Irish trees work with Dunsany Estate (Co. Meath), to focus on developing nature’s production and acceleration of the 7-year rewilding project, Ireland’s largest private rewilding area.

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Since 2014 Lord Dunsany has made it his mission to reintroduce native flora and fauna to the land in a natural and organic way.

Of the 1700-acre estate – some 950 acres of tillage farmland is rented to local farmers and the remaining 750 acres are dedicated to the nature reserve.

There are 500 acres of mature woodland on the Estate, most of which is old-growth broadleaf forestry such as oak, beech, elm and redwood.

A lot of the deadwood in the woodland is left to decay naturally, acting as a crucial habitat for various insects and fungi.

There are natural meadows containing diverse grasses and wildflowers. Randal has continuously planted trees and native hedgerows on the land.

Since its inception, Randal has taken immense pleasure in witnessing the return of a vast array of wildlife to the reserve.

Numerous birds have returned to the land, many of whom have not been recorded in the area for a long time.

Among the bird species are red kites, woodpeckers, barn owls, long-eared owls, herons, jay birds, and sparrowhawks.

The reserve is also home to red deer, foxes, otters, badgers, pine martins, hares, and stoats.

Randal has been working with Bee Conservation Ireland and the plan is to introduce hives of native Irish black bees to the reserve.

Randal is also working with various institutions to conduct research on the flora and fauna of the land.

He is passionate about sharing his rewilding experience and inspiring others to undertake their own rewilding venture, no matter how big or small.

Courtesy of Farming for Nature.

Lord Dunsany, Randal Plunkett says “Dunsany has a 950-year history and 1000s of years of a future, but not as a well mown Castle estate but as a true natural landscape. A landscape filled with Plants, trees, Inserts birds and mammals”

To date all our efforts have been self-funded, planting trees where we could. We needed a collaborator that shared our values, with a reputation for integrity and we found that with Irish Trees and its founder, Bob Hamilton”

Randal continued “ Nature isn’t free, nature’s future depends on the creation of Eco business, creating commerce that nurtures the environment… without taking from it.

Irish Trees ( https://irishtrees.ie) currently offers friends and families Memorial and Celebratory Tree planting as a thoughtful alternative to Flowers or sympathy cards but has been constantly asked to plant trees for the sake of the environment by so many customers and businesses that they explored options to do this, but needed just the right partner.

It founder – Bob Hamilton says ”We found the right partner in Randal and Dunsany, a man whose passion is nature and rewilding, caretaker of a protected Estate of nearly 2000 acres in existence for close to 1000 years, and a family committed to the protection of nature for 1000 years more.

Bob continued… “We needed to know, and believe, that any mass Tree planting effort by people now, would be safe for generations to come.”

“We want to encourage individuals, families, and businesses to plant trees on the estate, never to be harvested, but of course supported in the early years and then left to contribute to the rewilding of the estate over hundreds more years”, says Randal.

“Randal Plunkett Earl of Dunsany says, “Each of us are only taking our turn on this planet, how we live and more importantly what we do… is our legacy, there are only a few actions that any one individual can take that will carry into the future for 100s of year. Planting a Tree is one of them!”

“We need to invest back into the planet, investing in trees for people yet to be born, and the nature that will surround them. It feels good to plant a tree, to have done at least that one thing to give back to the planet” Says Bob

Bob is passionate about the impact of one “One person, planting one tree, it doesn’t sound like much, but what if everybody planted a tree, what if everyone planted a tree each month, or year, over time an individual will have actually planted a forest that would not exist without their action now!”

“So don’t ask – ‘What can I do about the planet?’ Plant a tree with us or in your own garden, just plant a tree!”

To learn more about the partnership between Dunsany and Irish trees – Click here</a