Background The increased loss of biodiversity and wildlife habitats along roads, in bogs, rivers, woodlands, and the loss of wildlife corridors and decline in key wildlife indicator species has led to a nationwide call for wildlife and biodiversity preservation. Coupled with this is the increase in invasive species across Ireland. In light of this, Longford County Council is currently undertaking projects to reverse the loss of bogland habitats in SAC’s such as Lough Forbes SAC, Ardgullion Bog SAC, and Brown Bog , which have received European LIFE funding through the National Parks and Wildlife Service. Solution Longford County Council, in response to increasing loss of wildlife habitats and key indicator species, has funded numerous projects to the value of €20,000 ranging from planting for pollinators, biodiversity talks in schools, and the production of booklets and signage to help educate the public in identifying and preserving local wildlife habitats (Figure 1). With these projects it is planned to protect and preserve wildlife habitats and endangered species across the county. Longford County Council is working closely with the National Parks and Wildlife Service on preserving and protecting SACs and Natural Heritage Areas across County Longford. The Council has also created several new habitats across the county, which include the Pallas Project in Ballymahon, the Memorial Garden in Longford Town, The Wildlife Garden in the Mall, and the N4 Pollinator and Wildlife Corridor Project. Longford County Council has also signed up to the National Pollinator Project with the National Biodiversity Data Centre and is currently in the process of developing a number of pollinator and wildlife projects throughout County Longford. The Council has also committed to reducing the number of times it cuts roadside verges and is now leaving large stretches uncut over the spring and summer period to help pollinators and allow for the establishment of a wildlife corridor. Longford County Council has a very strong programme currently in place for the treatment of invasive species across the county and has identified over 250 sites where invasive species are located. All of these sites have been treated successfully over the last three years using stem injection at a cost of €48,000, and new sites are identified as they arise for inclusion in the treatment programme. Figure 1: Pollinator-friendly garden – Ardagh, Co. Longford. Benefits of Solution Environmental With a greater emphasis on climate change and biodiversity now taking place across all sections of society, Longford County Council is committed to doing all it can to help conserve all wildlife habitats, bogs, wetlands, rivers, and forests. This will help to contribute to an improvement in biodiversity in the county. Increasing wildlife habitats and biodiversity across the county, while ensuring sustainable development, is a priority for Longford County Council. From an environmental, economic and social perspective the current biodiversity, habitat and wildlife conservation projects ongoing in County Longford are having a positive effect on the environment. A number of the projects have been highly commended and commented upon in Tidy Towns reports, citing the projects as being of high environmental and socio-economic benefit to the communities they are situated in. The N4 Longford Pollinator By-pass project has received praise from both Transport Infrastructure Ireland and Longford County Council. Longford County Council, in conjunction with Transport Infrastructure Ireland, is planning on expanding this project to include other locations along the N4 and N5 in Longford. Economic National figures show that the most important pollinators in Ireland are insects; particularly bees, hoverflies, butterflies, moths and other flies. In Ireland, crops such as apples, strawberries, clover and oilseed rape all benefit from pollination and the value of this service to the economy has been estimated at €53 million per year.