About Us

The Irish Brent Goose Research Group (IBGRG) is made up of a range of government, non-government representatives and academics who share an interest in the conservation of this flyway population of brent geese. Meeting typically once per annum, the Group are involved in a range of activities including steering scientific research, education and outreach. We act informally as an ‘expert’ group towards the implementation of the Africa-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) Single Species Action Plan for this population.

Reflecting its wide membership there is no single base of activities for the group. The administrative hub is at the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) Centre at Castle Espie in Northern Ireland. The bulk of the research activity within the group emanates from the Cornwall campus of the University of Exeter and the Icelandic Institute of Natural History (IINH).

The principal officers are Mr Gerry Murphy (Chairman), Dr Kendrew Colhoun (Secretary) and Mr Graham McElwaine (Resightings Co-ordinator). The Secretary also acts as research programme manager supported principally by WWT, the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) and the National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS). The primary researchers and PI’s on the main scientific elements of the project are Dr Stuart Bearhop, Dr Richard Inger and Dr Xavier Harrison (all at the University of Exeter) and Dr Gudmundur A Gudmundsson at IINH.

Much of the project funding comes from NERC, WWT, NIEA, NPWS and IINH.

The IBGRG committee comprises membership of the following organisations:

The IBGRG Committee Members