March Field Report, 2022
The last six weeks have been an absolute blast! Our headquarters site is developing and becoming more beautiful and biodiverse each day. With a small bit of funding from Clare County Council, we put in our first pond, and we have planted many little pathways and walkways with shrubs and bushes.
At our Illaun site, we began clearing some of the Sitka spruce plantation to allow light to reach the forest floor.
In February we gave away 10,000 native tree saplings, thanks to the funding from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Besides all these projects, we have been busy planting all of the trees from public and business pledges and preparing for our very first volunteer week starting on March 14. It will be a deeper dive into landscape restoration for people that want to get their hands dirty.
Thank you so much for following us on this journey.
REGISTRATION FOR SPRING VOLUNTEER RETREAT WEEK IS OPEN
• March 14TH - 21st
Join us to learn about and connect with nature. Help to restore biodiversity, regenerate the land, and in doing so, improve your wellbeing and engagement with the natural world. The 8h days during the week would be split into roughly 50% physical action, tree planting, nursery maintenance, seed collection, 25% classroom time, 25% preparing space and food for the rest of the group.
On-site we have great camping facilities: hot water, shower, and warm spaces. The camping gear is not provided.
You can register for Spring Volunteer Retreat Week HERE.
If you have any questions, please send us an email at matt@hometree.ie
10,000 NATIVE IRISH TREES TO WEST CLARE LANDOWNERS
Last month as part of the Woodland Forestry Support Funding, we gave 10,000 native tree saplings to West Clare landowners. Everyone who came to get the trees - families, farmers, neighbours - left with one hundred and fifty native Irish trees suitable for growing in west Clare. Species included sessile oak, rowan, whitethorn and alder. On the day, our Nursery manager Mitch Corbett was on hand to give everyone instructions on planting trees and caring for them. We have been at our new headquarter for almost six months now. Our General Manager Matthew Smith was delighted with how the event went: “It was a special way for us to connect to the local community. We hope our site here becomes a resource for anyone in Clare, and indeed Ireland, who wishes to learn more about trees, woodlands and hedgerows.” In return, we asked for the trees was that participants fill out a survey relating to knowledge and attitudes to native trees. It turned up some interesting results.
The most revealing statistic is the limited knowledge landowners have of the state supports that are out there for those wishing to create native woodlands. Ray O'Foghlu, who works with us on-farm programs, had this to say: “We are working with local farmers to find innovative ways to plant trees on their land that won’t negatively impact their livelihoods. We have found many farmers to be open-minded to native woodlands if they have the right support and information. However, it’s clear to meet the climate goals, and we need to do a better job at reaching out to relevant communities.”
We have been receiving photos from participants, and it’s inspiring and amazing to see people helping nature and clearly enjoying themselves! Thank you for being a part of it. This project was supported by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and the Marine.
CONTINUOUS COVER FORESTRY PROJECT: THINNING OF COMMERCIAL SPRUCE PLANTATION
In summer 2021, Hometree purchased an old plantation forest; on a sixteen-acre out farm near Miltown-Malbay, west Clare. The woodland consists of two conifer blocks bisected by a small ash plantation. Typical of much plantation forestry of its era, it has never been managed, and it bears all the hallmarks. Beneath the conifers, the forest is dark and lifeless. No wildflowers, shrubs or herbs exist under the blackout canopy.
We have chosen to apply Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF) to manage this land at this site. We will start by slowly removing the spruce, row by row. This will allow native trees to thrive in the microclimates we create below. This sheltering effect is significant on the west Clare, scoured as it is by wind and rain. Secondly, having interacted with tree roots for twenty years, the soil under the spruce will be rich in mycorrhizal fungi, a considerable benefit to newly establishing native trees.
At the beginning of March 2022, we finally received all the permissions and started the first thinning of Sitka spruce. Watch below a video where Meadhbh Costigan, Hometree’s ecologist, talks about the project, why it is important and how we plan to rewild this commercial spruce plantation.
This project is funded by The Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine and is part of The European Innovative Project.