Landowners and farmers based in Co. Clare who want to make more space for nature on their land are invited to apply for the Phase 2 call of The Hare’s Corner initiative.
If successful, applicants would be supported in carrying out biodiversity actions such as creation of a pond for wildlife, planting of a mini-woodland, planting of a native orchard and preparing a ‘plan for nature’ with the help of an ecologist.
Inspired by the term ‘The Hare’s Corner’, an old farming expression for an awkward section of a field which wasn’t intensively farmed and so was ‘left to nature’, this project aims to help Clare landowners create pocket-sized habitats which will be beneficial for wildlife.
A pilot phase of this project was launched in September 2021 which has resulted in the creation of 38 new mini woodlands (7,200 native trees including the endangered Burren pine), 43 mini-orchards (350 Irish heritage apple trees from Irish Seed Savers Association) and 30 ponds for wildlife in various locations across Co.Clare.
In addition to woodlands, orchards and ponds, a new measure called ‘plan for nature’ has been added to the phase 2 call of this project in response to many landowners seeking advice on pre-existing habitats on their land and how to enhance them.
Participation in The Hare’s Corner comes at no cost to the landowner and assistance with site assessments, training and costs towards materials and works is provided through the project.
The Hare’s Corner is co-ordinated by the Burrenbeo Trust, a local landscape charity and is being funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) through The European Innovation Partnerships Initiative (EIP)/Locally led schemes, by the EU Recovery Instrument Funding under the Rural Development Programme 2014-2022 as well as the Clare County Council and the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
Karen van Dorp, field technical officer with Burrenbeo Trust said, ‘The Hare’s Corner is designed to be a simple, hassle-free way to support our farmers and landowners in taking actions for biodiversity and increasing our collective resilience against the effects of climate change. We are delighted also to have the expertise and support of our project partners; wetland specialist, Féidhlim Harty, professional forester Bernard Carey and the Irish Seed Savers Association. While the project is currently limited to Co. Clare, we hope the success and learnings from the project will help us expand its scope to other counties in the future.’
Burrenbeo is now inviting expressions of interest from farmers, landowners and community groups across Co. Clare who want to participate. Funding will be allocated on a first come, first served basis, subject to some basic selection criteria. The Phase 2 call for applications is now open and will close on June 5th. Further calls may be made subject to available funding. You can find further information on the project and application form on burrenbeo.com/thc
For further information: burrenbeo.com/thc
Email: info@burrenbeo.com