Ireland's natural heritage and wildlife are taking centre stage from 15 to 24 May, featuring hundreds of free events nationwide to mark National Biodiversity Week. The annual initiative provides the public with opportunities to engage with nature and learn from regional groups and experts dedicated to safeguarding the environment.

The initiative is organised by the Irish Environmental Network and receives backing from the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). Activities are spearheaded by environmental and community groups, Local Authority Biodiversity Officers, and teams within Nature Reserves and National Parks. The diverse programme includes wildlife watching, farm walks, bat walks, woodland workshops, biodiversity cycle tours, whale watching, field trips and nature walks.

As part of the celebrations, the NPWS is organizing more than one hundred events across various sites, Nature Reserves and National Parks.

Minister for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O'Sullivan TD, stated: "Each year National Biodiversity Week gets bigger and better – and reflects a growing public appetite and interest in nature. I'm also encouraging everyone to take this opportunity to visit a National Park or Nature Reserve, to experience the full variety of incredible species and habitats that we are working to protect. From the coastal habitats of Kerry where you'll find Natterjack Toads, up to the ancient oak woodlands at Glenveagh, to hearing birdsong at dawn along the banks of the River Boyne, this year's programme gives us all the chance to get out and appreciate the beauty around us."

Speaking ahead of the UN International Day for Biological Diversity on 22 May, the Minister added: "We all depend on nature – for our food, water, fuel, shelter and energy. Small changes in our own communities contribute to a bigger, global vision of nature which is healthy and vibrant. The success of our efforts to restore nature relies on all of us, in communities and across government, working together. "I would like to thank the Irish Environmental Network for their work in co-ordinating this impressive programme, and the Local Biodiversity Officers, heritage groups, NPWS staff and other agencies for making this initiative a success each year."

Niall Ó Donnchú, Director General with the National Parks and Wildlife Service, commented: "Nature protection thrives when communities feel ownership of place. National Biodiversity Week can inspire long-term nature conservation initiatives, stronger local participation, intergenerational learning, and renewed respect for the delicate balance that sustains all life In busy lives, it asks us to pause long enough to remember that clean air, fertile soil, birdsong, insects, native plants, rivers, oceans, and seasons are not background scenery. They are the systems that make life possible. This week reconnects people with the understanding that protecting nature is not an occasional act, but part of the cycle of everyday living."

Events organised by the National Parks and Wildlife Service include:

• Bioblitzes at Killarney National Park and Connemara National Park. Bioblitzes are events where communities come together to find and record as many species as they can in a particular area.

• Wild Nephin National Park is organising a native trees workshop, talks about Ireland's Birds of Prey and a nature treasure hunt for families.

• Wicklow Mountains National Park See and hear more about the restoration work underway or join a Dawn Chorus at Knocksink Wood Nature Reserve.

• Enhance Biodiversity in your garden - Join NPWS staff for a guided tour of the National Park at Dowth with tips to boost the variety of plants and wildlife in your garden, or learn about the secret life of bats on a bat walk in the Park.

• Join a butterfly walk at the Burren National Park or spend a morning wildlife watching at Coole Park Nature Reserve.

• The hugely successful Biodiversity Week Festival, 'Le Chéile don Dúlra' is set to return to Glenveagh National Park in Donegal for a second year. The programme of events will celebrate The National Park's unique landscape, history, people, nature and conservation work, with a special emphasis on communication via the arts.

• Hear more about the species found around the coastal habitats of Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí, including waders, wildfowl, sharks and rays and the Natterjack Toad.