Tullamore Lions Club represented on a peer exchange visit to Finland

TULLAMORE Lions Club member Michael Carroll recently visited the South Ostrobothnia region of Finland on a peer exchange visit facilitated by Tóchar Wetlands Restoration.

The peer exchange was supported by the European Commission within the framework of the Just Transition Platform. A key aim of the visit was to facilitate shared learning and best practices on approaches to the regeneration and reuse of former peatlands.

Finland, like Ireland, has rich peatland ecosystems with significant biodiversity and carbon storage potential.

Both countries are now moving away from large-scale industrial harvesting of peatlands and are taking steps to mitigate the environmental impact of peatland degradation and looking at ways to conserve and restore these vital ecosystems.

The Irish delegation consisted of representatives of Tóchar Wetlands Restoration, Cloncrow Bog and Village trail Tyrrellspass, Tullamore Lions Club, and peatland contractor Gorman Earthworks. The group was met on arrival by Paul Sherlock, the Irish Ambassador to Finland. Paul took a keen interest in the visit and spoke at length with the Irish delegation about the various peatland-related projects being carried out in Ireland. The group was based in the City of Seinäjoki and on the first evening of the visit, met with their hosts from Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences and Kokkola University.

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A group from Seinäjoki University visited Ireland in March 2025 and toured several peatland projects, including Clonbeale More, Lough Boora, and Cloncrow Bog. On this return visit, they organised a schedule of site visits and meetings for the Irish delegation. These included visits to Naarasneva afforested cutover peatland, where tree planting and paludiculture are the alternative approaches being taken. Research work on measuring Greenhouse gas emissions was also taking place. At the Kurjenneva wetland, the landowner and a local gun club have collaborated to create a wetland habitat for wild birds on previously cutaway peatland. The final site visited that day was a large solar power plant built on cutaway peatland near Lapua.

In advance of the visit, contact had been established with the Lions Club in Lapua. They invited the Irish group to visit a project that they established at a quarry near their town. With the help of local government and EU funding, they established a much-needed training centre for service dogs. The Simpsiö Dog School was founded in March 2002, and at this site, dogs are trained for activities such as search and rescue and drug sniffing. The site is also used as a training centre by search and rescue teams from Finland and neighbouring countries.

Michael presented the Lapua Lions Club members with copies of the Lions, the Bees, and the Bogs. This beautifully written and illustrated Children's storybook was launched by Tullamore Lions Club in 2024 to spread the message of peatland conservation in storybook format. It was superbly written and illustrated by Dolores Keaveney and captures the essence of what Tullamore Lions Club is attempting to achieve through its peatland conservation initiatives. Michael also provided information to the Lapua Club about the Clonbeale More peatland conservation project. The first phase of that project was completed in November 2024. Further engagement between Tullamore and Lapua Lions Clubs is planned in the near future for a wider discussion on the environmental projects being implemented by Lions in both countries.

The following day, the group visited a Finnish Folk Art Centre at Kaustinen and were treated to a performance of traditional Finnish folk music. There was also a visit to Halsua, a former peat production area that was being transformed into a mix of forestry, restored wetland, a wind farm, and a solar power plant.

Lestijärvi was the final visit that day and was the northernmost site visited. At that point, we were only 300km from the Arctic Circle. This site was drained in the 1980s to be used for peat extraction; however, as a result of the added drains and some severe rainstorms at that time, a major flooding event in the local area occurred, and considerable damage was done. A major environmental impact study was carried out, and plans for peat extraction at the site were halted.

The local community is now actively engaged in having this site fully restored. The final visit that day was to Lakeaharju sightseeing tower, where we had amazing views of the Lappajärvi crater lake. This lake was created 60 million years ago when a meteorite crashed into the earth.

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After a busy but very informative 2-day visit, the Irish group returned home on September 4th. All in the group were in agreement that the visit highlighted the shared challenges and innovative solutions that both countries are developing in response to the decline of peat production.

The visit reinforced the value of international cooperation and how both countries can learn from each other to plot a way forward that engages communities and landowners, provides alternative uses for our valuable peatlands, and also meets our challenging environmental targets. Further collaboration between Ireland and Finland is planned in 2026.