Wonderfully Wild
Books on the Biodiversity of Clare
It is the policy of Clare County Library to actively promote the reading habit by increasing awareness of and access to material via book promotions. Raising awareness of biodiversity (which includes wildlife) is one of the main aims of the Local Biodiversity Action Plan process. Clare County Council is one of the first Local Authorities in Ireland to start the process of a Biodiversity Action Plan. Biodiversity is the variety of all life. It is the variety of plants, animals and the habitats that they live in. Biodiversity includes everything from the largest whale to the smallest microscopic algae. The production of a Local Biodiversity Action Plan is one of the objectives of the County Clare Heritage Plan published in 2003.
This book promotion is a cooperative venture between
Clare County Library and the Planning Section of Clare County Council,
made possible with grant funding from The Heritage Council. The funding
allowed for the purchase of many books to add to the collection on wildlife
in Clare’s libraries. Clare is home to many important habitats such
as limestone pavements and bogs and notable numbers of species such as
Whooper Swans and Spring Gentians, to name but a few. These books will
be distributed throughout all 15 branches of the library service, thereby
raising awareness of the rich diversity of wildlife which occurs in Clare
and throughout Ireland. A selection of these books has been reviewed here,
along with other relevant titles listed. There are also many newspaper
clippings, scientific reports and papers in the library’s Local
Studies Centre in Ennis which relate to the biodiversity of County Clare.
Whether you are a complete novice or wish to learn more about the wildlife and natural heritage of County Clare, there will be something here of interest to you.