Kilkenny micro forests! More than 600 trees planted in Callan

More than 600 trees and metres of new hedging have been planted across the town of Callan as part of a project that will bring the worlds of art and design together with the local community with the aim of adapting to climate change and connecting to the biodiversity crisis.

Future Town Planting is one of three strands of the ‘Til Now project, which is looking at the future of food production, town planning and urban planting in the area.

This planting strand promises a myriad of benefits to the town - not least the creation of a biodiversity corridor in the town for birds and wildlife.

Not only will the trees improve local air quality, but the lichens that will grow on the bark will be an indicator of that air quality. It is hoped the planted areas will become a nice, civic outdoor space for all to enjoy.

Although set to carry on for a number of years, a quick totting up of figures shows that 618 trees have already been planted in four different locations in Callan, since the start of this year.

Future Town Planting is spearheaded by Etaoin Holahan and the ‘Til Now project. She says the planting will enhance the overall well-being of the people who live in Callan as well as playing a part in tackling the biodiversity crisis.

It’s something she’s feeling really positive about, and looking forward to how it will look in five years time.
“It will be a more magical place to be, no longer just a field or park or floodplain.”

Four areas were identified for planting under this project - John Locke’s GAA Club, the Abbey Meadow, the Moate Field and the Bolton Woods housing estate.

In the Moate Field were planted two ‘micro forests’ and a ‘riparian strip’ (planting that helps to shade and protect a river bank.)
Tree varieties in the micro forests include: birch, rowan, scots pine, oak, alder and goat willow. Hawthorn is included along the water’s edge.

Fruit planting took place in the Abbey Meadow. One cluster, near the entrance, has a variety of apple trees and hazelnuts. Hazel, whitethorn, rowan and some oak along the field boundaries.
Some of the Rowan and hawthorn were planted three to one hole. This is to create a thicket effect and is also in keeping with the Miyawaki approach to planting, which suggests closer planting enables faster and better supported growth.

At the GAA grounds the plan is for a very long strip of native mixed hedgerow. Twenty meters of this was planted with whitethorn, oak and rowan.
The pedestrian entrance to the left of the end goal posts was planted as a micro forest with crab apple and rowan flanking the entrance and an oak beginning the hedgerow.

Close by, the front of the Bolton Woods estate was planted with a line of 12, three year old Pedunculate oak trees to mirror the line of 12 159 year old oaks flanking the soccer pitch.

While most of the planting will flourish on its own, some aftercare of young trees will take place.
In the Abbey Meadow this will include red mulch mats and bark mulch. In the Moate field it includes weed suppression using upside down sod that had been cleared from the moat path, but in general it will be a more ‘wild’ area of growth.

While the variety of trees and hedging now planted is broad, the number of plant and animal species that could be supported by the plants is huge - birch alone supports 229 insect species and 126 lichen species.

An ambitious project, it would not have been possible without planting help from Jeremy Turkington of Hometree, Nicola Teehan of Callan Tidy Towns, Clodagh Holahan, Jim Jobson and daughters, and John Lennon, at the various sites.

Trees were provided by: Trees on the Land, Free Trees Ireland, Paddy Mangan (None So Hardy nursery) and locally sourced, naturally seeded whips (hazel and alder).

The whole project is supported by Hometree, an organisation that works to establish and conserve permanent native woodland in Ireland, encouraging land regeneration and biodiversity through afforestation, restoration and education.

‘Til Now is a Climate Action Fund II project funded by Creative Ireland.
Anyone interested in future planting can get in touch with Etaoin Holahan at Fennelly’s on Bridge Street, Callan.