• Funds will support pioneering, innovative projects for nature including winterage events in Galway, restoring sand dunes in Waterford and a nationwide Bog Academy
• Projects will support restoration activities in sixteen counties, along with two nationwide projects
• Restoration to focus on protected habitats and species, along with peatlands.
Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan T.D., has today (8th August) announced more than €458,000 in funding for 36 local community groups and organisations for projects across Ireland under the expanded Peatlands and Natura Community Engagement Scheme 2024.
Minister Noonan said:
“I am really impressed by the diverse and creative initiatives put forward by such active community and volunteer groups and environmental organisations.
The Peatlands and Natura Community Engagement Scheme is a collaborative scheme which draws on the local community’s deep connection with our natural heritage. Through empowering local communities, we can safeguard our precious ecosystems, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the impacts of climate change, ensuring a sustainable future for generations to come.”
Led by the National Parks and Wildlife Service , the Peatlands and Natura Community Engagement Scheme supports local initiatives for the conservation and revitalisation of Natura 2000 Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) and Special Protection Areas (SPA) and all peatland areas and promotes public engagement with and awareness of our natural heritage and environment. The scheme is aimed at community-led projects and volunteer groups, who play a vital role in helping to promote and implement conservation and restoration in Ireland.
Projects approved this year support the following activities:
– The development and maintenance of amenities
– Conducting surveys to inform management plans for Natura 2000 and peatland sites
– Public outreach, such as the production of information booklets, brochures and training manuals, awareness and education events, education programmes and hosting of seminars with expert speakers
– Invasive species training and management.
Projects to benefit from this funding in 2024 span sixteen counties across Ireland including Galway, Donegal, Westmeath, Offaly, Limerick, Kerry, Cavan, Tipperary, Clare, Roscommon, Louth, Monaghan, Laois, Cork, and Wicklow.
Further details and the Terms and Conditions of the Scheme are available on the NPWS website website.
The breakdown of awards is available below
Grants Awarded – Peatlands Community Engagement Scheme 2024
| Clara Heritage Society | Co. Offaly | Bog Trotters Festival | €8,000 |
| IPCC | Nationwide | Peatland community education through the World Wide Web | €3,800.39 |
| Wicklow Uplands Council | Co. Wicklow | Social enterprise feasibility: Sheep fleece in upland path maintenance and peatland restoration | €19,954.30 |
| St. Kilian’s Heritage Centre | Co. Cavan | St. Kilian’s Heritage Centre | €15,920 |
| Galway Telework Coop | Co. Galway | Galway’s Living Bog | €21,971 |
| Kilcummin Parish | Co. Kerry | Kilcummin Walks | €16,000 |
| Ballyhoura CLG | Co. Limerick | Griston Bog – Awarness, Engagement and Conservation Measures | €5,457.66 |
| Cabragh Wetlands | Co. Tipperary | Water and Wetlands Targeted Community Awareness Programme | €25,606 |
| RBCT Cor Bog | Co. Monaghan | Cor Bog Restoration Phase 1 | €20,000 |
| Ferbane Parish Community | Co. Offaly | Moyclare and Ballylamon Pathway | €1,330 |
| Connolly Tidy Villages | Co. Clare | Cloontabonniv Bog Walk | €3,500 |
| Cork Nature Network | Co. Cork | Peatlands and Climate Change | €13,200 |
| StreamScapes | Co. Cork | Peatlands: A resource for community engagement and education | €15,000 |
| Killyconny Bog Project | Co. Cavan | Killyconny Bog project various activities | €12,446.57 |
| Kilteevan Tidy Towns | Co. Roscommon | Enhancing the Cloonlarge Loop Experience | €2,753.32 |
| Hometree | Co. Clare | Hometree Bellafarney Peat Restoration project | €19,946.85 |
| RE-PEAT | Nationwide | Bog Academy | €5,000 |
| Milltownpass Tidy Towns | Co. Westmeath | Adding Wonder to your Wander | €13,358 |
| ETHOS | Co. Westmeath | Cloncrow Bog and Village Trail | €1,566 |
| RBCT Sliabh Beagh | Co. Monaghan | Sliabh Beag Restoration Survey | €5,116.80 |
| SONAS | Co. Roscommon | Wayfinding and Information Signage | €5,328 |
| Friends of Ardee Bog | Co. Louth | Protect, Conserve and Promote Ardee Bog | €16,531.70 |
| Teeboy Bog | Co. Cavan | Teeboy Boy Natural Heritage | €20,000 |
| NARGC | Co. Laois | Getting Bogs back to a good vegetative state | €14,219.40 |
| Clonlara Development Association | Co. Clare | Development of Management Plan for Sheedy’s Bog | €10,000 |
| NARGC | Co. Laois | Bog conservation and education demonstration project | €6,519 |
| Irish Whale and Dolphin Group | Co. Clare | Monitoring breeding seabirds within SPAs in the Shannon Estuary | €6,740 |
| Burren Beo | Co. Galway | Winterage engagement events. | €19,968 |
| Irish Uplands Forum | Co. Dublin | Review of the status of rare upland plants in Ireland with a focus on Kerry and Wicklow. | €4,609 |
| Green Skibbereen | Co. Cork | Building capacity to restore Myross Wood SAC | €12,835.91 |
| Hometree | Co. Clare | Cnocan Ban Restoration Project | €39,731.34 |
| Wicklow Uplands Council | Co. Wicklow | Visioning Recreational Management event | €13,296.30 |
| Coiste Pobail Cathair Donall | Co. Kerry | Mapping Rhododendron | €2,500 |
| Green Matters | Co. Kerry | Rhododendron to Biochar: Phase 1 – Site setup, mapping and community awareness | €5,680.24 |
| Tramore Eco Group | Co. Waterford | Project Sand Dunes | €40,000 |
| Green Sod Ireland | Co. Galway | Conservation Management Plan for Typical Farm Peatland | €10,500 |