Project partners gather for the opening of An Binse Cliste
The Smart Bench is a collaboration between Donegal County Council, the National Parks and Wildlife Service and Atlantic Technological University. It was delivered through Data2Sustain, with contributions from the ATU Design School in Letterkenny and Letterfrack, the ATU WiSAR Lab and ERNACT.
The Smart Bench or 'An Binse Cliste' combines contemporary furniture design with solar-powered sensor technology. The bench collects environmental and visitor data, including bird activity, air quality, dark-sky conditions and visitor numbers.
By scanning a QR code, visitors can access a companion web application to explore the data gathered. They can discover the most active birds recorded during the week, listen to their songs, check local air quality and view information about light pollution through a Dark Sky Level index.
Margaret Quinn, Programme Manager with ERNACT, attended the launch, representing ERNACT as a project contributor through the Data2Sustain European Digital Innovation Hub.
Data2Sustain supports the digital transformation of SMEs and public-sector organisations through data-driven innovation, sustainability and the circular economy. As one of its first tourism-related projects, the Smart Bench demonstrates how digital technology can enhance visitor engagement with the natural environment.
Making the environmental data available online could encourage people to visit at different times of the day and year. This includes early-morning visits for birdwatching and winter visits for dark-sky experiences, potentially supporting tourism outside peak periods. The sensors have also been enrolled in STARS4ALL, a European platform that promotes dark skies and citizen science.
Further Smart Benches are planned for Fort Dunree in County Donegal and Connemara National Park. Together, the installations will provide an open-access data platform for environmental awareness, citizen science and future public-sector projects.
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