Westmeath barn owl project takes flight with students' work

The Westmeath Biodiversity Office, with funding from the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), has launched a pilot barn owl conservation project in partnership with three secondary schools in the county.

Transition year students from St Joseph’s Rochfortbridge, Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar, and Athlone Community College have helped to construct interior nest boxes as part of a hands-on project to support one of Ireland’s most iconic and threatened bird species, the barn owl.

This project is part of a broader effort to protect and monitor barn owls in Westmeath and nationally, where changes in land use, habitat loss, and the use of rat poison all contributed to a decline in the population over the years.

In recent years, barn owls have been confirmed at a small number of sites in Westmeath, but their population remains vulnerable. Survey work carried out in 2023 and 2024 identified a number of potential nesting and foraging habitats across the county, and the installation of nest boxes will provide safe spaces to encourage breeding success.

Alan McCarthy of BirdWatch Ireland (BWI), one of the leading voices in Irish bird conservation, also has a role in the project. He is delivering engaging talks to the participating schools on the ecology of barn owls, their role in the ecosystem, and the importance of ongoing survey and conservation work happening throughout the county.

Biodiversity officer Christina Sweeney is supporting the project by contributing to conservation and engaging with local schools.

She said it is a fantastic opportunity to connect students directly with nature and biodiversity action. By building and installing the nest boxes, students are actively helping to provide safe roosting and breeding spaces for barn owls while also learning about the vital role they play in our environment.

The nest boxes created by the students will be placed in suitable locations across Westmeath and in other counties as identified by survey work, with the hope of boosting local barn owl numbers and raising awareness about their conservation.

As the project develops, further monitoring will take place to track nest box usage and owl activity, helping to inform future conservation strategies in the Midlands region and beyond.

This pilot initiative also aims to build long-term engagement with schools and communities, with plans to expand to additional schools in the coming years and integrate citizen science into barn owl recording efforts.

For more information on this project or how to get involved, contact the Westmeath Biodiversity Office at biodiversity@westmeathcoco.ie.