Friends of Ardee Bog has been awarded €16,100 Government funding to support a range of activities including an ecological survey of a section of Corstown Bog, the creation of an informational material and toolkits and a feasibility survey on the feasibility of creating a public bog walk with informational signage.
Total grant funding of €160,000 has been announced by Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform Malcolm Noonan TD under the Peatlands Community Engagement Scheme.
The scheme encourages local peatland communities, local groups, local schools and individuals to conserve and revitalise fens, raised and blanket bog in Special Areas of Conservation, Natural Heritage Areas and other peatland areas. It also promotes public engagement with and awareness of our natural heritage.
The focus of the scheme is on community-led projects and volunteer group, who play a vital role in helping to promote and implement peatland conservation and restoration in Ireland. The scheme is managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, a division of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
Funding from the 2022 Peatlands Community Engagement Scheme will support peatland conversation projects around the country in many ways including:
- Conducting surveys to inform peatland restoration management plans,
- Developing visitor amenities, including the installation of information and anti-littering signage
- The development and maintenance on bog trails,
- Public outreach, such as the production of information booklets, brochures and training manuals, awareness and education days, education programmes and hosting of seminars with expert speakers.
The Minister stated that he was delighted to see the diverse range of initiatives put forward by such active community and volunteer groups and environmental organisations. He also announced that the Peatlands Community Engagement Scheme in 2022 will be open-ended and allow for the submission of new applications this year, enabling community groups and others to proceed with projects delayed due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
