“On April 30th and May 1st, 2018, 200 delegates attended the second national Native Woodland Conference at the Glenview Hotel, Co. Wicklow. The conference, titled ‘20 Years A-Growing’, was organised by Woodlands of Ireland to celebrate two decades of work to restore, manage and create new native woodlands in Ireland. Everyone with an interest in native woodlands – including landowners, farmers, the forestry industry, academics, ecologists, and NGOs – was encouraged to attend, and the community duly responded: the conference sold out completely, with 200 people attending the plenary talks and parallel sessions on Day 1, and 170 people attending the field excursion on Day 2. Presentations from leading Irish and international experts covered
a wide range of topics, from managing native woodlands and hedgerows to flood management, woodlands for water protection, the recent arrival of the great spotted woodpecker, invasive species and climate change, ecosystem services, seed-saving, deer ecology, and rewilding.” – Declan Little – Woodlands of Ireland Project Manager 2018.
Native Woodlands Conference 2018 – ‘20 Years A-Growing’
With Woodlands of Ireland being established in 1998, ’20 Years A- Growing’ was the theme of the conference for 2018. The conference organising team listening to feedback reduced the event to 2 days. Four themes including two plenary sessions were held on day 1 with all presentations being recorded. You can view all presentations on our Youtube channel playlist. The views expressed in the presentations are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Woodlands of Ireland. See below for an overview of the sessions covered:
- Opening Plenary Session
- Session One: Ecology
- Session Two: Silviculture
- Session Three: Challenges
- Session Four: Native Woods and Water
- Closing Plenary Session
You can see an expanded version of the presentations on our post “Native Woodlands Conference 2018: Report and Presentations”.
Field Trip to Woodland Sites
On day 2 of the conference, delegates were taken on guided walks to woodland sites in Co. Wicklow to learn more about the management and establishment of native woodlands in practice. The excursion included visits to Deputy’s Pass, Glenealy and Ballycoyle, Glencree, both of which have been restored and expanded under the Native Woodland Scheme.
The Ballycoyle site is owned by Katherine Stafford, who had presented on the previous day on the positive experience she has had with the Scheme and her plans to work with others in her catchment area to encourage landowners there to create a critical mass of managed native woodlands. We also visited a site at Ballygannon, Rathdrum, which was restored under the People’s Millennium Forest project (PMF) between 2000 and 2005. The project has since given rise to a vibrant mixed age class native woodland, and was an appropriate place to launch the PMF Charter with Coillte’s Gerard Murphy, Managing Director, Forestry Division.
The excursion generated a lot of debate amongst delegates, especially where wood production is an objective along with the overriding biodiversity objective. Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF) principles and their practice is an area that WoI will explore further with Prosilva Ireland and Teagasc. Other issues included the management of deer and invasive species.
Conference Report 2018
The interactive conference report details all aspects of the conference, including the presentations (videos, slides and abstracts), conclusions and key performance indicators.
‘Twenty Years A-Growing’ was a great success, bringing Ireland’s native woodland champions together to hear about the state of the sector, discuss key issues and explore practical examples of afforestation and management. The aim of this report is to bring the abstracts, videos and slides from all the presentations and discussions together and make them accessible, and to report on the key performance indicators that were identified at the outset. Happily, we met our targets and, as you’ll see from the results of the event satisfaction survey, the conference was a great success. Many participants commented on the positive energy among the group, and I think we all left feeling optimistic and enthused for the future of the sector, notwithstanding the considerable challenges involved.
Click here or the image to download the full 2018 interactive report or visit “Native Woodlands Conference 2018: Report and Presentations” blog post for more in-depth information. Woodlands of Ireland hosted the first conference on Native Woodlands in 2004, with the next scheduled for October 1st-3rd 2024. You can now book your place at the 2024 Conference HERE.
Woodlands of Ireland Conferences
Since its inception in 1998, Woodlands of Ireland has focused on the main goals of restoration and rejuvenation of Ireland’s semi-natural woodland estate, the establishment of new woodlands with native species, and providing technical support through NWS training, publications, policy initiatives, and research. Conferences are highly relevant to Woodlands of Ireland as they provide a platform for the organization to engage with stakeholders, share knowledge, and promote their goals related to native woodlands. These events offer opportunities for networking, collaboration, and the exchange of ideas with professionals, policymakers, and the public. If you would like more information about Woodlands of Ireland’s activities or to get involved, you can get in contact at info@woodlandsofireland.com