We are a registered skill-sharing charity founded to create a
commemorative woodland dedicated to Éire and the Irish Diaspora;
and to protect forests from invasive species:
1. Creating Woodlands
We’re buying land now for a new native woodland to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Great Famine for 2045. All donors will be offered a 21-year licensed plot alongside the symbolic title of Caomhnóir na Coille Móire (Guardian of the Great Wood).
2. Protecting Woodlands
We’ve developed a non-mechanised approach to remove Cherry Laurel from our forests. We have turned this pervasive invasive shrub into a new FREE BIOFUEL. Our methodology is open-source; we hold regular training days to empower communities to save their local woodland.
If these sound like worthy objectives, please consider making a donation! We’re 100% volunteer-run and all donations will be used to purchase land.
Photo Credit: MJ Richardson
Photo Credit: Richard Webb
Photo Credit: H. Zell
Why was this project created?
- By 1700 Ireland was deforested and has since experienced ecological collapse.
- The Irish Government have continually missed afforestation targets while farmers have been incentivised to destroy farm habitats, such as hedgerows and field margins.
- Irish forestry relies heavily on non-native conifer plantations on unsuitable peatland: 70% of Irish forests are American pine, providing no functional biodiversity.
- Ash Trees are being wiped out by the fungal Ash Dieback Disease and our existing native woodlands are being decimated by invasive species like Cherry Laurel.
This Project is a platform for People-Powered Reforestation, and we welcome your ideas and passion.
Some worrying figures:
2%
Only 2% of Ireland is Native Woodland: The island was deforested by 1900 and still has the lowest native forestry cover in Europe today.
70%
70% of Irish forestry is in non-native monoculture plantations that provide no functional habitat for native species.
90%
Ireland’s internationally important habitats have emergency status. The vast majority of our Special Areas of Conservation have NO conservation plans.
40%
40% of Irish forests are on decomposing peatland which emits more Carbon than the trees sequester.
Get in touch
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