Posts tagged Native Woodlands
Woodlands of Ireland Seed Network Gathering

On 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.

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What a Real Native Woodland Scheme Might Look Like

Ray 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.

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Wildwood Seed Project 2024: Preserving Irish Tree Provenance

In 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.

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Current Forestry Policy is Hostile to Native Woodland Creation in the Uplands

Ireland'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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Out Collecting Seeds and Finding the Mother Tree

Throughout June, we focused on scouting for and collecting seeds of three localised native species: Irish Wych Elm, Downy Birch and Wild Cherry for Hometree’s Organic Tree Nursery situated in Ennistymon. It is a lesser imagined part of Hometree’s mission statement but the constant, regular witnessing of nature doing its own thing isn’t a luxury, it is absolutely essential to human survival and wellbeing.

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