The final closing event of the "Stop, Look, Listen: Preserving Biodiversity in Ballyhoura" project took place at the Thomas Fitzgerald Centre in Bruff.

The event celebrated local biodiversity within the Ballyhoura Catchment area and included an exhibition of photos of local biodiversity from the Stop, Look, Listen Photography Competition.

The evening began with a short walking tour led by Bruff Tidy Towns, focusing on their biodiversity projects followed by an opportunity to attend a talk by guest speaker, Seán Ronayne of the Irish Wildlife Sounds project. Séan, an ornithologist and wildlife sound recordist, discussed his three-year journey documenting nearly 200 bird species, including those on the cusp of extinction. Seán shared his story and his unique, and often surprising, recordings of mimicry, distinct dialects, and birds never recorded in Ireland before. 

Photo Competition Winners

Images from the successful Stop Look & Listen photography competition, were exhibited on the night.

The winner of the "Biodiversity in my community" category of the competition was this beautiful image of a fox by Josephine O' Leary.

The winner of the under 18 category was an image of the seed head by Dylan Ryan.

The winners of the project participant competition were Joan Neill (picture of ladybirds) and Carol Quish (picture of cows).

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Film Launch

The evening also marked the launch of the "The Stop, Look, Listen: Preserving  the biodiversity of Ballyhoura Country" short film, co-created with project participants to highlight the ongoing efforts to protect biodiversity in the Ballyhoura Catchment area.

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