Biodiversity

Our Progress:

• Re-wilding of Front Lawns for Biodiversity: in March 2020, 13850 people voted in a campaign to plant wildflowers on Trinity Front Lawns, and 89% voted in favour! The news story was covered by national news and international publications.

• 2021 Biodiversity audit completed:  Discovering Trinity's Biodiversity: Report from the Biodiversity Audit Pilot Study (tcd.ie)

• Trinity created a wildlife pond in 2022 in the Provost’s garden, which provides habitat for creatures like dragonflies, hoverflies, frogs and newts.

• Trinity developed a Campus Pollinator Plan in line with the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan’s (AIPP), with initiatives such as Bee Hotels and planting suitable plants to support pollinators.

• There are green sedum-planted roofs on the Long Room Hub, Lecky Library, Health Centre and Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute.

Latest Stories in Biodiversity Research:

• Scientists enlist “Witness Trees” to track climate change and pinpoint which species can best clean our air

• Irish peat soils – vital for the environment – are far more vast than we realised

• Are Ireland’s tuna in hot water? Ocean warming pushes giant Atlantic bluefin northwards

Our Objectives

• Develop a biodiversity plan
• Develop a central biodiversity data repository 
• Roll out a meaningful biodiversity awareness campaign
• Develop a nature positive approach across all of Trinity’s sites
• Update and continue to deliver Trinity’s Pollinator Plan

Our Sustainability Report details the progress that has been made in the last few years.

What can I do?

Here's some ideas on how you can support biodiversity at home:

• Let it grow. The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan is about all of us returning land back to Nature so that plants and animals can survive, e.g. reduce mowing to six weeks during summer, plant native pollinator-friendly flowers/herbs in our gardens and stop pesticide use.
• Purchase organic or bio-dynamic food. Organic agriculture employs farming techniques which help to build healthy, robust soils and are beneficial to the environment. 
• Spare our fish. 75% of all fisheries are fully exploited or over-fished. Species like cod, haddock and halibut are already threatened with extinction. Check out this Irish Wildlife Trust Seafood Guide.