uplifting description and photographs from Brian O’Toole‘s rewilding in Wicklow and the creation of Wildacres Nature Reserve.

We were privileged to have the final presentation and closing remarks ‘Global Goals – Local Actions’ from the life-long environmental activist and environmental scientist Michael Ewing

We are very grateful to all the speakers, attendees, and stall holders for helping to make the event such a success. A special thank you to all of the wonderful raffle prize and goody bag donors for your generosity and support.