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 starting at 7:30pm this evening, and finishing at 7:30pm on May 22. 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 organisers are inviting members of the public to join in on some biodiversity-related guided walks, talks and demonstrations. All activities are free, and most are centred on the lakeshore and around the town. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Events include a talk from John Carrig, the Barn Owl Project, demonstrations of biological water samplings and underwater drones, a lakeshore bird watch and much, much more.
For more information on the 24-hour event, visit mkoireland.ie
