Woodlands for Biodiversity, Improved Farm Systems, and Connectivity Between Pockets of Existing Woodlands

One of Hometree’s biggest projects over the last six months has been Illaun Farm-Forest Alliance. Last autumn Hometree received funding from the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine for a year-long European Innovation Partnership (EIP). Hometree’s EIP is the Illaun Farm-Forest Alliance, and it will foster an alliance between landowners committed to enhancing on-farm biodiversity throughout the Glendine Valley in County Clare.

The EIP uses Hometree’s Illaun site as a hub, which currently hosts a mature spruce plantation. Through a number of innovations, we’ll transform Illaun into a species-rich woodland that is integrated into the wider landscape and community.

Hometree’s Engagement and Education officer Ray Ó Foghlú runs the farmer engagement side of the Illaun Farm-Forest Alliance.

In the video below he outlines the objectives, actions, and underlying principles of the Farm-Forest Project.

Ultimately, Hometree is working to support farmers in ways that benefit their farm, but also the broader environment. The idea was built around a complex of small oakwoods near Miltown Malbay. Using input from the farmers, we work with our forester and ecologist to design native woodlands features such as shelterbelts and widened hedgerows which expand and connect these old woods.

Each participating farmer undertakes one small-scale planting (3000 trees) and one large-scale planting (~10,000 trees) through the native woodlands scheme. All small-scale tree plantings are now complete, and the documents are being drawn up for the larger scale native woodland scheme. 

Next up in Illaun Farm-Forest Alliance Project is a really exciting biodiversity workshop series for schoolchildren, farmers, and the wider community.

This project is funded by The Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine and is part of The European Innovative Project.