June 28th, 2018
In the heart of Galway city, the lively nightlife has always been a prime attraction. Now the city is attracting visitors for its multitude of wildlife.
The National University of Ireland, Galway is inviting the public to discover the breath-taking biodiversity that thrives across its campus.
The university has launched a free biodiversity trail available to both the campus community and the general public.
The walking trail guides visitors on a journey from the oldest building in the university, the Quadrangle, up along the river Corrib to the northern part of the campus.
Visitors are taken through the University’s natural habitats and are invited to pick and taste from the many fruit trees, berries, organic vegetables and herb gardens as they discover the wide range of plant and animal life along the trail.
The University’s rich biodiversity was recently highlighted through the Intervarsity BioBlitz competition, run by An Taisce and the National Biodiversity Data Centre.
Over 18,000 students that study at NUI Galway share the university with many badgers, foxes and otters who also make their home on the campus, which is spread across 105 hectares of land.
Decidious woodland along the Biodiversity Trail at NUI Galway. Photo: NUI Galway
The bird life on campus ranges from Ireland’s smallest bird, the Goldcrest, to the largest, the mute swan, not to mention the world’s fastest animal, the peregrine falcon.
The Barn Owl, one of Ireland’s most striking birds that is red-listed due to a significant decline of the species in Ireland, has also been spotted at the university.
A map of the biodiversity trail is available from a range of locations around campus and on the university’s website. It is also available from the Galway Tourist Office.
A 90-minute audio trail is also available in both podcast and downloadable form. The audio trail features those who were involved in producing the trail, as well as many of the campus community who research and teach about biodiversity on and beyond the campus.
Funding for the trail was provided by the NUI Galway community and University Sustainability Project, the Ryan Institute, and Galway City Council, as part of Galway City’s European Green Leaf 2017 designation.
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