News
Ministers announce €800,000 in funding for community projects under the Peatlands and Natura Community Engagement Scheme
Date Released: Wednesday, April 2, 2025
- Funding will support a wide range of projects, from monitoring of Bottle Nose Dolphins in Clare, to a BioFest in Cork, and a ‘Bog Bothy Festival’ in Dublin.
- Heritage groups, environmental organisations and Tidy Towns groups to benefit from support for their conservation work in peatlands areas and Natura 2000 sites.
- Forty-five projects will benefit from additional funding allocated under this year’s scheme.
Minister for Housing, Heritage and Local Government James Browne TD and Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity Christopher O’Sullivan TD have today announced €800,000 in funding under the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) Peatlands and Natura Community Engagement Scheme 2025. This year the scheme will support forty-five community groups with their conservation work in seventeen counties around the country.
Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity Christopher O’Sullivan TD said:
“The health of our natural world is inextricably linked to the health of our communities. Successful conservation efforts must be driven by and rooted within those communities. Local knowledge, and a sense of ownership are vital to safeguarding our precious ecosystems and species and mitigating the impact of climate change. This scheme is an example of how we will solve the biodiversity crisis in Ireland by fostering strong partnerships, empowering local initiatives, and putting communities at the heart of nature conservation."
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage James Browne TD said
“Community and voluntary groups play a vital role in conserving nature and heritage around the country. Funding provided through the scheme will support these groups to engage their own communities in their conservation efforts and protect their natural heritage for future generations. I am really impressed with the diversity of projects and wish them well with their work.”
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. It is aimed at community-led and volunteer groups and promotes awareness of, and engagement with our natural heritage and environment.
Projects funded through the scheme this year will support the following activities:
- Conducting surveys to inform management plans for Natura 2000 and peatland sites
- Public outreach, such as the production of information booklets, brochures and training manuals, awareness and education events, education programmes and hosting of seminars with expert speakers
- Invasive species training and management
- Nature and Heritage events nationwide.
Further Information
Natura 2000 is a European network of sites designated for the protection of threatened species and habitats, on both land and sea. The Natura 2000 network, compromising over 27,000 sites, is the largest coordinated network of protected areas in the world. The Natura network of sites is comprised of Special Protection Areas (SPAs), established under the EU Birds Directive, and Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), established under the Habitats Directive.
Projects awarded funding
|
Name of organisation |
County |
Project details |
Funding awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Irish Whale and Dolphin Group |
Co. Clare |
Project to develop a standardised protocol for long-term monitoring of the bottlenose dolphin |
€7,170 |
|
Cabragh Wetlands Centre CLG |
Co. Tipperary |
Practical Reponses to Climate Change |
€22,910 |
|
Green Economy Foundation |
Co. Cork |
Biofest |
€5,600 |
|
BurrenBeo |
Co. Galway |
Actions for conservation of Marsh Fratillary Euphydryas aurinia butterfly habitat |
€3,040 |
|
Streamscapes |
Co. Cork |
Kenmare River SAC Community ‘Deep Mapping’ Project |
€30,000 |
|
Lauragh Community Council |
Co. Kerry |
Community Action for Rhododendron Management |
€15,923 |
|
Sneem Tidy Towns |
Co. Kerry |
Sneem Rhododendron Control Project |
€5,268 |
|
Green Skibbereen |
Co. Cork |
More for Biodiversity at Myross Wood SAC |
€15,593 |
|
Nore River Catchment Trust |
Co. Kilkenny |
Learning Project |
€10,800 |
|
Seafield Conservation Forum |
Co. Clare |
Seafield Sand Dunes Conservation Project |
€11,154 |
|
Irish Whale and Dolphin Group |
Co. Clare |
Kenmare River Harbour Porpoise Survey |
€29,965 |
|
Ardmore Tidy Towns |
Co. Waterford |
Cliff Head Ardmore Plant Identification |
€5,437 |
|
Coiste Pobail Cathair Donall |
Co. Kerry |
Drone Survey |
€835.20 |
|
Hometree CLG |
Co. Clare |
Cnocán Bán Restoration Project |
€39,879 |
|
North Kerry Environmental Forum |
Co. Kerry |
Cliffs of Ballybunion Conservation & Education Programme Project. |
€5,000 |
|
Boyne Rivers Trust |
Co. Meath |
Alluvial Woodland Restoration in the Boyne Catchment |
€16,120 |
|
Irish Uplands Forum |
Co. Dublin |
Rare Upland Plant Survey |
€4,674 |
|
Hometree CLG |
Co. Clare |
Cleandra Woods Restoration Project |
€39,376 |
|
Wicklow Uplands Council |
Co. Wicklow |
Pilot Community project of Rhododendrum Ponticum Control |
€33,710 |
|
Macgillycuddy Reeks Mountain Access |
Co. Kerry |
Strickeen Mountain Habitat Restoration |
€40,000 |
|
Wicklow Uplands Council |
Co. Wicklow |
Visioning Recreational Management Event |
€16,046 |
|
IPCC |
Co. Kildare |
Blanket Bog Plant Identification Swatch Project |
€4,746 |
|
Tydavnet Group Water Scheme |
Co. Monaghan |
Feasibility Study and Method Statement for peatland restoration in the Lough Antraicer Catchment Area Project |
€40,000 |
|
CALL |
Co. Mayo |
Bog Restoration Plan Pilot |
€10,000 |
|
Galway Telework Co-op |
Co. Galway |
Galway’s Living Bog Project |
€32,000 |
|
Galway Telework Co-op |
Co. Galway |
Galway’s Living Bog Education |
€16,748 |
|
Clonlara Development Assoc. |
Co. Clare |
Sheedy’s Bog – The Marsh Fratillary Project |
€20,000 |
|
Kilteevan Tidy Towns |
Co. Roscommon |
Cathaoir na nGuíonna for Lilliput Way |
€4,540 |
|
IAF |
Co. Dublin |
Bog Bothy Festival |
€40,000 |
|
REPEAT |
Nationwide |
Bog Academy Project |
€39,984 |
|
Milltownpass tidy towns |
Co. Westmeath |
Living Peatlands; Discovering Milltownpass Bog’s Botanical Ecosystem Project |
€5,658 |
|
Clara Heritage Society |
Co. Offaly |
Bog Trotter Festival & Summer Solstice Celebration 2025 Project |
€8,400 |
|
St Kilians Heritage Centre |
Co. Cavan |
St. Kilian’s Heritage Centre Project |
€15,200 |
|
ETHOS |
Co. Westmeath |
Peat Monitoring on Cloncrow Bog Project |
€1,872 |
|
Kilcummin Parish |
Co. Kerry |
Kilcummin Walks Project |
€12,800 |
|
REPEAT |
Co. Laois |
Book ‘n’ Bogs Project |
€11,332 |
|
Friends of Ardee Bog |
Co. Louth |
Hydrology Restoration Project |
€3,357 |
|
Hometree CLG |
Co. Clare |
Bellafarney Peat Restoration Project |
€19,973 |
|
Cork Nature Network |
Co. Cork |
Peatlands and Climate Change Project |
€18,675 |
|
River Blackwater Catchment Trust |
Co. Monaghan |
Cor Bog Restoration Phase 2 Project |
€20,000 |
|
Our Common Knowledge |
Co. Clare |
Field Good Friday – Community Meitheals Project |
€20,000 |
|
Gorthaganny Community Development Assoc |
Co. Roscommon |
Carrowbehy/Cahir Bog Walk Project |
€11,400 |
|
River Blackwater Catchment Trust |
Co. Monaghan |
Sliabh Beagh Restoration Project |
€25,610 |
|
Killyconny Bog project |
Co. Cavan |
Killyconny Bog Project |
€40,000 |
|
Abbeyleix Bog Project |
Co. Laois |
Celebrating 25 years of Abbeyleix Bog |
€19,200 |
