People of Galway: Plant Trees next Sunday & Help in the war against Climate Change

As part of the Galway Science and Technology Festival, people of all ages are invited to plant thousands of native Irish trees next Sunday (Nov 17th) morning (9.30am-12.30pm), on the Dyke Road side of the Terryland Forest Park, which will be undertaken under the auspices of Conservation Volunteers Galway.

Rendezvous: at Dyke Road car park in front of Black Box.

This ‘Plantathon’ will help ensure Galway is at the forefront of the Irish government’s key commitment, as presented in its recent Climate Action Strategy, to plant 22 million trees every year for the next twenty years.

To take part you can register at https://bit.ly/2pVKqMV. Please bring along a spade and wear suitable footwear.

So why are trees being planted in such large numbers not just in Ireland but all across the world? As well as providing homes and food to a unprecedented amount of flora and fauna species, protecting human health by filtering out toxic car emissions, beautifying our rural landscapes and cities, trees are the most natural, economical and sustainable way in sequestering the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere that is the primary cause of man-made Climate Chaos.

Many of the trees planted on Sunday will hopefully still there for decades even centuries to into the future, still helping to regulate the climate, still giving life to humanity and to so many other species.

This month’s Galway Science and Technology Festival, with its theme of Climate Action, has secured funding from Galway medical company Aerogen to offer every one of Galway’s city and county three hundred schools a bundle of four different species of native trees for planting in their school grounds or locality.

Has your school applied for these trees. If not, get your school to register at https://www.galwayscience.ie/for-primary-schools/

The Festival was also granted 2000 trees (willow, birch, oak etc) from Science Foundation Ireland/SFI (donated by Coillte) to allow the people of Galway to create a new woodland along the Dyke Road in Terryland Forest Park.

Terryland was Ireland’s largest urban forest project when it was initiated twenty years ago. Over three thousand people turned on a glorious Sunday in March 2000 to take part in Galway’s first ever mass plantathon. Today there are c90,000 trees in this natural heritage zone (‘Lungs of the City’) that stretches from Terryland Castle to the farmlands of Castlegar. So will you, your family and friends join us on Sunday to ensure that our city is once again at the forefront in the battle to tackle Climate Change, protect our previous biodiversity and save so many lifeforms on planet Earth?

Please note that next Sunday, volunteers can park their cars in the Dyke Road car park (free parking until 12.50pm) or even better walk or cycle to the rendezvous point in front of the Black Box.

p.s. Photo is from a Terryland Plantation from 2012 adjacent to the area being planted on next Sunday

Traditional Mowing of a Meadow- the Return of the Scythe

For the second year in succession volunteers are asked to participate in the mowing of a wildflower meadow using traditional hand-held implements. As part of the Galway Fringe Festival, starting at 10.30am on Saturday July 22^nd  members of Conservation Volunteers and Cumann na bhFear(Men’s Shed Galway city) will use scythes to cut the long grass in a grassland of Terryland Forest Park near the Quincentenary Bridge.

Since 2015, volunteers have planted thousands of the type of native Irish wildflowers that once light up the Irish countryside in a mosaic of colours in two former sterile lawns in Terryland Forest Park.  Planting yellow cowslip, red poppy, purple clover, pink ragged robin and other plants has created what are known as 'meadows', which were in former times fields set aside by farmers for the growing of long grass which was cut during the late summer and autumn months to produce one or two crops of hay to serve as winter food for livestock. Because no chemical fertilizers were used, these meadows became important habitats for an array of colourful native wildflowers and would be alive with the sights and sounds of many varieties of bees, moths, butterflies and other pollinators. Our aim is to re-introduce meadows back unto the city and provide nectar-rich feeding havens for bees in particular which are in a serious decline worldwide due to industrialised monoculture farming, pesticides, habitat loss, pollution and climate change. Bees and other pollinators are essential to the survival of humanity as the plants that they help to reproduce are responsible for one-third of all foods and beverages that we consume. 

Scientific research in Britain is also showing that animals which graze on meadows of herbs, wild grasses and flowers eat far more minerals, amino acids and proteins are therefore a lot healthier. With their meat more nutritious, the benefits to consumers are obvious.

We hope that our actions will encourage other local community groups and schools nationwide to start re-establishing the meadows as a key part of Ireland’s countryside and natural heritage.

Cumann na bhFear is also committed to preserving and re-educating the public in traditional Irish rural skills and crafts that still have an essential role to play in today’s farming because of their social, health, economic and environmental aspects.

So we are asking people to come along on Saturday July 22^nd to take part in this ancient rural hay-cutting in action and to take part in planting nearly a thousand more wildflowers. Light refreshments will be provided to all volunteers. 

 

Traditional Mowing of a Meadow- the Return of the Scythe.

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After an absence of many decades, next Saturday (August 20th) will see the return to Galway city of the mowing of a wildflower meadow using traditional hand-held implements. Starting at 10.30am members of Cumann na bhFear, also known as Men’s Shed Ballinfoile, will use scythes to cut the long grass in a meadow in Terryland Forest Park near the Quincentenary Bridge. 
The event is part of Heritage Week and organised with Galway Civic Trust. 

Last autumn, dozens of volunteers from Conservation Volunteers planted over one thousand native wildflowers in what was up until then a sterile lawn in Terryland. Their actions transformed it into a rainbow mosaic of yellow cowslip, red poppy, purple clover, pink ragged robin, white daisy oxeyes and many other flowers. In times gone by, a 'meadow' was defined as a field set aside by farmers for the growing of long grass which was cut during the summer and autumn months to produce one or two crops of hay to serve as winter food for livestock. Because no chemical fertilizers were used, these meadows became important habitats for an array of colourful native wildflowers and would be alive with the sights and sounds of many varieties of bees, moths, butterflies and other pollinators. 

 Our aim is to re-introduce meadows back unto the city and provide nectar-rich feeding havens for bees in particular which are in a serious decline worldwide due to industrialised monoculture farming, pesticides, habitat loss, pollution and climate change. Bees and other pollinators are essential to the survival of humanity as the plants that they help to reproduce are responsible for one-third of all foods and beverages that we consume. 

The Cumann is also committed to preserving and re-educating the public in traditional Irish rural skills and crafts that still have an essential role to play in today’s farming because of their social, health, economic and environmental aspects.

So we are asking people to come along next Saturday to witness this ancient rural hay-cutting in action and to take part in planting nearly a thousand more wildflowers with Conversation Volunteers Galway city. Light refreshments will be provided to all volunteers. 

Creating a Bluebell Woods: Terryland Forest Park

After the success of last year's major native wildflower 'meadow' project and the recent Wild Garlic planathon, the transformation of Terryland Forest Park into an urban biodiversity zone of multiple habitats continues this Saturday with the creation of a Bluebell Woods. 

 

The efforts of volunteers in Terryland Forest Park is helping to reverse the serious decline of wildflowers in Ireland over the last 50 years which has impacted so negatively on our indigenous wildlife, from insects to mammals.

Many of Ireland’s native wildflowers face extinction due to pollution, invasive species, urbanization, loss of habitat and intensive commercial farming. The use of pesticides and herbicides in farming in order to increase specific crop yields has meant that wildflowers and pollinating insects such as bees and butterflies are being poisoned. Hence flora and fauna species are declining alarmingly and a countryside that was once populated with flowers representing all the colours of the rainbows, that throbbed to the sounds of a wide of variety bees and birds is sadly becoming a thing of the past.

Help undo this process and to save Ireland’s indigenous flowers and associated pollinating insects and bats. Under the expert tutelage of Padraic Keirns, Conservation Volunteers Galway and Conservation Volunteers Terryland Forest Park are once again teaming up to organise another major re-flowering within Terryland Forest Park. This time it will be in woods near the Quincenntennial Bridge.

Ragged Robin in the wildflower meadow in Terryland Forest Park that was started on in August 2015

Nearly 1,000 plants have again been collected for Saturday's 'plantahon' with the primary species being 'bluebell' as we continue to create thematic flora areas in certain locations within this 180 acres nature and farmland reserve.

So we ask you to please join us on this Saturday(July 2nd).

Rendezvous: 10am near the Curry's (Galway Retail Park) entrance to Terryland Forest Park.

Google Map link: http://bit.ly/1NE6S2o

 

Operation Blathánna - Reflowering the Forest - April 25th 2015

  Under the tutelage of flora enthusiast Padraig Keirns. Terryland Forest Park Conservation Volunteers & Conservation Volunteers Galway city during Spring and Autumn 2014 undertook a series of native wildflowers plantathons in the Terryland Forest Park, Ireland's largest community-initiated urban forest.
The aim of 'Operation Bláthanna' is to plant the wildflowers that will dramatically increase the biodiversity of this great natural resource.
Our first large scale flower planting for 2015 will take place on Saturday April 25th. 
Rendezvous: 10am in car park in front of Galway Bay FM.

The Terryland Forest Park area designated for the April event will be a woodland behind Riverside estate & Liosban business. will include Bluebells, Bugle, Cow Parsley, Crow Garlic, Ground Ivy, St. Patrick’s Cabbage, Pendulous Sedge, Sitchwort and Wood-rush.
There will also be a clearance of long grass and briers.

During June 2014, volunteers collected the seeds of Bluebells and Wild Garlic from mature forests in Galway and spread them across suitable areas of Terryland Forsest Park.
In September, hundreds of Primroses were planted in the forest.

Last year then represented the beginnings of a major biodiversity project to plant appropriate indigenous species in the meadows, woods and hedgerows of this unique urban natural heritage resource. The flowering of the forest with sanicle, foxglove, st. patrick's cabbage, cow parsley, raspberry, primrose, wild garlic, bluebells and many more indigenous varieties will dramatically increase its attractiveness to a wide variety of insects, birds and many other types of wildlife.

For further information, contact Brendan at speediecelt@gmail.com.

'Operation Bláthanna' Continues: Join Us for 'Wild Garlic' Seed Collection & Sowing on Saturday!

The campaign to populate the Terryland Forest Park in Galway city with tens of thousands of native wildflowers continues this Saturday when Conservation Volunteers, under the tutelage of flora enthusiast Padraig Kerrins, will collect the seeds of wild garlic from a mature forest for immediate sowing in a designated section of Ireland's largest community-driven urban forest.

A few months ago, members of the Ballinfoile Mór Community Organic Garden took responsibility for nurturing 1,200 native Primroses in preparation for their planting in the Terryland Forest Park next Spring. Last month, volunteers planted over 500 Oxide Daisies, St. Patrick's Cabbages, Comfreys, Sanicles and other native flora in the grasslands, woods and verges of the Terryland Forest Park. The aim of 'Operation Bláthanna' is to plant the wildflowers that will dramatically increase the biodiversity of this great natural resource.
Rendevous: 11.30am next Saturday (July 12) at the Ballinfoile Mor Community Organic Garden

An Insight into an Urban Wildlife paradise.

Heritage expert Tom Cuffe will give a talk on his wildlife research findings of the Terryland Forest Park at 7.30pm on Tuesday July 1st in the Menlo Park Hotel.
All are welcome to attend.

With its diverse range of habitats including meadow, river, wetland, pasture and woodland, this unique man-made wildlife sanctuary of 180 acres boosts an impressive array of insects, birds, mammal and aquatic species that would be the envy of any urbanized environment in the world. 

In both the spring of 2013 and of 2014, Mr. Cuffe used transect surveys to scientifically estimate the density of the bird as well as the butterfly and moth populations. His research identified forty eight bird species in one defined area alone thus highlighting the importance of the park to the biodiversity and ecology of the city.
The presentation will include a wide selection of the beautiful photographs taken by Tom of the varied wildlife that live in this unique forest park created by the people of Galway in conjunction with Galway City Council.

The event hosted by the Conservation Volunteers Terryland Forest Park group will also include presentations on native wildflower maintenance by horticulturalist Padraic Kerins and proposals for a major ‘Outdoor Classroom’ in the locality by Brendan Smith.

Seven Galway Castles' Heritage Bike Trail - June 22nd

Cloonacauneen Castle

Slí na gCaisleán (‘The Way of the Castles’) is a heritage cycle trail along a picturesque route of lakes, bogs, farmland, meadows, botharíns, castles and woods on the north and eastern side of Galway city and into Galway county. 
The trail is organised by Cumann na bhFear (Men's Shed) in association with Conservation Volunteers' Terryland Forest Park, Galway Bike Festival and National Bike Week.

Carrowbrowne Bog

Next guided tour: Sunday June 22nd. Starts at 9.45am from The Plots, Dyke Road, Galway city. 
For further information, contact Brendan Smith at speediecelt@gmail.com

Terryland Castle

This 'Off the Beaten'  route starts from and finishes at Terryland Castle in a circa 25  mile looped trail that includes the castles of Menlo, Castlegar, Cloonacauneen, Killeen, Ballybrit and Ballindooley. 

Approaching Cloonacauneen Castle

Killoughter, overlooking the Curraghline

Participants on this guided tours are required to bring along their own bicycle, suitable clothing and packed lunch.There will be an opportunity to have a picnic at Menlo. There will also be a stop over at Cloonacauneen Castle where participants can purchase food and beverages. Any children twelve years or under must be accompanied by an adult. 
All participants must sign a form agreeing to abide by the rules of the tour.
 

Click here for an online map of the route.

Note: Please note that  to get a full screen version of the map, click on the four diagonal arrow icon

on the bottom left hand corner of the screen map.

In front of the old gate entrance to the Menlo demesne

Ballindooley Lough

Killeen Castle

Botharín, Castlegar

Ballybrit Castle

St. Peter & St. Paul's Catholic Church Coolagh

Menlo Castle

IRA Monument, Castlegar

In front of Castlegar Castle and old Ball Alley

Environmental Damage being done to Terryland Forest River, October 2013

Letter sent to Paul Costello of the OPW

Greetings Paul.

I was notified earlier this evening by Tom Cuffe of Birdwatch Galway that the operations of the OPW digger was seriously damaging the ecology of the Terryland River and surrounding banks.

I was so concerned by what he said that I took time off work to investigate.

I was deeply shocked by what I saw when I got to the digger's location adjacent to Galway Bay FM.

1. The digger was dredging up the river bed thereby eliminating an aquatic habitat  in the process.
2. Most (but not all) the knotweed that previously covered the banks was gone, at least from the surface area. But large amounts of this invasive weed now was covering the waterways and being moved by the currents further along the course of the river! The digger was scooping up quantities of this weed from the waters, but much was being left behind. Rather that controlling this dangerous  invasive species, the present OPW works is contributing to its spread.
It would seem to me that the OPW should remove the Knotweed manually with a team of staff rather than by machine which is as stated doing more harm than good.

3. Native trees such as willow that grew near the river and provided nest areas for bird life were ripped up.

I attach a photograph that I took today of this environmental damage.

Mr. Cuffe has spent five months conscientiously surveying the amazing array of butterflies, moths and bird-life that inhabited this area of the Terryland River as part of a nationwide biodiversity survey. He is utterly devastated that the habitats of many of these species is now destroyed.

Hence I hereby ask the OPW to stop their digger operations with immediate effect in order to save the remaining river area habitats along the river and allow an environmental impact assessment to be undertaken with Galway City Council Parks department in conjunction with the National Parks and Wildlife service before further work in undertaken.

Terryland River, Summer 2013. Excessive Plant growth blocking water flow & hindering aquatic wildlife

As you know I lobbied you and the OPW earlier this year for works to be undertaken in order to professionally remove the knotweed from along the riverbanks as well as much of the plant-life that was choking the waterways thus hindering the movement of fish and water fowl.

You informed that it was already the plan of the OPW to undertake these works this year.

But this present activity is ecologically destructive and is not what I expected.

I expect that you yourself did not realise the damage that was being done as your emails of earlier this summer expressed realisation that the knotweed should be removed in a professional manner, hopefully in a sealed container for incineration. Furthermore, it is a great pity that your stated opinion in August that the OPW should meet onsite with members of the Terryland Forest Park Steering Committee as well as the parks, environment and maintenance sections of Galway City Council to discuss the situation in advance of the works commencing did not materialise. If this get-together had taken place, probably the present situation would not have occured.

I look forward to hearing from you,

Le meas

Brendan Smith
Member
Terryland Forest Park Steering Committee

Terryland Forest Park: - Reclaiming Community Ownership

Some of the people that planted trees in Terryland Forest Park

The recent community planting in Terryland Forest Park shows that a strong empathy for nature is still strong amongst the ordinary everyday inhabitants of Ireland.

Saturday April 27^th was organised as One Million Trees in One Day initiative involving individuals and groups from all across Ireland. Unfortunately, the national organisers  encountered logistical and funding problems that made this dream impossible. Most of the local participating groups and individuals sadly only got a fraction of the trees that they expected. Nevertheless it was a brave and ambitious attempt at doing something that would allow people everywhere to make a positive contribution in safeguarding the environment.

I was overawed and emotionally touched by all of the people that travelled to Terryland Forest Park from the four corners of county Galway to collect trees for planting on their farms, streets, schools, gardens town streets and village greens, neighbourhoods and localities. 

These people came from all walks of life- farmers, youth, retired folks, families, community activists, sports organisers… They came from Gort, Peterswell, Rosmuc, Athenry, Tuam, Milltown,  Ballinasloe, Abbeyknockmoy, Cahergal,  Barna, Galway city, Carna…

Tom O'Connell & family at the Terryland Plantathon

They accrued no money for doing what they did. But they had personified a belief that we as members of the human race have to give something back to nature, to do something no matter how small to undo the harm that successive generations have done to the environment and to help provide sanctuaries for wildlife.  Native Irish Trees, defined as those that came naturally into Ireland at the end of the Ice Age, are rich in biodiversity. An Oak Tree for instance can be home to up to 450 different types of plants, fungi, insects, birds and mammals. 

Terryland Plantathon volunteers

On Saturday, Terryland Forest Park was once again the scene for the planting of hundreds of native Irish trees by families and individuals. It was a return to the heyday of this unique urban parkland during the early part of the last decade. For a strong spirit of community was self evident in the numbers of people of all ages that happily turned up to plant Holly, Alder, Oak, Silver Birch, Hazel, Rowan, Blackthorn and Hawthorn. To compensate for the smaller number of trees than expected that arrived from One Million Trees in One Day’ Wicklow, landscaper Brian Lohan from Corrandula donated hundreds of native Irish specimen.

Reconditioned Spades, Rakes & Shovels made for Terryland Forest by Cumann na bhFear

The shovels, spades and forks used by the volunteers were all garden implements  recycled and repaired by the members of Cumann na bhFear (Men’s Shed) who are part of the Terryland Forest Park NGO alliance. 

April 27^th will hopefully be seen as a Red Letter Day in the history of what was once the largest urban forest park project in Ireland. It was when the people of Galway city and county reconnected with this ambitious green development managed by Galway City Council parks department. 

Irish, Russian and Czech volunteers at the Terryland Plantathon

Today, the forest has a myriad of social and natural problems due to vandalism, road network, pollution and neglect. But it has now turned a corner and the park is once gain being reclaimed by the good people of Galway as their own.

But the One Million Trees in One Day was only one of many activities associated with the Park during that week.

Maidhc Danín Ó Sé , James Harrold, Michael Longley and Brendan Smith at the Cúirt Planting

Revival of Celtic Bardic Tradition

Most notable was the inaugural Cúirt tree planting at the Terryland Forest Park at 11.00 on Thursday April 25^th. Thanks to the vision of James Harrold Galway City Arts Officer supported by Stephen Walsh of Galway City Parks, Michael Longley and Maidhc Danín Ó Sé were the first writers to plant trees on what will become over time a Poets’ Nature Walkway along the banks of the River Corrib close to the Black Box. It is appropriate that the reconnection of the world of the Irish literati with Trees occurs in Galway, a city that has for decades kept alive the ancient Celtic bardic respect for Mother Earth. Here in this urban landscape, environmentalists and artists often came from the same womb and shared the same belief.

Tom Cuffe is a well-known local expert in natural heritage studies, always in high demand from schools across Galway city and county.

Every Saturday at 2.30pm, he undertakes, within the grounds of the Terryland Forest Park, a transect for the national Butterfly and Bee monitoring survey .

Associated with this initiative, Tom is photographing the amazing variety of wildlife that inhabits the woods, parks and riverbanks within the park’s boundaries including Sedge Warblers, Redpoll, Moorhen, Long tailed Tits, Hoverflies, Peacocks, Large Whites and Tortoiseshells, Lady’s Smock and Lesser Celandine.

Caroline McDonagh, Michael Tiernan & Michael McDonnell with High Nelly bikes in Terryland Forest Park

High Nelly Bike Restoration

A fleet of High Nelly bicycles are being lovingly restored by Cumann na bhFear (Men’s Shed) in preparation for their use from late June onwards by visitors within the Terryland Forest Park and for Slí na gCaisleán (‘The Way of the Castles’) a developing Greenways linking Galway city with the rural landscapes of east county Galway. The 25 mile looped cycle route will start and end at the Terryland Castle.

A number of these High Nelly bikes were showcased at last month’s St. Patrick Day’s Parade.

Remedial Works in May/June period

Repair and reconstruction of park features are being carried out weekly by volunteers and Tús workers in association with Galway City Partnership  . The works include rebuilding of traditional dry stone wall field perimeters, laying out new paths, painting a mural on the Conservation Volunteers depot, litter collection, painting of bridges and benches, erection of new information signage etc.

Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh & daughter at Terryland Plantathon

Operating from their new HQ shed located at the Sandy Road entrance to the Park, Conservation Volunteers Terryland will have a permanent weekly presence in the Park. Between 1.30 and 2.20pm every Satruday, clean-ups will take place.

The Big Forest Repair & Clean-Up Day: Saturday June 15th

On Saturday June 15th, Conservation Volunteers Terryland will organise a mass community clean-up from 10am until 12.30pm that will involve litter picking, boundary wall repair, cleaning graffiti of signage, painting of the HQ shed etc.

The Tasks

Sandy River Bridge: Repainting of Metal railings and removal of commercial signage

Construction of a Pedestrian Entrance in the wall of the Sandy Road Carpark (leading into the Terryland Forest Park)

Constructing a Pathway 

Repairing the Terryland Forest Park stone wall entrance at Sandy Road

Repainting the Park Seats & Benches

Painting a Giant Forest Themed Mural on Conservation Volunteers' Shed

Cleaning Graffiti of Terryland Forest Park signage

Litter Picking

Zero Tolerance Policy Towards Anti-Social Drinking

Huge amounts of damage are being done every week to parks, waterways, graveyards, forests and seashores across Ireland. The culprits can be a minority of young oftentimes underage drinkers of alcohol who gather in groups around campfires fueled by tyres as well as wood ripped off neighbouring trees. But there are also families and senior citizens from private and council housing who regularly dump their domestic waste in public green spaces. 
By their wanton destruction of mainly taxpayer-payer funded property, they are turning larges sections of parks into no-go areas for the general public.
The clean-ups that we are carrying out are treating the symptoms and not the cause of this endemic societal problem. 
By inaction, the Irish state sadly accepts this behaviour as a normal part of modern life. Such toleration only adds to ordinary people's growing disillusionment with a government that it seems is not working in the interests of the common people. 
In most other countries across Europe, a zero-tolerance policy towards such mindless thuggery is implemented. The result is that parks and forests are clean and welcoming environments for all people of all ages to enjoy.
So it is time that we collectively demand an end to the stranglehold that the anti-patriotic, aggressive selfish criminals have on Ireland. It is our country not theirs!