NATIONAL BIODIVERSITY WEEK
National Biodiversity Week is a nationwide celebration of Ireland’s natural heritage, held each May. It brings communities together to explore, learn about, and appreciate the wide variety of life around us, while encouraging action to protect it for future generations.
To mark the week, Easy Treesie organises a series of engaging biodiversity videos, helping to inspire and educate audiences of all ages. We are delighted to support this initiative and promote greater awareness of the importance of biodiversity across Ireland.
BIODIVERSITY WEEK 2026
Wednesday 20 May 2026
Zoom Talks with Dr. Christy Boylan
Dr Boylan is a native of Ballyjamesduff, Co. Cavan, and studied horticulture at the National Botanic Gardens and University College Dublin. Further studies included Landscape Architecture at Michigan State University, USA, and an MBA from Dublin City University in 2003.
He was a landscape architect with the Dublin Corporation Parks Department until 1993 and the head of the Parks and Landscape Services Department at South Dublin County Council until 2007. He is a lecturer at Technological University Dublin, an adjudicator for the National Tidy Towns Competition and chair of the International jury for Entente Florale Europe.
He has written numerous publications and presented papers at national and international conferences. and is a Fellow and former President of the Irish Landscape Institute. In May 2015, Christy was the inaugural winner of the World Urban Parks Distinguished Individual Award. Christy was a board member of World Urban Parks until 2018.
Christy is the author of The Parks and Gardens of Dublin. This richly illustrated book offers the history and development of over 150 parks and gardens in Dublin, from the grand scale of the Phoenix Park to intimate pocket-parks, reflecting the city’s maritime climate and its legacy of designed landscapes and public green space. which gives an account of the history and development of over 150 parks and gardens in Dublin. He will discuss the importance of the gardens, which are rich in biodiversity, in artistic heritage, as well as plant collections from all around the World.
You can purchase a copy at this link: The Parks and Gardens of Dublin
The talks may be of particular interest given the increasing focus on urban biodiversity networks, climate resilience and the protection of mature tree infrastructure.
PREVIOUS YEARS
2025
No Weeds, More Trees: Natural Methods for Protecting Young Woodlands
Orla Farrell (Easy Treesie Project Founder) in conversation with Brendan Fitzsimons (CEO, Tree Council of Ireland).
As part of National Biodiversity Week 2025, join us for an inspiring discussion on sustainable, chemical-free approaches to woodland care. This session explores how a simple but powerful method - trampling weeds - can play a key role in protecting young trees and supporting long-term woodland health.
2025
To the Rescue; Tree Staking & Ensuring Healthy Growth
An insightful conversation with renowned landscape architect Aidan ffrench, who brings over 40 years of expertise in urban forestry, green infrastructure, and nature-based solutions. This interview with Orla Farrell, Easy Treesie Founder, created especially for National Biodiversity Week, is your go-to guide for understanding how to stake trees properly - and when not to.
Designed with amateur tree planters and community groups in mind.
2023
How to keep your Tree Alive
Easy Treesie founder Orla Farrell hears advice from newly elected Tree Council President and Fingal Tree Officer Cormac Downey on how to keep your trees alive.
As the Easy Treesie project approaches the 500k saplings-planted mark with charity Crann - Trees for Ireland with Ireland's school children and their communities we are focusing on the importance of keeping an eye on newly established woodlands, copses and hedgerows.
2025
Building a Movable Shield: How to Keep Trees Safe from Wildlife Damage
You’ve heard of a “Rabbit-Proof Fence”?
In this practical and encouraging session, we explore how one of our many participating GAA Green Clubs, Castleknock, partnered with the Easy Treesie – Crann project. Firstly, to plant and secondly, to protect their newly planted trees from night-time nibblers; local rabbits with a taste for tender saplings.
2023
How to Plant an Elder Tree
Do you know how to plant a native elder tree for free?
Learn the technique of harvesting an elder cutting - or magic wand - and watching it grow from Franke Van der Laan of the MeerGroen organisation in the Netherlands who paid a visit to Easy Treesie for National Tree Week 2023. Hear their inspiring story where "Nature is Our Nursery". Learn about how to identify an elder tree in your locality so that you can do some harvesting from it once its leaves fall.
2023
Coláiste Chiaráin, Croom, Co Limerick
This video tells the story of how Coláiste Chiaráin has created a Biodiversity haven on its span-new school campus. Hear how every member of the school community as well as many of its visiting teachers and exchange students have planted a tree to put down roots on their new greenfield site.