Protecting and restoring ecosystems with Leave No Trace

Taking steps towards our WorldClimate commitments by conserving ecosystems through collaboration with our partners.

Hot Spot Programmes teach people how to make responsible decisions when participating in outdoor activities, promoting a sense of stewardship for the natural world, and an understanding of how to reduce our carbon footprint. Using Leave No Trace solutions, sites chosen for the Hot Spot Programmes can be restored and thrive again. The chosen location received a unique, site-specific blend of training, expert consulting, education programmes, service projects and monitoring programme. 
 
Bull Island is a low lying, dune covered sand spit in Dublin Bay off the coast of the city’s northside. North Bull Island is a national nature reserve in Dublin Bay. A haven for both local and visiting wildlife the area has several nature conservation designations for the habitats and species it supports. Migrating birds from as far away as Canada and Africa visit this area each year and it's designated as a Special Protection Area (SPA). It has aesthetic and recreational value and is an integral part of the Dublin Bay Biosphere. With site-specific Leave No Trace measures in place, the area is equipped to bounce back from human impact and recover its natural qualities. The result is a sustainable outdoor area that is on the road to recovery. 

In 2022, we teamed up with Leave No Trace, to improve this local amenity through the removal of litter, invasive species management, and improvements to sand dunes. Through local engagement and effective collaboration between multiple professional and community organisations we worked to protect this unique ecosystem. Volunteers were involved in a litter picking activities, learning sessions and removal of burning leftovers, ash and shrubs made by camping visitors. Over 80 bags of invasive plant material and 10 bags of litter were removed, with a particular focus on removing smaller pieces of litter to prevent microplastics from entering the sea. The volunteers also carried out 14 biodiversity surveys, adding to the knowledge of this ecosystem and its nine habitats. 

 Leave No Trace Ireland also joined us to give our people an introduction to our Leave No Trace Bull Island Hotspot project. A number of sessions were organised by Deloitte and during impact days, 255 hours were dedicated by Deloitte employees in the Hot Spot project. Understanding our impact on biodiversity and its importance is the first step in taking action to protect it. Impact days offered our people an opportunity to learn about and be inspired to take positive action.