FEATURE
The Illaun Farm-Forest EIP Cores, Corridors, and Communities by RAY Ó’FOGHLÚ
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or Hometree, and for many readers of this article, the idea of extensive tracts of native woodland in Ireland's western uplands is a thrilling proposition, however, talk of such things without reference to the communities being asked to change can create real challenges. Woodland creation, especially at scale, is a sensitive issue in rural Ireland, presenting serious social, cultural, and economic difficulties. Compounding this sensitivity is the reality that many communities feel let down by the forestry model pursued in recent decades, a model now in disarray. In the hope of demonstrating an alternative approach, Hometree created 32
the Illaun Farm-Forest EIP (European Innovation Partnership), a project which we hope acknowledges the identity, concerns, and aspirations of rural Ireland, as well as the perilous state of its biodiversity. Hometree is a native woodland charity. Our model is to acquire land, place it in trust and return it to ecological health. We are ambitious in our work. In the years to come, we envisage creating hundreds, if not thousands of acres of wild woodlands. Some through planting, some through natural regeneration, and all solely in the service of nature. Early on in our journey, we came to see farmers as key allies in our mission. Most of us had, in one way or another come from
farming backgrounds, so it was a decision that came easily. Our desire to work closely with farmers is based on the reality that no matter how much land the trust holds, it will pale in comparison with the amount of privately owned farmland in Ireland roughly seventy percent of the total. What happens on this land will be the single most influential factor in Ireland's biodiversity crisis. We believe if we can work constructively with farmers, we can exponentially increase our impact on the ground. Now, more than ever farmers need support, especially those wishing to create native woodlands. They have been let down by the Irish forestry system. In the early nineties state policy shifted responsibility
Irish Wildlife Spring ‘22
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