It was my pleasure to attend the launch of ‘Connecting Communities with Peatlands’ in Pollagh, Co Offaly this morning.
This initiative, funded by the Just Transition Fund, aims to provide community environmental groups and individuals with capacity-building training to help them to engage with their local peatland. This may be via citizen science, establishing a local amenity, or any other project in relation to peatlands.
Great to have the Just Transition Commissioner Kieran Mulvey there to officially launch the project.
This initiative will cover the length and breadth of the midlands, and with the support of the Community Wetlands Forum and Irish Rural Link, this has the makings of a super project. I think there is a huge desire in this area and beyond for such an initiative.
Thank you to Eamonn Dunican from Pollagh Heritage Group for the welcome, and for so eloquently giving us an insightful introduction to the long relationship this area has had with peat.
Very best wishes to Project Coordinator Aoife Kirk from Community Wetlands Forum.
Connecting Communities with Peatlands is running day-long workshops in each of the Just Transition Midlands counties. You can find more information on these training days as well as a downloadable copy of the handbook on Guidelines for Communities Managing Local Wetlands and Peatlands on the Community Wetlands Forum website.