Biodiversity in its simplest form is the biological diversity in an environment as indicated by numbers of different species of plants and animals.

Biodiversity allows us to live healthy and happy lives. It provides us with food and materials, and it contributes to a vibrant economy. Without a healthy diversity of pollinators, plants, and soils, our supermarkets would have a lot less produce and we would have a lot less breakthroughs in medicine. 

Biodiversity rich ecosystems do everything from cleaning water and absorbing chemicals (which wetlands do), to providing oxygen for us to breathe, thank you plants and trees.

Here in Offaly we are blessed with enormous potential when it comes to restoring, protecting and increasing our native Biodiversity. We have an incredible natural canvas on which we can paint back into life those species that have either been sleeping, nearly eradicated or just about hanging on due to habitat erosion. We have the unique and rare ecosystems of our wetlands, extensive agricultural land, miles of hedgerows, networks of rivers and the Slieve Blooms. Offaly used to be covered in a vast forest that supported a myriad of life. For our own future security, let’s work together and transform Offaly into one of the most Biodiversity rich counties in Ireland. It will reward us endlessly in terms of health, economic security and quality of life.