Cavan County Local Development (CCLD) are launching a pilot programme aimed to empowering local community groups to create small forests with a free training programme.
The initiative ties well with Laudato Si’, Season of Creation, and the Bishops’ pledge to return 30% of Church grounds to nature said Patricia Keenan, Chair of the Diocese of Kilmore Creation Group. “It will be suitable for larger church grounds that are open and accessible to the public. Once planted the parish can stand back and allow the ecosystem to evolve, learn and perhaps take cuttings, seeds to plant elsewhere.”
Daniel Monaghan from Earthbound Ireland, said, “the groups will be planting native tree species at high density.” The Cavan Community Forests Initiative has spaces available for up to 30 groups. The programme will be offered across the county from April 2025 to June 2026 and includes four training sessions.
The 25m2 “densely packed” forest will take 5 to 10 years to grow, and will be developed with the Japanese technique Miyawaki, said John Toland, Senior Development Officer at Breffni Integrated CLG.
Mr Toland said they “would encourage church groups to come forward to access this support to put a small forest in their area… Communities will be given the empowerment and the skills” to create bigger forests in the future.
