Name of Project
Hometree: Avoca
Location of Project
Knockanree, Avoca, County Wicklow
Size of Project
2.3 ac
Current Status
Semi-mature woodland on improved agricultural land
Purchase price
€39,000
The Avoca/Knockanree site is small but diverse and is already bursting with life. It has been left largely undisturbed for the last 30 years allowing nature to reclaim what was a 2.3 acre field used for agriculture (for at least the last 200 years). It is now a wet grassland with spreading hedgerows, young woodland and a small bordering stream. Cronebane stream is a tributary to the Avoca river. Critically, the stream will provide some connectivity between this small woodland and others in the area, both present and future.
Today, the site contains many “pioneer” species. These are fast growing trees and shrubs that are the first to grow in open, undisturbed spaces. Here we find bramble, gorse, alder and non-native sycamore. Much of lowland Wicklow was once mature broadleaf woodland, dominated by oak and hazel. The natural transition to this has already begun at this site, with oaks, birch and holly already established. We will work with nature to support this natural transition back to woodland.
Nature has gotten a great head start in this site with native trees already established. We will work to support the continued growth of the existing scrubs and young trees and complement this growth with targeted tree planting. Species well suited to the current conditions at the site will be chosen, with the long term aim of transitioning the site back to the original oak dominated woodland. As part of the invasive species management we will remove these young trees to prevent competition with native species. We will also work to exclude fallow deer from the site.
Donate
Avoca Team
When four friends living in Dublin came together to look at what they could do to support in restoring Ireland’s ancient wildwood, they saw their goals and passion aligned with that of Hometree. With that came the drive to support Hometree’s expansion into the east of Ireland.
That four has now grown into a steering committee of six people and we see the acquisition of this site of land as a huge opportunity to spread the reach of Hometree across the country. It gives us a chance to reach a wider community to bring on a journey of conservation, afforestation and education to continue the mission to create a landscape in which people and forests flourish, together.
With that in mind we set out to acquire some land in need of protection and would act as a site where we could showcase the benefits of native trees and their positive impact on biodiversity.
We found our site in Avoca Co. Wicklow.
Steering Committee
Jeff McDonald
Jeff works as part of the planning & advocacy team for Bord na Móna Renewables. He graduated from NUIG in 2010 with a Bachelor in Environmental Science and worked in Australia as an Environmental professional for 4 years before moving home. Jeff is a country boy and proud native of Tipperary who loves the outdoors and has a particular passion for all things to do with the sea. When he’s not swimming or fishing he enjoys keeping fit and exploring Ireland's few remaining wild places.
Matt Smith
Matt is the General Manager of Hometree. In 2013 Matt co-founded a regenerative agriculture farm. Matt owns and runs a surfing journal called Backwash and for 9 years has been a consultant and surf ambassador for Finisterre, a UK ethical clothing company.
Roisin Fitzpatrick
Róisín works as a partner in a professional services firm focusing on corporate immigration. She qualified as a solicitor in Ireland after completing a Bachelor in Civil Law in NUIG. Prior to working in corporate immigration, she practiced in a criminal law and human rights law firm in Dublin. Róisín loves the outdoors and spends any free time swimming in the sea, out on the bike or walking her dog Alfie.
Morgan Baker
Morgan Baker is an attorney (New York Bar) and consultant with over 15 years experience as an in-house lawyer and lobbyist in the waste, energy, biotech, entertainment, and other industries. He holds a BA in French and Political Science from Case Western Reserve University and a JD from Northeastern University School of Law. Morgan is originally from Atlanta, GA, but resides in Dublin, IE. He is also a musician and music producer.
Vinny Eivers
Vinny is a graduate civil engineer from NUIG, who works for DBFL, an engineering consultancy firm in Dublin. He was reared on a farm in the midlands where he has seen forestry projects develop first-hand. He has lived in Australia and Ireland over the last ten years and has managed to travel a bit in between. In his spare time, he could be up to anything from gaelic football, cycling, running or tennis to name but a few.
Pauline Farrelly
Pauline Farrelly works as a nonprofit product grant manager for Google’s corporate social responsibility team. She studied Human Rights at NUIG, which took her to Los Angeles to work on the abolition of the death penalty with the ACLU and as a fundraiser for the UN Refugee Agency. On her return to Ireland, she worked at an NGO consultancy before joining Google in 2014. Pauline loves practicing yoga, playing piano and is completing the green cert alongside NOTS organic production training.
