Offaly groups benefit from Peatlands and Natura Community Engagement Scheme

FERBANE Parish Community and Clara Heritage Society are among 36 local community projects who are to share €458,000 in funding under the Peatlands and Natura Community Engagement Scheme.

Ferbane Parish Community have been allocated €1,330 for work on the Moyclare and Ballylamon Pathway while Clara Heritage Society have received €8,000 for the Bog Trotters Festival.

Cabragh Wetlands near Thurles has also been allocated €25,606 for a Water and Wetlands Targeted Community Awareness Programme.

Announcing the funding, Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD, said “I am really impressed by the diverse and creative initiatives put forward by such active community and volunteer groups and environmental organisations.

The Peatlands and Natura Community Engagement Scheme is a collaborative scheme which draws on the local community’s deep connection with our natural heritage. Through empowering local communities, we can safeguard our precious ecosystems, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the impacts of climate change, ensuring a sustainable future for generations to come."

Led by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, the Peatlands and Natura Community Engagement Scheme supports local initiatives for the conservation and revitalisation of Natura 2000 Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) and Special Protection Areas (SPA) and all peatland areas and promotes public engagement with and awareness of our natural heritage and environment. The scheme is aimed at community-led projects and volunteer groups, who play a vital role in helping to promote and implement conservation and restoration in Ireland.

Projects to benefit from this funding in 2024 span sixteen counties across Ireland including Galway, Donegal, Westmeath, Offaly, Limerick, Kerry, Cavan, Tipperary, Clare, Roscommon, Louth, Monaghan, Laois, Cork, and Wicklow.