TU Dublin researchers highlight cultural heritage and community knowledge on World Wetlands Day 2026
TU Dublin researchers are marking World Wetlands Day 2026 by showcasing how scientific research, traditional knowledge and community engagement can work together to protect wetland ecosystems and cultural heritage. This year’s theme, ‘Wetlands and traditional knowledge: Celebrating cultural heritage,’ focuses on the enduring relationships between wetlands and the cultural practices, traditions and knowledge systems of communities around the world.
Researchers in TU Dublin’s School of Food Science and Environmental Health are contributing to this global focus through innovative projects that link environmental science with agriculture, biodiversity, health and public engagement.
Leadership supporting sustainable and inclusive research
Dr Julie Dunne, Head of the School of Food Science and Environmental Health, has played a central role in embedding sustainability and engagement within the school’s research and teaching activities. She has encouraged academic staff and postgraduate researchers to integrate environmental responsibility across curricula, research projects and public outreach.
Dr Dunne has supported initiatives that bring science beyond the university setting, including participation in secondary school science festivals and laboratory experiences for younger students. These activities help connect theoretical learning with real-world application and promote early interest in environmental science. Her leadership has shaped an approach to wetland research that prioritises inclusivity, collaboration and societal relevance alongside scientific excellence.
Peatland restoration and climate action
Dr Furong Tian, Lecturer in the School and Director of the Nanolab Research Centre, leads research on peatland restoration and sustainable farming practices. Wetlands are recognised as major carbon sinks, and their degradation contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss.
In 2020, Dr Tian served as Principal Investigator on the Farm:Carbon project, a peatland restoration initiative funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the EU, with a total budget of €1.149 million. The project operates across more than 30 farm sites in Offaly and Laois, developed as ‘lighthouse farms’ to demonstrate sustainable land management practices.
These sites function as living laboratories where farmers, students and researchers work together to develop environmental solutions. In parallel, Dr Tian’s team carries out environmental monitoring and human health risk assessments linked to trace element release following land-use change, using soil and peat analysis, water testing and microbiological profiling.
Biodiversity protection in protected landscapes
Dr Elena Alexa, Assistant Lecturer in the School of Food Science and Environmental Health, focuses on the impacts of climate change and land-use practices on protected ecosystems, particularly Nature 2000 sites. She has collaborated with colleagues at TU Dublin and with the National Parks and Wildlife Service, strengthening the link between academic research and conservation policy.
Her research examines soil composition and function as key drivers of ecosystem health, helping to explain patterns of biodiversity loss across plant, bird and microbial communities. The findings contribute to evidence-based approaches for managing culturally and ecologically significant landscapes.
Wetland resources and human wellbeing
Dr Azza Silotry Naik, Lecturer and Programme Chairperson in Food Science, explores how wetland resources can support sustainable food systems and human health. Her work involves the sustainable foraging of wild Irish wetland mushrooms, the development of innovative cultivation substrates and the screening of these species for bioactive compounds linked to health and wellbeing.
This research adopts a community-focused approach, involving students and public agencies in projects that support environmental restoration, inform policy development in climate, agriculture and public health, and increase public awareness of wetland stewardship. It also aligns with the development of ‘lighthouse farms’ as demonstration sites for environmentally responsible land management.
As World Wetlands Day 2026 is observed under the theme ‘Wetlands and traditional knowledge: Celebrating cultural heritage,’ TU Dublin is showcasing how research and innovation can strengthen the links between environmental protection and cultural understanding.