ABOUT US
The role of National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is:
- To secure the conservation of a representative range of ecosystems to maintain and enhance populations of flora and fauna in Ireland.
- To designate and advise on the protection of habitats and species identified for nature conservation (Natural Heritage Areas (NHA), Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) and Special Protection Areas (SPA) having particular regard to the need to consult with interested parties.
- To make the necessary arrangements for the implementation of National and EU legislation and policies for nature conservation and biodiversity including the EU Habitats and Birds Directives, and for the ratification and implementation of the range of international Conventions and Agreements relating to the natural heritage.
- To manage, maintain and develop State-owned National Parks and Nature Reserves.
- To promote awareness of natural heritage and biodiversity issues through education, outreach to schools and engaging with stakeholders.
CURLEW CONSERVATION PROGRAMME
The Curlew Conservation Programme involves locally based teams of advisors, champions and nest protection officers, working closely with landowners and other local interests, to protect Curlew nesting attempts and to improve habitat quality. NPWS Conservation Rangers and management are also centrally involved in a number of areas. The programme places the landowner and the birds at the centre of all considerations, with key goals of giving the Curlews a better chance of rearing chicks and stopping the population sliding further towards extinction.
The Curlew Conservation Programme is currently tendering for several positions on locally based Curlew Action Teams (CATs) that work with local communities and landowners to assist Curlew breeding efforts during spring and summer 2018. See Seasonal Contracts Spring-Summer 2018 (www.npws.ie/farmers-and-landowners/schemes/curlew-conservation-programme/contracts-2018) for details.
To view the 2017 annual report of the Curlew Conservation Programme please visit here - www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/files/curlew-conservation-programme-annual-report-2017.pdf
