Northern Ireland's Biodiversity

Life beneath the waves is equally as rich, Strangford Lough is an internationally recognised marine wildlife site and in the marine biodiversity hotspot surrounding Rathlin Island, scientists are still uncovering a treasure trove of species, some of them new to science.
We would advise people to keep alert as our rich biodiversity can be observed anywhere – there are otters living all along our coasts and rivers and even in the centres of our towns and cities hundreds, or possibly thousands, of birds such as starlings, rooks, gulls and even pied wagtails form spectacular roosts.Don't forget to look out to sea and you’ll not be bored either. Storms can bring in a rich range of seabirds and, in calmer weather, porpoises and seals can be seen from almost anywhere around our coast.
Inland we have a huge diversity of habitats and lot of species, such as pine martens which can be very shy and hard to see.
NIEA has listed 271 priority species considered to be in special need of protection including the Irish hare, corncrake, red squirrel, blue-eyed grass, light-bellied brent goose and the basking shark.
Designated areas cover about 7% of the land area of Northern Ireland and each requires appropriate management to maintain their special biodiversity interest. We are constantly working to increase this percentage and protect more of our habitats and species.
Everybody has a part to play, whether it’s the government, a landowner or an ordinary member of the public.
Voluntary conservation groups have already moved the conservation movement forward to challenge government both here and throughout Europe.
There are a lot of volunteers now, with many people giving up their own time to help organisations such as the RSPB, National Trust, Ulster Wildlife Trust, Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, The Woodland Trust and Conservation Volunteers Northern Ireland to undertake biodiversity projects.
Biodiversity is the foundation of many things we use on a daily basis such as the food we eat. It provides other economic benefits such as contributing to our tourist industry but perhaps most importantly it can add tremendously to our individual sense of well-being. We should therefore value biodiversity, want our children to appreciate it and want future generations to be able to enjoy it as well.
When you go for a walk in the country or town, you may be enjoying the landscape, the culture, history or just getting some fresh air and exercise but there is always a wide range of biodiversity to be appreciated.
Through the seasons take the opportunity to enjoy looking more closely at a familiar plant or animal or the chance of seeing something new.