Community Biodiversity Action Plan

2021-2025

The Community Biodiversity Action Plan (CBAP) for Navan promotes and celebrates the biodiversity within the town and provides a plan by which it can be enhanced.

Navan is located at the confluence of two rivers, the River Blackwater and the River Boyne, that have a significant influence on the biodiversity within the town. Navan is fortunate to have corridors of trees, grasslands, and water running right through the centre of the town. The focus for this Plan is not just the river systems. In Navan there is parkland, hedges, estate greens, playing pitches, railway lines, an abundance of gardens and an enormous number of trees. Biodiversity occurs throughout the town; as do the opportunities for enhancing it.

The Navan CBAP takes account of the habitats and biodiversity within the town. It proposes measures to enhance the local environment and address any environmental issues or pressures. There is a strong emphasis on community involvement with the intention that the community will take ownership of the plan and responsibility for its implementation. The actions involve encouraging participation in Citizen Science initiatives, the development of local Pollinator Plans, actions for Swifts, creation of a dispersed orchard and possibly most importantly, amending the way we view areas of long grass, Dandelions and Brambles.

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What is Biodiversity and why is it important?

Ecological communities with high biodiversity (“biological diversity”) are generally more stable and healthy than others. Biological variety can buffer communities from environmental issues and challenges. It can allow ecological communities to recover more quickly from stresses or disturbances. This is why biodiversity is important, not only for wildlife but for us too. Humans are an important part of the Biodiversity occurring on earth and our actions can affect Biodiversity in both a positive and negative way.

What are Habitats for wildlife?

The CBAP describes habitats found in Navan and assesses their value for local wildlife. A habitat is simply the home of an animal or a plant. Almost every place on Earth is a habitat for some kind of animal or plant. Most habitats are made up of animals and plants, together with water, oxygen, soil and rocks. Habitats within Navan include grassland, hedges, scrub, woodland and the rivers.

What are Ecosystems and why is their health so important?

Ecosystem is another term used in ecology to describe an area. It is also made up of all living and nonliving things in an area and might include a number of different habitats. The components of an ecosystem are interlinked through nutrient cycles and energy flows. The contributions that ecosystems make to human well-being are called “ecosystem services”. Examples of ecosystem services would be the role pollinators play in food production, the filtering and cleaning of water by natural vegetation, the shade and oxygen provided by trees and the pleasing areas provided by nature for walking, gardening, recreation and relaxation.