18 October 2024

Great Engagement at Let’s Talk Trees’ Events, Highlighting Forestry Opportunities

The first two events of the ‘Let’s Talk Trees’ series have taken place this week in Macroom and Abbeyleix. Teagasc Forestry Development Officer, Frances Mc Hugh tells us more.

Teagasc and the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine (DAFM), Forestry Section, are hosting these forestry information events to facilitate landowners to hear about the excellent opportunities for new planting and to learn about the range of supports available for managing existing forests.

Each event opens with three presentations from Teagasc, DAFM and another from a local Forest owner which provides very valuable insights on her/his own forestry experiences. Following these presentations, attendees have good opportunity to engage individually with DAFM/Teagasc staff and have their questions answered.

At the Macroom event, Teagasc Forestry Adviser Padraic O’Leary, encouraged landowners to ‘discuss both their own farm situation and forestry objectives with their local Teagasc Forestry adviser in order to be fully informed and to be able to make a whole farm decision regarding forestry’.

Ciaran Nugent, Senior Forestry Inspector with the Forestry Division, DAFM said ‘the new Afforestation Programme presents grant aid for a huge range of forest types to increase forest cover while delivering ecosystem services with environmental and climate benefits’.

At the Laois event, local forest owner Michael McEvoy said that he believed ‘most farm holdings could accommodate a forest and encouraged landowners to get the right information through attending meetings, speaking to foresters, Teagasc advisers and existing forest owners’.

The informative Let’s Talk Trees series continues next week in Cavan and Claremorris – see details below. All are very welcome to attend, with no registration necessary.

Upcoming Let’s Talk Trees Locations and Dates