Wetlands restoration projects identified by Lions Clubs to get €250,000 this year
Tóchar, which is co-funded by the government and the European Union, today (Friday, February 28) announced that €250,000 will be allocated this year "to support restoration projects identified by Lions Clubs".
According to Tóchar, which is a three-year wetlands restoration project managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, its "new partnership" with the Lions Clubs voluntary organisation will "support wetlands restoration projects at a community level".
Details of the partnership were unveiled today today at the Lions Club national convention in Tullamore.
Under the terms of the new partnership between Tóchar and the voluntary organisation €250,000 will be allocated in 2025 and 2026 for restoration projects that Lions Clubs will manage.
According to Tóchar one club which has already got a track record in identifying projects is the Tullamore Lions Club, who undertook nature restoration works at Clonbeale More Bog in 2024.
Michael Carroll from the Tullamore Lions Clubs said: “This partnership with Tóchar allows us to expand our commitment to serving local communities.
"By working together this can have a real impact by restoring nature which benefits local areas by enhancing biodiversity in those regions.
"We encourage our clubs across the regions to get involved in this important initiative and look forward to working with the Tóchar team on the approved projects.”
Meanwhile Shirley Clerkin from Tóchar said: “We are delighted to have the Lions Clubs on board in this collaboration to deliver nature benefits across the Just Transition region, this includes the counties of – Kildare, Galway, Roscommon, Laois, Longford, Offaly, Tipperary and Westmeath.
"Wetlands are good for the environment, filtering water, providing oxygen, and as places of tranquillity and peacefulness.
"The restoration and reparation of nature is a step on the journey towards sustainability and a new kind of nature positivity, bringing tangible outcomes for health and community. It’s right that the Lions Clubs can play a meaningful role in this transformation.”
Tóchar has highlighted that the landscape of the midlands region has changed dramatically due to "the extraction of peat from its raised bogs".
It has stated that its mission is to "restore degraded wetlands, in the context of a just transition and move towards carbon neutrality".
Overall the Tóchar project is expected to spend €12 million during its lifetime and it says that its approach to wetlands restoration "is based on inclusivity, aiming to strengthen and support communities while restoring natural habitats".
"Wetlands are among the most valuable ecosystems in Ireland and globally, providing a wide array of ecological, economic, and social benefits," it detailed.
