Download Nature and Wildlife in Roscommon - The Heritage Council

Raised and blanket bogs are fabulous places to explore
due to the abundance of weird and wonderful wildlife-
insect-eating plants, birds of prey, and rare and beautiful
butterflies. Peat is wet, acidic and very nutrient poor and
so the plants that grow on bogs have to be able to survive
harsh conditions. Examples of common bog plants include:
heathers (ling, cross-leaved heath), sedges, insect-eating
plants (sundew and butterwort), bog asphodel and bog
cottons. Several rare and threatened birds overwinter
or nest on bogs in Roscommon. e.g. Golden plover, Red
grouse, and Merlin. The heather provides excellent cover for
birds. Other commonly seen birds on bogs include Meadow
pipit and Skylark. One of Europe’s rarest butterflies is found
on peatlands in Roscommon, the Marsh fritillary butterfly.
Bogs are an important part of our natural and cultural
heritage and are hugely important for wildlife, recreation,
environmental protection and education.
Damselfly. Photo by John Earley
fens
Fens are another type of peatland that forms in calcareous
(lime-rich), wet environments often in or around lake basins
or former lakes. Peat accumulates over time but never to the
depths found in raised bogs. Fen peat is more nutrient-rich
that bog peat because the peatland is still in contact with
ground water. As a result, many fens have been drained
for agricultural land. Fens are often made up of a mosaic
of different habitats ranging from open-water, reed-beds,
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clooNfad WalKs
To experience bogs and beautiful countryside
up close, head for a walk on of the many routes
in the Cloonfad Walks in west Roscommon. The
Derrylahan Resource Centre is the best place to
start and you can decide the type and length of
route you wish to follow.
E-mail: cclogher@eircom.net Tel. (087) 2396985
small-sedge vegetation, to semi-terrestrial birch and alder
woodland. The variety of habitats contributes to the rich
diversity of plants and animals. Fens are often hugely
important for birds, especially over-wintering waterfowl,
because of the mix of habitats present that provides a
range of food and shelter. They also tend to have a rich
invertebrate fauna, including dragonflies, damselflies, water
beetles, snails and slugs.