Clare County Council, in conjunction with members of the Shannon community, has begun work to collect natural wildflower seed from a local species-rich donor site to enhance three wildflower meadows within the Council’s landbank.
The Shannon Town Pollinator Project is a pioneering initiative aimed at enhancing the diversity of native wildflowers in public spaces in Shannon.
Funded by Clare County Council and the Local Biodiversity Action Fund, the initiative involves a two-stage process. The initial stage, which began in July, involved harvesting seed at a species-rich wildflower meadow, known as a donor site, within Shannon Airport’s landbank.
The seed is collected using brush harvesting techniques. Brush harvesting is an eco-friendly method of collecting native wildflower seeds from existing meadows. Using a quad and mechanical harvester with rotating brushes, it gently combs only mature seeds without cutting or flattening the plants and can be set at different heights. This method supports the use of native wildflowers that are of local provenance to County Clare in the conservation of wildflower meadows.
The seed, which includes wildflowers such as selfheal, greater bird’s-foot trefoil, ox-eye daisy, common spotted orchid, tufted vetch and meadowsweet, was collected from the donor site by EcoSeeds and will be taken offsite for further processing, cleaning and drying.
The second stage will involve the sowing of the processed seed to enhance wildflower meadows at Council-managed sites such as Tullyglass Hill and two other locations in 2027. These locations are known as receptor sites.
Clare County Council Biodiversity Officer Barry O’Loughlin is leading the initiative, with support from Shannon Municipal District Office and staff working in partnership with local communities, including Shannon Community Partnership, Shannon Tidy Towns and Shannon Airport Group.
The project aligns with actions under the Clare County Biodiversity Action Plan 2025-2031 and the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan.
Clare County Council Biodiversity Officer Barry O’Loughlin who is working closely with Shannon MD on meadow management said, “By collecting native seed of local origin from similar soil types, there is a higher chance that the seed will establish at receptor sites that need support to encourage wildflowers and provide nectar and pollen sources for declining pollinators, as well as amenity value for the people of Shannon. There is also a reduced risk of introducing invasive species such as black grass.
SCP Shannon Community Network Sustainability Task Group member Sue Corcoran said, “Shannon Community Partnership, and in particular the Environmental and Sustainability Task Team, is proud to support the Shannon Town Pollinator Project and to work with local volunteers from Shannon Tidy Towns to help it thrive. We welcome that Shannon has been selected for this project, which will make a real difference to biodiversity across the town by creating and restoring habitats for pollinators and bringing more colour and life to our local environment.”