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Katie Smirnova

@katiesmirnova.bsky.social
2.2K followers 466 following 0 posts

Nature Conservation - Climate Action - Community Engagement

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Reposted by Katie Smirnova
The Rivers Trust (All-Ireland) @rtallireland.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
📢 Help us shape freshwater policy across the island of Ireland. We're looking for a Policy & Advocacy Officer to join our Communications & Advocacy team. Learn more to apply 👇 careers.theriverstrust.org/jobs/8160642...
careers.theriverstrust.org
Policy & Advocacy Officer (All-Ireland) - The Rivers Trust
The Rivers Trust is a leading environmental charity and the umbrella body of The Rivers Trust movement, comprising over 60 independent local charities. Our vision is for wild, healthy, natural rive...
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Reposted by Katie Smirnova
AI2Peat Project @ai2peat.bsky.social · 12/03/2025
✨ Survey closes this Friday: eu.surveymonkey.com/r/QP56HMV ✨ Please share! Read more: 🔹 publicpolicy.ie/papers/peats... 🔹 www.techcentral.ie/ai2peat-remo... Thanks to @researchireland.bsky.social & @innovationexchange.bsky.social for supporting the recent Discovery Exchange Pitch Event too!
eu.surveymonkey.com
PeatSense Platform
Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.
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Reposted by Katie Smirnova
AI2Peat Project @ai2peat.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
We need your help to improve the PeatSense Platform! Whether you're somewhat interested in peatlands or spend every day thinking about bogs, your feedback matters to us. Please take a few minutes to complete our survey and share it with your friends and colleagues: eu.surveymonkey.com/r/QP56HMV 💭📝
Background image of a raised bog. Can you share a few minutes of your time? We are building a peatland knowledge and data-sharing platform and need your help. Take our survey: https://eu.surveymonkey.com/r/QP56HMV.www.peatsense.org.AI2Peat is funded by Research Ireland under grant number 22/NCF/FD/10969 until June 2025, having started in January 2023. Our consortium includes CeADAR Ireland, iCRAG Research Ireland Centre for Applied Geosciences, and the National Parks & Wildlife Service.
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Reposted by Katie Smirnova
AI2Peat Project @ai2peat.bsky.social · 27/01/2025
We want to introduce ourselves to our Bluesky community! 👋 Learn more about AI2Peat and the PeatSense Platform in the slides below. To dive in further, check out: peatsense.org. Can you help us? We need your feedback on PeatSense. Please message us or click here: calendly.com/ai2peat/peat...
Slide 1.

Background image of a raised bog. AI2Peat Project: Who are we & what do we do?

Peatlands provide a range of important ecosystem services to society. Human activity and land use change has damaged peatlands, resulting in biodiversity loss, water management issues, and carbon emissions.

“The problem to be addressed really is reducing carbon emissions from degraded peatlands by “rewetting” them, which is the majority. We need to know where this is possible, and how feasible that is.”  - Dr. Shane Regan, National Parks & Wildlife Service

~21-23% of Ireland’s surface area is peatland (citation 1, 2). 85% of all Irish peatlands are degraded (citation 3, 4).

References:
1. Connolly & Holden (2009) Irish Geography
2. Gilet et al. (2024) Geoderma
3. Habib & Connolly (2023) Regional Environmental Change
4. Fluet-Chouinard et al. (2023) NatureSlide 2. Background image of a raised bog.

Logos: AI2Peat, CeADAR, iCRAG, NPWS.

AI2Peat aims to help this problem by delivering:
1. All-Ireland Peatland Condition Map: Use Artificial Intelligence to analyse remote sensing (satellite) and ground truthing data to continually monitor peatland condition at the national scale.
2. PeatSense Platform: Facilitate information flow and collaboration between peatland stakeholders.

Core Team: Design and oversee the delivery of the AI2Peat work plan.
- Dr. Corrado Grappiolo, Project Lead
- Dr. Eoghan Hologhan, Project Co-Lead
- Dr. Shane Regan, Societal Impact ChampionSlide 3. Background image of a raised bog.

Logos: AI2Peat, CeADAR, iCRAG, NPWS.

Scientists & Platform Developers: 
- Build geospatial pipelines, machine learning models, and other tools to classify peatland ecology and health.
- Manage PeatSense and develop it in collaboration with the wider peatland community and potential users.

Team:
- Veeresh Gurusiddappa
- Katie Smirnova
- Beth O’Dwyer
- Aimée Lally
- Zane Ferch
- Shane Smyth
- Shivam GulveSlide 4. Background image of a raised bog.

Logos: AI2Peat, CeADAR, iCRAG, NPWS.

Special Guests: Collaborators who provide extra guidance and support to AI2Peat.
- Dr. Alexis Hrysiewicz
- Mahdi Khoshlahjeh Azar
- Tony Williams

AI2Peat is funded by Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland under grant number 22/NCF/FD/10969 until June 2025, having started in January 2023.

Logos: National Challenge Fund, Rialtas na hÉireann - Government of Ireland, Taighde Éireann - Research Ireland, Funded by the European Union - NextGenerationEU.
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Reposted by Katie Smirnova
Elaine McGoff @elainemcgoff.bsky.social · 19/12/2024
It's hard to get me to shut up about our family cargo bike- so I was delighted to write an article about it for @irishcycle.bsky.social I really believe that cargo bikes are the key to enabling the active travel shift we so badly need. And they're so much fun! irishcycle.com/2024/12/18/a...
irishcycle.com
A bicycle the whole family fell in love with: “We decorate it for Halloween and Christmas, and fret when we leave it locked in public places”
Comment & Analysis: After moving back to Naas, buying a cargo bike has allowed Dr Elaine McGoff to transport her two girls, Naoise (11) and Zoë (8), around the town while staying as a one-car f…
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Reposted by Katie Smirnova
Hedgerows Ireland @hedgerowsireland.bsky.social · 17/12/2024
Christmas presents sorted! We're delighted to see a whole chapter on hedgerows & field boundaries in the new Farming for Nature handbook. It covers planting, managing, and rejuvenating hedgerows—plus creating 'bee scrapes' on sunny earth banks at their base for solitary bees 🐝
Farming For Nature Handbook. A practical guide to protecting and restoring nature on your farm. E.E. Hart, B. Barry and B. Dunford.

Black and white illustrations of livestock, birds, soil, and farmland.
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Reposted by Katie Smirnova
Hedgerows Ireland @hedgerowsireland.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
Do you have any questions about the benefits of hedgerows or their management? 💭 Drop them below, and we'll answer as many as we can!
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Reposted by Katie Smirnova
Hedgerows Ireland @hedgerowsireland.bsky.social · 28/11/2024
Steve Bass enjoyed a sunny Sunday at CELT's open day last weekend! He even recruited a little helper to demonstrate how to bind a laid hedge 🐈‍⬛ CELT is also a member of the Irish Environmental Network and provides training in woodland skills and traditional crafts. 📸 by Eleni Kalantzi
Steve demonstrating how binders work on a wooden plank with nails, as a black cat walks along it. There is a white van and fields with trees in the background.Steve explaining hedge laying while standing in front of a laid hedge.Steve demonstrating hedge laying with a field and trees in the background.A wooden sign reading "Celt - Promoting the natural environment and sustainable living" with people chatting in the background.
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Reposted by Katie Smirnova
AI2Peat Project @ai2peat.bsky.social · 29/11/2024
Less than a week left to respond to Peatland Finance Ireland's public consultation on the Peatland Standard! Don't miss your chance to share your views on the future of quantifying ecosystem improvements from peatland restoration in Ireland. More details here: peatlandfinance.ie/peatland-sta...
peatlandfinance.ie
Peatland Standard Draft Documents for Public Consultation — Peatland Finance Ireland
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Reposted by Katie Smirnova
Hedgerows Ireland @hedgerowsireland.bsky.social · 11/11/2024
We recommend planting hedgerows with trees of Irish Provenance—from seeds collected and grown in Ireland. ⏰ Phenology (when they bud-burst, flower and seed) is better adapted to our environment and wildlife. 🦠 Lower disease risk (e.g. Fireblight). ➡️ hedgerows.ie/planting/
Are you planting a hedgerow this winter? Buy Irish Provenance Certified trees!

- Bud-burst, flowers & seeds are adapted to local wildlife.
- Imports increase disease risk (e.g. Fireblight).

www.hedgerows.ie/planting
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