Farmers and ecologists will come together later this month to celebrate the Burren in Bloom festival, organised by the Burrenbeo Trust.
Through a series of walks, talks and demonstrations, visitors to the region will get to see the Burren’s famous wildflowers.
Running from April 28 to May 18 in venues around the Burren, the 2016 festival will focus on the strong link and connection that the unique farming traditions of the Burren have with the abundant biodiversity of this region.
Each year, farmers in the Burren send their cattle up into the high Burren to their ‘winterage’, in doing so they are grazing back the previous season’s growth, the dominant herbs and grasses and continuously fertilizing the land throughout the dormant season.
All of this has a key ecological output, one that is unique to Europe – a floral orchestra that makes Burren world famous in May, the trust says.
In order to celebrate this, the festival will feature a wide variety of events including walks, talks and demonstrations from local farmers, ecologists and archaeologists.
Organised by the Trust, the events are aimed at enhancing the appreciation of the unique and beautiful Burren landscape.
Burrenbeo Trust Manager, Brigid Barry, said that every year the amazing Burren floral bloom arrives to delight locals and visitors to the region.
“The festival gives people a greater appreciation for and knowledge around this natural phenomenon, one that is dependent on the unique farming traditions of this region – it is important we highlight the important role that farmers play in this floral bloom.”
Events during the month will range from dawn chorus to meadow blooms, from stone axes to bees so there is plenty to attract a wide range of people.
