The badger often resides in a social group referred to as a cete or clan. Each clan shares a territory that includes feeding areas and one or more setts. The size of the clan and the territory depends on the availability of food resources. Badgers are predominantly active at night. They do not hibernate during … Read more
Secretive and principally nocturnal, badgers are seldom encountered in the wild. Unlike their mustelid cousins (otters, stoats and pine martens), the badger is a highly social animal, living in small groups (in burrow systems known as setts. Veon ecologists captured this night-vision image of a badger on a trail camera on a site in Co. … Read more
One of Ireland’s commonest and most readily seen bumblebees is Bombus terrestris which frequents urban areas, parks and gardens. Its distribution in Ireland is widespread but less frequent in upland areas. It is not an endangered species and is one of the most numerous bumblebee species in Europe and Northern Africa. This bumblebee was feasting … Read more
Veon ecologists were busy in Co. Carlow this week undertaking a full range of surveys and reports including Natura Impact Statement (NIS), Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA), Biodiversity Management Plans BMP and breeding bird surveys. The barley crop field forms part off the site which was being surveyed and is a beautiful photo. #naturaimpactstatement … Read more
Veon is looking to recruit Operations Foresters to join our growing team throughout Ireland. As a company offering services to the forestry, ecology, environmental and arboriculture sectors, the successful candidates must demonstrate a knowledge of good forestry practice while also being committed to providing practical solutions for our clients to a high standard. Our company … Read more
Foxglove Digitalis Purpurea (Méaracán Púca as Gaeilge) is one of Ireland’s most beautiful native wildflowers and belongs to the family Plantaginaceae. With tall spires of deep-pink or purple tubular flowers which bloom from June to August, Foxgloves are a magnet for bees and other beneficial pollinating insects and can grow up to 1.5 metres high. … Read more
Nestled in the foothills of the Slieve Bloom Mountains, Ballyfin has been settled from ancient times and has seen its terrain evolve over the millennia from dense native broadleaf woodland, when Fionn Mac Cumhaill was but a young warrior, to the ancestral home of the Ó Mordha clan, the Crosbys, the Poles, Wellesley-Poles and later … Read more
Clearfelling a fast-growing spruce forest can have several benefits, depending on the specific context and objectives. Some potential advantages include: Timber production: Fast-growing spruce forests are often cultivated for their valuable timber. Clearfelling allows for efficient and concentrated harvesting of the trees, maximizing timber yield for commercial purposes. The harvested timber can be used in … Read more
Beech (Fagus sylvatica) trees make for such interesting forms. This beech tree was providing a window into this ancient semi-natural woodland where our arboriculturists, ecologists and foresters are working together on a woodland management plan for our client in Co. Wicklow. Some of the objectives include native tree planting, ancient/ veteran tree conservation, and habitat … Read more
This is definitely not something you should be happy to see when undertaking a forest or habitat survey. Japanese Knotweed is one of Ireland’s most problematic invasive alien species and is an increasingly common sight on waste ground, the fringes of our waterways and roads and in our wetland habitats. Japanese knotweed can seriously damage … Read more
Bark included junction spotted on a Tree Condition Assessment in Drogheda. These junctions lack the axillary wood needed to form a strong bond between stems and they often result in cracks, as can be seen in the image, which can ultimately lead to tree failure. Identifying such structural weaknesses is a key part of visual … Read more
Unfortunately, in Ireland, not nearly enough is done to enforce the protection of trees during the construction phase of developments. A lot of it has to do with limited enforcement resources, and a lot of it has to do with not understanding the value of trees. It is vitally important to determine the site-specific effect … Read more
