Envirico is an Irish environmental management company specialising in invasive alien species control with particular emphasis on Japanese Knotweed. Envirico was originally founded to tackle any invasive species problem, on land or in water. Envirico have grown and expanded their portfolio of work and now offer ecological and agri-environmental services.
Envirico are actively involved in a wide range of Japanese Knotweed control projects throughout the Island of Ireland. Our projects include many based in Special Areas of Conservation (e.g. Slaney River Valley SAC; Blackwater River (Cork/Waterford) SAC; River Barrow and River Nore SAC) where the works requirements have included detailed GIS surveys, Appropriate Assessment Screening, compiling detailed Method Statements and designing and carrying out chemical control methods. We are experienced in all control methods for Japanese knotweed, from chemical control, to excavation and encapsulation, to off-site disposal, and always ensure that our methods follow current best-practice recommendations. Envirico projects typically involve consultation with a wide variety of stakeholders to ensure our projects have the least possible environmental impact, including but not limited to National Parks and Wildlife Service, Inland Fisheries Ireland, Local Authorities, the National Biodiversity Data Centre and the Environmental Protection Agency.
At Envirico we offer custom-made solutions for your unique requirements. In order to achieve maximum control, we design all our management plans on a site by site basis, and in accordance with best practice.
Bios
Dr. Amanda Greer – Senior Environmental Project Manager
Amanda is the Senior Environmental Project Manager with Envirico. She is an experienced invasive species consultant and a Property Care Association Certified Surveyor of Japanese Knotweed. Amanda’s projects have included drafting management plans for the eradication of Japanese knotweed from SACs, overseeing sensitive excavations close to historical monuments, and producing invasive species ID and management guides for the National Biodiversity Data Centre. Amanda has also worked on invasive species control projects abroad, being involved with studies on 1080, which is used in New Zealand to control invasive mammals.
Amanda has a Ph.D. in Ecology, and spent her Masters studying the behaviour of the invasive Sika deer. She is also an experienced teacher/trainer and is currently the only LANTRA certified trainer in Ireland to facilitate ‘Biosecurity – Halting the Spread of Invasive Non-native Species’ course. Amanda is certified as a trainer for ‘safe use of pesticides’ and operating hand-held equipment (including for stem injection). Amanda is co-author of the booklet ‘Common Invasive Species in Ireland’.
Maurice O’ Connor – Senior Environmental Project Manager
Maurice is currently the Senior Environmental Project Manager for Envirico working out of the Envirico office in Dingle, County Kerry. He holds an Honours Degree in Wildlife Biology from IT Tralee and a Masters Degree in Ecological Assessment from UCC. His current projects include managing a team of up to 20 personnel on breeding seabird surveys on islands off the southwest coast of Ireland and upland and woodland surveys in Killarney National Park on behalf of National Parks and Wildlife Service. Maurice has extensive experience in the agri-environmental sector having written successful project plans for European Innovation Partnership projects, delivering 2.5 million euro in funding to projects in the MacGillycuddy Reeks and North Connemara, working with a diverse range of stakeholders including the farming community, business interests, NGOs and statutory bodies.
Maurice is an experienced field ecologist, has carried out numerous protected species surveys including bats, birds, otters, Kerry slug and lamprey, and has worked on a wide range of projects including detailed environmental assessments of sensitive habitats for National Parks and Wildlife Service. Maurice has delivered training modules to the farming community on their statutory requirements for farming in Natura 2000 sites. These training modules involved classroom and practical elements.
Maurice also works with Dingle Tidy Towns committee and was recently successful in obtaining funding from Environment and Nature Fund for Biodiversity from the Community Foundation for Ireland to produce a community biodiversity plan for the Dingle area.
Jessica Hamilton – Project Ecologist
Jessica is an ecologist with Envirico. Jessica works on a wide range of ecological projects from woodland surveys, upland surveys, invertebrate surveys and seabird surveys. Jessica is an extremely competent botanical recorder. Jessica assisted in setting up the Kerry branch of Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI Kerry) in 2017. She is now an integral member of BSBI Kerry, leads the group which have regular outings, recording for the upcoming ATLAS 2020 as well as giving people a friendly and relaxed setting in which to develop their botany skills and enjoy nature. Jessica has a B.Sc in Wildlife Biology in her final year she researched and mapped the environmental preferences of the non-native Cotoneaster on the Muckross Peninsula, Killarney National Park. The practical nature of this thesis allowed Jessica to combine her love of botany with the skills and experience developed throughout the course including data sampling/collection, GPS mapping, remote fieldwork, vegetative ID, project planning into practice.