Reforest Erris!

mayo | environment | opinion/analysis

Monday September 15, 2008 10:24

by John Baker

Earth_repair at yahoo dot co dot uk

Let’s plant trees in Erris. Let’s plant a f**k load of trees in Erris. Let’s plant enough trees to balance out any past and future damage done by Shell or other invaders and indeed by ourselves, for we are all part of the same fossil fuel based economy with our cars, our boats, our flights abroad, our central heating and our food from far away, and given this maybe it’s not enough to fight against the system that left us with no choice but to be part of it, perhaps it falls to us to create something different, to demonstrate our commitment to another reality and to get our own bodies involved in the building of it.

We can build a whole economy based on forestry, growing material for building, for food, for medicine. We can stop landslides, reduce flooding, purify water. If we plant enough over long enough we can even stabilize climate.
More than all this we can feed our own spirits, give ourselves hope for the future and hope for future generations. If all this shit with Shell does one thing let it be that it wakes us up to the wrong road that we’ve taken and let it move us to make amends. Planting trees is a real, tangible, obvious way to do this and it has the potential to draw many more to the area.
These islands were all forested long ago until we humans overran them. Maybe we all have an ache in our souls for the majesty and the mystery of deep forest. We didn’t know enough then not to destroy them. Now we do.

This is a call out for people to do this. We can easily get something started this year. All we need are trees, land to put them on and tools and bodies to plant them with. Please share this idea around Erris and beyond. Let’s organise an event to kick it off. Start small but let’s aim to get whole communities involved in this.

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Comments (10 of 10)

cut the damage

by Chrissie

Mon Sep 15, 2008 22:31

Trees, yep, great, but let's not allow SHell to do any more damage! And we'd need to educate people, particularly the County Council, who've wrought so much destruction on our precious few broadleaved trees...
I would be happy to bring some acorns or whatever tree seed is suitable.

suitable

Wed Sep 17, 2008 11:12

Alders & birches would be good for a start, they seem to tolerate wet & dry conditions & acid soil.

carry on up the country

by lulu

Wed Sep 17, 2008 13:03

Yes, that's a worthwhile task. Not just Mayo, but all Ireland is short of trees; one of the least bosky nations in the European Union.

Previous plantings and ideas

Wed Sep 17, 2008 15:09

The following links are to articles written about plantings we did down in Cork. They include tips and ideas for guerilla tree planting type actions. www.indymedia.ie slash article slash 85317 and www.indymedia.ie slash article slash 85187. (Cant find the slash key on this computer).

Obviously wind will be a big hindrance to any trees getting established, I suggest that we look for places to start that already have some shelter provided by things like walls, existing woodland or forestry, buildings etc. That hazel woodland near the solidarity house might be a good place to start, it's nearly hazelnut time as well.

I have a number of young hazel, alder, ash, willow, oak saplings that I'd be delighted to try out up there. Next time I come up I'll bring em, perhaps organise a public picnic or event. If it takes off we can start asking around for nurseries and that to donate stuff

The purpose behind this is to give hope to the campaign, to see past Shell and their violence and to give back to the PLACE. It is a focus not a distraction. Putting trees in the ground has got me through some of my darkest times and if it works for me perhaps it can work for others. It's exhausting fighting against things all the time, we need to balance that with positive, creative, spirit feeding actions that give all of us reasons to go on living.

notice

Thu Sep 18, 2008 13:17

Great - can you give as much notice as possible so people can make arrangements to come along? Thanks.

Great

by Matt

Thu Sep 18, 2008 17:41

Yea i agree w chrissey we should get plenty of notice that your coming. It is lovely planting trees. You know to make the community feel involved we should plant trees in every ones gardens.

nice..

Fri Sep 19, 2008 09:28

Yepp it would be nice for Matt to have somethin to swing from

protection

Fri Sep 19, 2008 12:57

Dunno how big r yr saplings but they may need something round them to protect from wind/grazing/weed. Loo/kitchen roll inners, plastic bottles w ends cut off, cardboard tubes? Biodegradable wd be best.

by John

Mon Sep 22, 2008 10:40

Have some commercial tree guards, you can often get away without them in the most surprising situations. Something to do with making the tree look like it was always there. They make the planting time a lot longer cos you have to stake them or they blow around and knock the tree. Would hope to get up some time after the second half of October but will have to sort this out.
I take it ye guys are up there, twould be good to know who I'm talking to and perhaps we should move this conversation off Indymedia. In the meantime, if I'm correct in my assumption that ye are up ther and I know ye already would ye be able to strt asking around among friendly land owners for places to plant. Some kind of public open event with locals and visitors would be great. Stay in touch and see ye soon. J

Agroforestry - sustainable woodlands for Erris

by Bob - CELT - Centre for Environmental Living and Training, also Ea

Mon Sep 22, 2008 17:17

info at celtnet dot org

Scariff, Co.Clare

061640765

Much of the Erris landscape shows the remnant preserved trunks of bog pine (the native Irish Pine, closely related to Scots Pine) where bog has been cut away. No doubt much was also at one time covered in native broadleaf woodland. It would be an excellent addition to local sustainable development plans to develop agroforestry - using native trees to provide shelter and nutrients for the benefit of organic produce - the areas of grassland, vegetables, fruit bushes, etc, providing rich biodiversity with much woodland edge habitat. The community would benefit from skills training, timber, fruit, veg, healthy animals and, of course, a revitalised economy. This should be happening throughout the country.

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Reforest Erris!

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