The EU Nature Restoration Law requires all Member States to restore at least 20% of land and sea by 2030 - and to set out how they’ll do it through a national plan.
In Ireland, an Independent Advisory Committee was established to guide this process. At the heart of their work is a simple but vital principle: listening to people to make sure that their views are appropriately reflected in the recommendations.
Read MoreNature restoration charity Hometree has announced a series of new appointments as it scales its work to restore native Irish woodlands, following a year of significant organisational growth.
Now active across nine restoration sites nationwide, spanning over 500 acres - alongside more than 1,500 additional acres in land partnerships - the charity works with landowners and communities to regenerate ecosystems, increase biodiversity and build resilient landscapes across Ireland, including areas of rare Atlantic rainforest.
Read MoreFinnian Flood, Hometree’s Community Facilitator and Restoration Ranger, recently spent a week with Trees for Life, a registered charity working to rewild the Scottish Highlands.
I spent a fantastic week with Trees for Life in their Glen Affric project. I travelled to Scotland to take part in a volunteer week, with the aim of learning about their restoration practices, how they involve volunteers, and how we might improve our own volunteer offerings at Hometree.
Read MoreWith nature under increasing pressure, the new EU Nature Restoration Law (NRL) sets out an ambitious target: to restore at least 20% of our land and sea areas by 2030. Meeting this challenge will take more than policy, it will take people, communities, and meaningful dialogue. Use your voice and join the conversation!
Read MoreThe Iveragh Woodlands EIP is a four-year initiative led by Hometree and funded by the Department of Agriculture under the 6th EIP-Agri call. The project aims to restore, conserve, and expand native woodlands in Ireland’s uplands, particularly across the Iveragh Peninsula, using a landscape-focused, farmer-centred, and ecologically coherent approach.
Read MoreThe Doonbeg is a Westerly flowing spate river that drains into the Atlantic on the West Coast of County Clare at Doonbeg village. It is a salmonid river that supports good runs of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo Salar) and Sea Trout (Salmo Trutta) and is currently the only river in Clare open to Salmon and Sea Trout fishing, on a catch and release basis.
Read MoreHometree recently received a letter from Ted Cook in remembrance of Professor Oliver Rackham. For over 30 years, Ted has been teaching in Cork about the importance of our native trees and how to cultivate them. We are deeply grateful to Ted for sharing this tribute, as we take a moment to honour and remember Dr. Rackham’s invaluable contributions on the 10th anniversary of his passing.
Read MoreDeep Mapping is the gathering of local knowledge, values, perceptions and visions and including those as valuable layers to develop a more complete picture of a place. Hometree has begun this process in two communities recently.
Read MoreOver the past few months, we’ve been busy meeting with landowners and responding to an overwhelming number of queries following our recent Woodland Creation and Protection support campaign. The response from landowners and farmers across Ireland has been fantastic, filling us with optimism about Ireland’s green future.
Read MoreNovember brings closure to what has been Autumn spectacles and encounters of immense, intrigue calm and inordinate beauty. Botanically, autumn is great in many ways in terms of scouting for native tree species in our landscape. While the majority of native plants slide into their Winter dormancy phase, Autumn brings with it not only seed ripening but spectacular changes in foliage colour.
Read MoreThe Dinnseanchas project has passed all of its initial milestones and is now in full flight. We have our 6 artists out working in their communities, our artists-in-residence gathering inspiration, our our film and photography crew documenting everything, our researcher-in-residence gathering input for her work, consultants working alongside us and we have some exciting additions to the project, including storyteller Aindrias de Staic, who is creating video pieces around people’s reactions to climate change.
Read MoreThe Dinnseanchas project has passed all of its initial milestones and is now in full flight. We have our 6 artists out working in their communities, our artists-in-residence gathering inspiration, our our film and photography crew documenting everything, our researcher-in-residence gathering input for her work, consultants working alongside us and we have some exciting additions to the project, including storyteller Aindrias de Staic, who is creating video pieces around people’s reactions to climate change.
Read MoreLooking around Ardnaculla Summer School 2024 as attendees flowed in and out of talks and workshops, collectively wove rope out of grasses cut on site, chatted easily together in the warm sun, and soaked in experiences such as some impromptu fiddle playing at a ring fort in the woods, it was clear that the weekend achieved its goal of fostering learning, connection, creativity and regeneration.
Read MoreThe Changing Landscapes conference on 30th May, 2024, brought together land workers - farmers and foresters - with policymakers, environmentalists, and commercial interests. Rather than reinforcing entrenched positions, this gathering created space for a cross-disciplinary dialogue that challenged assumptions and forged alliances between what are often perceived as opposing camps.
Read MoreOn 21st May, 2024, Hometree had the honour of hosting the latest gathering of the Woodlands of Ireland network, in conjunction with the Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture, Food and The Marine (DAFM) and National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) on the topic of Native Irish Tree Seed Collection and Sustainable Plant production. This meeting brought together leaders, experts, and key stakeholders from across the native woodland sector, including seed collectors, nursery owners, NGOs and government representatives.
Read MoreRay Ó Foghlú, Hometree’s Development Lead, reflects what a real native woodland scheme might look like. Whilst the 2023-2027 Forestry Programme comes with a new emphasis on native species, a meaningful commitment to our last remaining native woodlands is missing. Ireland’s total forest cover is around 12%, but our true native woodlands are thought to be as low as 1.5%. Although they occupy a small area, they are quite evenly distributed, showing up in most parishes, or even townlands, clinging on in river valleys, rocky outcrops, and in wet places.
Read MoreThe Dinnseanchas project is tasking a group of artists to engage with the difficult themes of biodiversity loss, agricultural policy and practice, and to support an envisioning process that includes the voices of upland communities.This is no small challenge, and we're delighted to have such a capable and talented group of artists working on the project.
Read MoreIn December Hometree was given the green light to continue to expand our seed collection programme. As a part of this programme we created a robust long-term strategy around future proofing seed supply for Hometree's Organic Tree Nursery. In addition, we onboarded and trained more certified seed collectors at strategic locations along the West Coast of Ireland.
Read MoreWe are looking for a new board member with finance expertise. We are seeking a dynamic and experienced finance professional to join our Board of Directors. This individual will play a pivotal role in guiding Hometree's financial strategy and growth, helping us achieve our ambitious targets. The ideal candidate will bring a wealth of financial expertise, particularly in scaling organizations, and a passion for environmental sustainability.
Read MoreIreland's uplands have a unique aesthetic, one unfamiliar to visitors from Europe and North America. While trees grow thousands of meters up into the Alps or the Appalachians, our mountains stand bare. This landscape is so familiar to us now that many, even those who know the land would contend that trees simply won't grow there— 'it’s too exposed,' 'the soil is too poor’.
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