National Tree Week – Skibbereen Event
It was a wonderful start to National Tree Week with over 20 people joining in an inspiring and educational walk through an agroforestry project near Skibbereen. The landowner, Alan Kingston, was a superb host who took us all on a journey of learning through the various plots and the different approaches in each site specific area. With over 20,000 trees planted, including lots of alder, oak , sycamore and other native species, these are growing in combination with grazing sheep, growing fodder crops and cutting hay. Consideration has been given to maximising the provision of wildlife corridors and supporting biodiversity with one field of kale left to seed as a source of food for birds.
The walk was followed by some presentations at the Eldon Hotel with an input from Eugene Curran, Department of Agriculture, Forest Service on the grants and funding schemes available to landowners to encourage more planting of trees, Kieran Murphy, the Cork LAWCO officer talked about his experience of using trees effectively in the riparian zone of rivers and to help protect the river Allow and the freshwater pearl mussel. Bernie Connolly, CEF, spoke on the broader benefits and eco-system services of trees. The many benefits of trees, social & community, environmental, economic and health, were also referenced during the afternoon.
CIT Blackrock Castle Observatory in association with Cork Environmental Forum and Engineers Week are running Tree Week events for schools and the general public that celebrate trees as nature’s natural engineers.
On Monday March 6th from 16.00 -17.00 Darragh Murphy, Biologist and Educator, will guide a tree walk from Blackrock Castle Observatory along the tree lined, riverside amenity to the Douglas Estuary and back.
Following the walk a Moon observing session will run from 17.00-18.00. This event is weather permitting and will focus on the first quarter Moon in the early evening sky.
Visitors to Blackrock Castle can also attend a presentation by Sophie Power from the MaREI Centre for Marine and Renewable Energy. Sophie works in the areas of Earth Observation, Climate Change Adaptation and Science Communications. Her presentation will use Earth Observation data visualisations from the European Space Agency and will look at natural land management techniques that can significantly reduce flood risk.
No booking required; this is a free event and open to all.More details Tree Week Events at BCO.
