Context
Initially 80% forest covered, Ireland saw its forest area plummet to 1% in 1928 before rising slightly to 11% of the land today. A rate which remains below the European average of 33.5%. Since the 1980s, the country has started a vast reforestation program. In 2019, the Irish government announced a new plan to plant 440 million trees by 2040, or around 8,000 hectares per year.
Since 2015, hometree plans to contribute to the national afforestation effort, through a combination of natural regeneration and planting of native woodlands. Such forests bring numerous benefits, ranging from carbon sequestration to natural habitat provision.
Supported Project
L’OCCITANE Ireland and the L’OCCITANE Foundation are working with the hometree association by supporting a project to restore Irish woodlands. This reforestation program will allow the planting of more than 1.200 trees of 3 different native varieties. These have been specially selected to regenerate biodiversity.
On top of that, two beehive will be install in order to educate adults and children about the importance of the bee and its role as a pollinator.
The installation of seed tunnels in nurseries, which are rare in Ireland, completes this project, making it possible to produce 150,000 young trees for planting. Encouraging the planting of native trees is illustrated as a way of restoring the wild habitat of insects and wildlife.
Some Figures
Budget 10.000 euros
Result 1.200 planted trees
Result 3 varieties conserved
