Convert land to biodiversity and nature sanctuary?

n1st

If you had 50 acres of land and were not interested in farming, selling, renting but were interested in attracting nature back.

What would you do?

Would there be any way to generate some annual income too?

Is there any organisation that would be interesting in long term leasing and doing some work?

riffmongous

Some forestry perhaps? Obviously not some Sitka Spruce plantation if you are interested in getting nature back, but maybe some sort of mixed woodland with native and nursery species. Not sure if it would pay for itself though, you could ask in the Forestry subforum of Farming and you should get some sound advice there

n1st

A good idea.

A bit too intense for what I am thinking. I'm picturing a mix of meadow, woods, ponds etc.

One problem I've found with forestry is that it's very strict e.g. the land is deemed as forestry forever.

magicbastarder

the hope to generate income from it is a tough one, especially if you've ruled out pretty much most of the ways of generating income straight from the bat.

roughly where in the country is it, and what sort of land?

n1st

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118749428#Comment_118749428

Hi, south Roscommon, dry land, used for beef, open meadow

roosterman71

To make money, rent it out. If you aren't interested in money, put in a pond and let it rewild, though ya'd probably have maintenance costs there to keep weeds/brambles from taking over. Stay away from plantation, though a scatter of native Irish trees throughout would be good. But put them in places that wouldn't impact the conversion back to farmed land if that was ever to be done in the future.

magicbastarder

brambles would do no harm if it's done for biodiversity. weeds are subjective; if you mean the likes of laurel or rhododendron, then yes, time and effort to prevent them from taking over.

magicbastarder

Is there any organisation that would be interesting in long term leasing and doing some work?

just getting back to this - i suspect any ecological organisation interested wouldn't get involved unless there was a suitably long lease (i guess 50 years at a minimum) as they wouldn't want to invest time and effort into a site which might be taken back in 20 years, for example. and most in this country wouldn't be able to afford to pay at commercial rates either.

Robin_K

How about rewilding and opening an eco-campsite on it?

roosterman71

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120330012#Comment_120330012

Rewilding and then sticking humans in it to "camp" is moronic. Anywhere ya set up something for humans to "relax and unwind" they are going to make shite of it.

This charity was on Nationwide last year. Helping people to rewild by planting native trees. Their plan/ vision sounds very interesting.

https://www.hometree.ie/wild-atlantic-rainforest-project

iniscealtra

It won’t stay as meadow without some grazing or mowing. It will revert to scrub (briars and small trees) in ten years. The grass will be overtaken. If you plant birch/oak/hazel whips you could create a woodland. Native woodland would be you best option if you want to be hands off. There will still be plenty of briars unless something - animals or people are walking through to form a path. If you want income you will need to work and plan. Grants need to be applied for and have conditions. Look into forestry grants. You could start a land based business if you want an income. A tree nursery ? Direct sell organic meat? A tourism business as suggested. Apply to the council for planning for a campsite?

Cookie_Monster

If it was me, depending on the land, I'd put in mountain bike trails, hilly land full of trails and native plants everywhere that wasnt a trail.

Thats my plan if I win big on the lotto anyway, lol

Graces7

When I was first in Ireland, over 20 years ago now, in Donegal, my landlord had rented a large field to I think the Forestry , and it was being planted up. Same with the land surrounding the house I bought later in Leitrim.

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120333099#Comment_120333099

Anywhere I've seen bike trails put in has lost it's attraction to wildlife. Yes, you'll have plants off the tracks but birds and mammals will not be attracted to the area. I've seen too many species rich areas totally denuded by mountain bike activity.

I'd plant native trees and a sub-story of lower shrubs and flowers, with bird boxes, bat boxes, log piles etc., but making any income from it is the difficulty.

Water John

There's a farmer in Mayo who has done a deal with the County Council. The only stipulation he has is that he's buried on the land. It was on Nationwide I think.

batyushki

I would plant small sections in native woodland, which attracts good premiums for 15-20 years and will provide income (1100 euro per hectare per year starting in 2023). You could design the patches of woodland so that they interconnect via corridors and will give a significant habitat to wildlife. Biodiversity is highest in "edge" habitats like the edge of woodlands, so in 20-30 years there will be a lot happening from a biological perspective. Your site is large enough that you could, if it's well fenced and has water, also allow Tamworth or similar primitive pig varieties to live freely in the woods and meadows once they have gotten big enough to survive their digging. Look up the Knepp project (much larger, but inspirational).

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058236265/convert-land-to-biodiversity-and-nature-sanctuary

Plant it. Nothing wrong a bit of Sitka on it or other conifers. Vary the plots:Native Woodland, Other broadleaves, Oak plots...and you get paid too. Rewilding will fill it with sally bushes and briars; you will get these anyway in a planted forest, particularly the briars. At the very least in rewilding, you will need to put in trees throughout the site.

People think that by leaving something to its own devices is best. Nature does need some monitoring.intervention.

Water John

Ah Sitka are shite. If you are planting conifers use Douglas Fir.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118747411#Comment_118747411

Any progress?

Jim_Hodge

Deleted. User banned.

magicbastarder

I've reported that user elsewhere, they seem to be using some form of AI to churn out posts. Not worth engaging with!

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120897439#Comment_120897439

Just realised that when I saw another post. The language used is a clue, as it the rapid posting across many topics.

magicbastarder

they've obviously been nuked now. posts are gone.

Gangu

Would you plant rosemary, blackberries and other plants that do well left to their own devices. Then sell produce to local restaurants. We’ve a huge rosemary and sage bush in our garden. Loved by the insects and both would sustain many cooks

Gangu

Also hazelnut trees. Apple trees

magicbastarder

I'm curious as to whether there was any progress on this.

Converting that much land back into "wild" space will be a long hard job. Lots of work involved and quite a lot of money to be spent.

South Roscommon probably means limestone near the surface so unless the surface intersects with the groundwater then ponds are going to be tough and expensive.

Low level rotational grazing is essential for maximizing grassland biodiversity as almost all Irish wildlife is adapted to human managed meadows.

Woodland has potential but won't show much real biodiversity return for many decades unless you already have pockets of woodland to extend out of.

A charity lease would likely be the cheapest way to achieve what you want.

n1st

I've planted 2000 trees and created 3 ponds. Now in organics. 5000 trees next winter with Silvopasture.

I'm plugging away with farming but very lightweight, down to 7 animals now.

Plan is now to keep going, adding a few hundred trees each year. Habitats will emerge.

I'll most likely let it return to nature in 15 years time,after I've added to necessary additions

magicbastarder

where are you sourcing the trees?

where i'm going with that question is that you may be as well off going hands off and letting trees colonise the land naturally.

n1st

Trees On The Land charity and purchased from the likes of Kearney's. About 1.50 per tree.

n1st

I don't have the patience and I'm keeping the small piece of farming going, I am getting a few thousand trees and hedgerows this year via the dept of agriculture.

In 20 years all of those schemes will have dried up and I'll be too old. Nature can take over then

A good strategy to accelerate species diversity is to find someone with a species rich meadow and buy in a hay cut from them, mow your own meadow and spread the donnar hay on the ground before clearing it in a few days.

Species recruitment by natural progression is painfully slow, something like 1 species per decade so anything you can do to accelerate it is beneficial. Species diversity in the plant mix is the foundation on which animal diversity grows.

n1st

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121725912#Comment_121725912

That's a great idea.

My sward is actually improving. I've not added anything in 4 years now. I can see more species coming through.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121725958#Comment_121725958

Do you still lightly graze it? It's important to keep grazing and/or taking hay. Scrub is far less an important habitat than species rich grassland.

The problem with woodland as a focus is that it takes hundreds of years to be a species rich habitat.

Ponds are great as species find them and move in very rapidly, this is because naturally they are a very transitory habitat.

n1st

Yes it's grazed. no sheep. Trying to keep the growth thick at all times. Regenerative farming this year it's supposed to help.

They also say that the biodiversity lives around the fringes, I'm trying to thicken up the hedgerows and leave grass long.

Yes trees will be slow. I hope to leave a few hundred oak trees behind me

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121726005#Comment_121726005

Would love to visit, sounds like a great project. We were based in Boyle but now in Carrick.

Sheep can be great grazers especially on limestone where they keep the sward tight. Cows have the advantage that they break up the surface by a bit of poaching and simply grazing. This opens up opportunities for species to come in on the broken ground.

Yellow rattle on dry ground and lousewort on wet will weaken the grass and open up opportunities for less vigorous species. Irish wildflowers.ie is the only source of truly native wildflower seed for active seeding.

n1st

You're welcome anytime. It's early days. It looks like any farm in Connaught now.

https://www.ballyglassthatchedcottage.com/

roosterman71

Any worries with the future transfer of the land to a successor (if you have one)? Would they be stung with much higher tax? IS the planted land to be classed as non agri in the future?

n1st

Not necessarily

The gift tax limits are the way to do it, 350k limit now. This doesn't require farming.

Who knows what's in store.

Water John

Another way to use donor meadow hay that's cut late is, to feed it to outwintered stock. Roll out the bale and the cattle will shake and eat the hay. Then they'll set it by walking the seeds into the ground.