A forestry open day will take place in Co. Clare this Friday to promote wildlife, biodiversity initiatives and community engagement.
The event takes place on a newly replanted site run by the Irish Forestry Unit Trust (IForUt) and is hosted in conjunction with the Irish Timber Growers’ Association (ITGA) at Knockshanvo Forest, Broadford.
IForUT is Ireland’s largest private owner and supplier of roundwood to the timber processing industry with a commercial forestry portfolio of over 20,000ha.
The event aims to offer a practical template to enhance biodiversity profiles in both farming and forestry alike while raising awareness of its benefits.
Such initiatives include the incorporation of ponds to newly felled and replanted land, water protection and enhancement measures as well as crop management practices.
The forestry open day will examine the lessons learned from Knockshanvo Forest’s recent reforestation project.
It will also include a discussion on the forest’s mature spruce crop, detailing its age, height and standing volume as well as a projection of its future management options.
Community project
Attendees will be invited to the nearby 12 O’clock Hill’s Project in the afternoon, a community led initiative established to develop the area for recreational use and to commemorate its heritage.
The name was coined by locals in a nod to the popular tradition of telling the time by observing the sun’s position in relation to the peaks in question.
The committee responsible will be in attendance to provide insight on their collaborative efforts with Coillte and local landowners which were used to create the local amenity and its walking routes.
It will also include a tour of various points of interest in the area, including the newly restored Mary Anne’s stone cottage.
The open day, which is partially funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), takes place this Friday, July 12, and starts at 10:15a.m.
Anyone interested in attending the forestry event can contact ITGA for directions to the site.
Sustainable forestry
Approximately 11% of Ireland’s land is covered in forestry at present, but Coilte, Ireland’s forest service is seeking to expand this figure to 17% by 2030.
The Forestry Programme 2023-2024 provides farmers and other landowners financial incentives to plant forestry under the Afforestation and Native Tree Scheme.
DAFM covers 100% of the costs involved in establishing new forests as well as providing tax exemptions on all respective payments and earnings.