To celebrate National Biodiversity Week 2026, Galway County Council and local schools are teaming up with MKO, The Galway Bay South East Catchment Community Forum and numerous other volunteers and groups to undertake a Bioblitz and Biodiversity festival in Loughrea. The event will be centred around Loughrea Lake and its shores and will involve counting as many species as possible within a 24 hour period from 19:30 on the 21st May until 19:30 on the 22nd May. Teams of ecologists will be active in the area counting species during this period and aiming to record as many as they can.
In addition, there will be an event centre set up on the fair green and we are inviting members of the public to join us for some biodiversity-related guided walks, talks and demonstrations. A list of the various activities is provided below. All activities are free and most are centred on the lakeshore and around the town. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
What is a BioBlitz? It’s a race against the clock to find and identify as many species as possible within 24 hours. It’s a fun and educational way to learn about the amazing biodiversity right in our own backyard.
National Biodiversity Week Ireland takes place 15th – 24th May 2026.
| Thursday 21st May | Location | |
| 19:00 – 20:30 | Ecologists from MKO and University of Galway will provide a talk on moths and mammal surveys. Demonstration of setting up of moth and camera traps along with small mammal traps and hedgehog tubes. Bioblitz Countdown Timer starts at 19:30. | Count Centre, Loughrea Fair Green |
| 20:00 – 23:00 | John Carrig from the Barn Owl Project will give a talk on his work. MKO ecologists will lead a guided bat walk. | St. Brendan’s National School |
| Friday 22nd May | ||
| 06:30 – 08:00 | Bring binoculars as MKO ecologists will lead a Dawn Chorus bird watching walk along the lakeshore. | Count Centre, Loughrea Fair Green |
| 09:30 – 10:30 | MKO and ATU ecologists will open the moth, hedgehog and small mammal traps and provide an informative talk on the findings. | Count Centre, Loughrea Fair Green |
| 11:00 – 12:00 | Galway County Biodiversity Officer will provide a guided walk and talk on urban biodiversity and invasive species. | |
| 12:30 – 13:30 | Local Authorities Water Programme (LAWPRO) will provide a demonstration of biological water sampling and how they use it to assess water quality. This is an opportunity to get up close and personal with aquatic mini beasts and to learn of their importance in measuring water quality. | Near Station Road (click for exact location) |
| 14:00 – 15:00 | Renowned local botanist and Coillte forest ecologist Janice Fuller will lead a woodland biodiversity walk. | Kylebrack Woods |
| 14:30 – 15:30 | MKO ecologists will lead a Lakeshore bird watch | Count Centre, Loughrea Fair Green |
| 15:30 – 16:30 | Loughrea Anglers Association will provide a talk on their work to protect the lake and its fish and to combat the threat of invasive species in the lake. | Count Centre, Loughrea Fair Green |
| 17:00 – 18:00 | Detection Dogs for Conservation Ireland will provide a talk about how they use detection dogs in the name of conservation. This will include a live demonstration of their working dogs doing what they do best – using their noses to find stuff. | Count Centre, Loughrea Fair Green |
| 18:30 – 19:30 | The day will wrap up with a viewing any sightings caught on our camera traps and with a count up of the species recorded | Count Centre, Loughrea Fair Green |
Explore highlights from previous years
