Planting 24,000 trees in Ireland

This lady, Catherine Cleary, is a restaurant critic, but she decided to make a difference.  She planted 24,000 trees on some acreage and supports mini forests in other places.  Check it out:

https://constructive-voices.castos.com/episodes/greening-ireland-from-pocket-forests-to-native-woodlands-with-catherine-cleary

John S
PDX OR

Thanks for the link John. Catherine Cleary is interviewed about her project to inspire tree planting of mini plots using some Miyawaki techniques adapted for Ireland native trees. Project website: pocket forests

This one might be interesting to follow:

University of Galway launched its Pocket Forest project, a new 100m2 native woodland on campus. (zip)
It will compare the close planting of young native trees in one half with more conventional urban tree planting of wide-spaced semi-mature trees in the other half

There have been times in Ireland's history in which there were lots more trees, so its possible.

Riona Abhainn wrote:There have been times in Ireland's history in which there were lots more trees, so its possible.

Oh yes - much of Ireland is in a maritime temperate rainforest zone. Like Scotland, the land doesn't have to be bare mountains and bog, although both are also valuable habitat. I gather that the project is selecting land that will benefit from the diversity rather than destroying upland wetlands for example. Many of the microforests are in urban areas and it is hoped that they will enhance the human environment as well as the wider natural one.

This concept of microforests can be a truly helpful one.  Many industrialists will object to preserving large forests. People can make microforests, such as food forests in their yard. They can make microforests in city parks, or undeveloped areas.  Even in formerly developed areas.

John S
PDX OR

John Suavecito wrote:... They can make microforests in city parks, or undeveloped areas.  

They are working on this in areas of Paris, France, as the ability to reduce the temperature during heat waves is measurable.  Trees are big and obvious, but Europe is also far ahead of North America in their use of green roofs to help with habitat, temperature, and biodiversity. So as much as I support planting trees, if one has to work on a smaller scale, it can still help. I've seen pictures of chicken coops with green roofs!

This is too small for most of us permies, but it demonstrates the point:

Portland and other places have often encouraged green roofs.  What they found here is that many plants can't stand the heat on top of the roof in the dry, hot summer, so they have often planted succulents like sedums.  The roofs aren't really cheaper to make, but they are great insulation and help with climate change.  They also encourage pollinators and other wildlife. Birds?

John S
PDX OR

John Suavecito wrote:  The roofs aren't really cheaper to make, but they are great insulation and help with climate change.  

I've heard that they're more expensive to make, and do take some time and possibly money to maintain, but that they do last much longer than certainly asphalt roofs. I'm told that the flat roofs on industrial buildings need expensive rebuilds every 15-30 years unless built with extremely high quality materials.  The sedums effectively protect the roof membrane from solar degradation, and the roots may help protect from winds.

I was mostly trying to point out that if you think a big plan like planting 24,000 trees is too much to even think about, go ahead and think smaller, like "How can I reinforce my shed roof to handle a little green roof?" Go from there to planting a single tree guild on your front lawn. It is still 1 more tree and some shrubs and forbs, and maybe some neighbors might take an interest and follow the example.

I grew up in Ireland on a farm.  My brother and I planted trees and left.  He mostly planted conifers on a hilly part. And I bought plums, greengages and damsons, for an unused part near a stream.  They all did very well after the initial years when sheep often damaged them if they got in.  I also planted trees along the river.  Sally and willow cuttings.  But the slugs slaughtered them and if a sheep broke through the fenced bit,  often they went for the tender tree leaves as well as the grass and weeds.  Eventually I changed the way I did it,  I had fenced part of the river, ran out of fence posts, and some willow trunks  that I beat into the ground as fence posts grew! They were high enough above the grass and weeds that slugs couldn't go up without being eaten by the birds.  So i went with planting willow fence post after that.  About 15 years later I went home for a visit and some were massive! 30 ft high or more and really thick.  I cut some of the trees down at the 3 ft high mark as firewood.   I was so impressed at how big they grew.  So, yeah, if you are growing willow or sally, I would go with cuttings from some of the bigger trees on your property.   Some old willows are massive trees, some of my cuttings came from near a massive one. They must have had its genes.

I was curious, so I searched for the meaning.  "Sally" is apparently a type of tree related to willows. The name is common in Ireland, but unknown in the USA.
John S
PDX OR

"It was down by the sally gardens, my love and I did meet..."