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Operation Biodiversity is part of Glanbia Ireland’s Living Proof sustainability strategy and one of the many on-farm programmes to protect our land and deliver economic, social and environmental benefits for farm families for generations to come.
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Plant a tree for the next
generation
Ninth generation farmer and biodiversity champion Bryan Daniels has been busy boosting the sustainability credentials of his family farm since last year’s Operation Biodiversity campaign. He is adamant he will hand the land over to his three children in as good if not a better state when the time comes for him to take a back seat. “My entire childhood was spent on this and neighbouring farms. So protecting our streams and all the natural habitats around us is paramount. My wife Gail and myself are always trying to do a little bit to improve biodiversity. We both farm. We’re always taking mental notes or putting notes on the whiteboard in the parlour about the next work that needs to be done to improve biodiversity. “It has been a busy year. We created a new 80 metre section of hedges and we planted these with Whitethorn and Oak. We added in a few Ash trees that we had grown from seedlings. We also planted the gaps in about another 50 metres of hedging. “We’ve planted about 100 Scots Pine in groves. The plan now for the winter is to plant an extra 84 metres of hedging with a scattering of trees. “Whitethorn is very much the dominant species on farm. But we like to add in something a little different every now and again to add a splash of colour, life and variety. “Our older children, Shannon (6) and Toby (4) are already keen to play their part. It’s great to see. Ely is only two yet but we’re adamant that the 10th generation will inherit a rich, biodiverse farm that can be passed on to plenty more generations to come. “There is a positive appetite among farmers to get involved in initiatives such as Operation Biodiversity. Farmers have been doing their bit for generations. But the advice, the help and the offers available through Operation Biodiversity really focuses the mind and spurs people to get involved, to plant more and to do their bit for the environment. “I still have farmers asking me for pointers since I was involved with last year’s campaign. Every single landowner wants to make it a better habitat for all animals, for all species and to protect our waterways and our air quality. “We found that it works best if you start work on the boundaries. We did what needed to be done on the boundaries first and created new hedging after that. “There are areas on every farm where the tractor never goes, parts of land that are difficult or are considered wet spots. These areas can be transformed into biodiversity hotspots with minimal cost or work. “My final tip would be to add a splash of colour and personality every now and again. It can really be the focal point of a field. The light catching a different tree in a different way can really make your day.”
Bryan Bryan Daniels, Kilmoganny, south Kilkenny Teagasc Grassland Farmer of the Year 2019 and Sustainable Farming Award Winner
Working with farm families, community groups, schools and more, we’re on a mission to plant more than 100,000 trees and hedging plants to help Ireland’s fauna and flora thrive. What does this mean for our environment?
VITAL POLLINATORS
WATER PURITY
• Hedgerows and trees provide pollen and nectar for our all-important pollinators. Hedgerows are vitally important as a food source, providing a place to breed and to over-winter.
• The root systems of trees and hedgerows regulate water movement and helps to prevent flooding. They also reduce nutrient runoff and sediment from entering our rivers and streams which will help protect our water quality.
WILDLIFE PREVENTING SOIL EROSION
• Hedgerows and trees provide a habitat for many small mammals such as hedgehogs and bats, supplying them with food, shelter and corridors of movement.
• Tree belts and hedges act as a natural barrier, reducing both wind and water erosion.
Did you know? • Trees and hedgerows are important for farmers and wildlife. They provide protection and shelter for livestock and crops. Birds also nest in hedgerows during the breeding season and use them as protection from predators. • As trees grow they absorb and store carbon dioxide, they keep converting carbon dioxide in order to grow tall and strong and in return they release pure oxygen back into the atmosphere. • Annual removal of CO2 from the atmosphere by Ireland’s forests exceeds 6 million tonnes per annum.1 On average, 4.3 tonnes approx. of CO2/ha/year is sequestered by Irish Forests.2
• According to the EPA, hedgerows and non-forest woodland could potentially sequester between 0.66 and 3.3tn of CO2/ha/year.3 • Approximately half of the 110 bird species recorded by Birdwatch Ireland use hedgerows for nesting during the breeding season as well as for roosting and protection from predators.4 • Over 1500 insects can be recorded at times both living and feeding in hedgerows.5 • The common hawthorn can support 300 different insect species alone.6
1. Tree Council Of Ireland https://www.treecouncil.ie/eannanilamhnacarbonfootprint 2. Teagasc, GHG Emissions: Positive Role Of Forestry https://www.teagasc.ie/media/website/publications/2020/GHG-Emissions---Positive-Role-of-Forestry.pdf 3. EPA, Climate Change Research Programme. https://www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/research/climate/ccrp-32-for-webFINAL.pdf 4. Irish Examiner, Hedgerows vital for wildlife. https://www.google.ie/amp/s/www.irishexaminer.com/property/homeandoutdoors/arid-30961526.html%3ftype=amp 5. Threats to our hedgerows. https://ptes.org/hedgerow/threats-to-hedgerows/ 6. Woodland Trust. https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/a-z-of-british-trees/hawthorn/
Together we can make a difference ‘We believe when it comes to enhancing our environment, small steps can really make a difference. Working together through our Operation Biodiversity programme we can help enrich our landscape for generations to come.’
DRIVING BIODIVERSITY
OUR AMBITION
WATCH THEM GROW
At Glanbia Ireland, we believe that by working together we can really make a difference. Through Operation Biodiversity, we want to help protect nature and allow biodiversity to thrive, leaving our landscape in even better shape for the next generation. Our location on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean means we have a moderate climate, with abundant rainfall that helps our trees and plants to flourish.
We are on a mission to plant 100,000 trees and hedging plants but we won’t stop there as we want to continue to work together to nurture our environment for years to come. We all have a role to play in protecting our natural ecosystems.
Planting trees and hedgerows will support the landscape that you live in, not just now but for generations to come.
Our trees and hedgerows create natural ecosystems where our flora and fauna can exist in harmony. They mark the seasons of the year, recycle nutrients, deliver important nesting sites and create a buzzing bee and insect life.
SUPPORTED BY
As part of Operation Biodiversity, Glanbia Ireland will donate trees to help encourage you to dig deep and enjoy watching your trees as they grow. This is the year to plant an Oak tree for the next generation or to select our mixed native hedging bundles as a long-term investment. Every single tree or metre of hedgerow planted makes a difference.
Each and every plant will offer a home to many of our native fauna and each one of them in turn will support our diverse countryside. Just think of how diverse our accents are here in Ireland and how mundane it would be if we were all the same. It is much the same for our countryside, so by you playing your part and planting even just a small grove of trees or section of hedge, it will help us to diversify our countryside. Many people take great enjoyment out of watching bumble bees and other pollinators at work in our crops and gardens. Without a home these creatures cannot exist, so we all need to help by creating a little space for them to thrive.
“Irish farms can be pollinator and biodiversity friendly without impacting on agricultural productivity. Low cost small actions can help improve pollinator biodiversity and biodiversity in general. Planting native trees and hedgerows is an excellent way to help. “Leaving hedgerows uncut for a minimum of three years is brilliant as it allows them to flower, giving pollinators food. Cutting hedges in rotation instead of all at once will also ensure that some areas of hedgerow will always flower.” Dr. Michelle Larkin, National Pollinator Monitoring Scheme Officer with the National Biodiversity Data Centre.
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Native Trees to Boost Biodiversity N BIO DIV
To help you make a difference, we will donate 10 bare root trees, when you purchase 15 trees – that’s 25 trees to help you get started on your journey.
Trees and plants play a vital role in boosting biodiversity and sustaining a clean environment. Glanbia Ireland have a range of trees available to suit all soil types. Talk to a member of our team in store or check out our social media channels for advice on selecting the right tree for you.
Alder
Blackthorn
Spindle
Grey Willow
Hazel
Mountain Ash
Oak
Scots Pine
Whitethorn
Great value when you purchase in bundles. Buy 15 and get 10 free. Trees for Acidic soils pH 7 to 6 Product
Buy in Bundles of 25
Bundle Price
ALDER 60-90CM GLAS TREES
25
€18.00
OAK 60-80CM GLAS TREES
25
€24.00
SCOTS PINE 40CM GLAS TREES
25
€18.00
MOUNTAIN ASH 40-60CM GLAS TREES
25
€16.50
BIRCH 40-60CM GLAS TREES
25
€14.85
Buy in Bundles of 25
Bundle Price
GREY WILLOW 60-90CM
25
€16.50
OAK 60-80CM GLAS TREES
25
€24.00
MOUNTAIN ASH 40-60CM GLAS TREES
25
€16.50
Buy in Bundles of 5
Bundle Price
Trees for Alkaline soils pH 7 to 8 Product
Mixed Tree Bundle – Rich Species Product ALDER 60-90CM GLAS TREES
5
OAK 60-80CM GLAS TREES
5
SCOTS PINE 40CM GLAS TREES
5
MOUNTAIN ASH 40-60CM GLAS TREES
5
BIRCH 40-60CM GLAS TREES
5
Available instore OR ONLINE glanbiaconnect.com
€19.50
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Native Hedgerows to Boost Biodiversity N BIO DIV
Buy two bare root hedgerow bundles and Glanbia Ireland will donate an additional hedgerow bundle to help boost your biodiversity efforts on farm.
Alder
Blackthorn
Hazel
Hedgerows are hugely beneficial to our countryside; they provide natural ecosystems where our flora and fauna can thrive in harmony. Working with our expert horticulturists we’ve developed two bundles of hedgerow; suiting both lime and acidic soil types. Each bundle has been carefully selected and includes 40 plants, which are a mixture of both bare root trees and hedging plants.
Oak
Mountain Ash
Scots Pine
Great value when you buy hedgerow bundles
Each bundle is suitable to plant approximately 10 metres of hedgerow.
Acidic Soil Hedgerow - Buy two and get third bundle free. €54 for two bundles. Product
Qty per bundle
WHITETHORN 40-60CM GLAS HEDGING
20
BLACKTHORN 40-60CM GLAS HEDGING
10
ALDER 60-90CM GLAS TREES
4
OAK 60-80CM GLAS TREES
2
SCOTS PINE 40CM GLAS TREES
2
MOUNTAIN ASH 40-60CM GLAS TREES
2
Limey soil (Alkaline) Hedgerow - Buy two and get third bundle free. €62 for two bundles. Product WHITETHORN 40-60CM GLAS HEDGING
Qty per bundle 20
EUONYMUS EUROPEAS 60-90CM
5
HAZEL 60-90CM
5
GREY WILLOW 60-90CM
5
OAK 60-80CM GLAS TREES
2
MOUNTAIN ASH 40-60CM GLAS TREES
2
Available instore OR ONLINE glanbiaconnect.com
Spindle
Whitethorn
Teresa Walsh, Qualified Horticulturalist in Glanbia CountryLife Castlecomer, Kilkenny.
Talk to our expert horticulturalists
Choose carefully for the farm or garden
Planting your trees and hedgerows
Caring for your trees and hedgerows
• Choosing the right tree, site and position for your farm or garden is key.
• Planning is key. Your trees will be collected in bare root form (without soil) in polythene bags. This is to keep your trees moist until you plant them.
• Protecting freshly planted trees and hedges from browsing by livestock is quite important. A length of twine on posts on either side of a row of hedging will help to support trees in windy sites.
• Choose small trees for small spaces or consider a hedgerow such as Rowan. For larger, open spaces, choose large trees such as Oak. • Try to include as much diversity as possible as this will provide colour and variety. These will be a great food source for as many insects as possible and nesting sites for a larger range of birds. • Choose plants that will suit your soil conditions such as PH (how limey or acidic your soil is), moisture levels, aspect and exposure. • By planting the right tree in the right place at the right time your efforts will be rewarded. • Please avail of the help and advice on offer from our horticultural teams in our CountryLife stores. We’re only be delighted to offer tips and advice on the right selection for you.
• It is advisable to prepare the area you wish to plant by controlling weeds before planting. Dense weeds will compete with young trees and hedging plants for nutrients and for space. • Estimate how many metres of hedging are required by pacing out your site. We sell the hedgerow bundles with sufficient plants to do 10 metres in length. Each bundle includes the correct amount of trees and hedging plants to provide a lovely, thick hedge over time. • Aim to plant your trees and hedges at the optimal time, ideally before the end of December and no later than the end of February. The earlier planting time is very beneficial to how they perform later as winter rain settles in the soil around your plants roots. • To allow for delivery, order your plants at least 10 days before you plan to plant. Once they are delivered, plant your trees as soon as possible and keep them frost-free in the polythene bag they are supplied in. Keep the roots moist at all times. • Ask for advice in your CountryLife store for best planting techniques as it will vary - depending on the scale of your planting project. Plant firmly to avoid wind rocking your trees and shaking them loose.
To place your tree order today call into your nearest Glanbia or CountryLife store. For more information visit GlanbiaConnect.com
• A little fertiliser when growth has begun will help your trees and hedges to establish. • Early planting will allow plants to establish root systems early and this in turn will help them to survive spells of drought and stormy weather. • Continue to control dense weeds for the first two to three years to help your trees establish. • Trimming the sides of your hedge two years after planting will create a dense, bushy hedgerow that will shelter your garden, wildlife, farm and livestock. • Most trees are best left unpruned as they develop their natural shape and mature better. • In the first 2-3 years of planting a new hedge or tree make sure to water well in dry spells or drought conditions. • Take the time to enjoy looking at the habitat you have created and all of the wildlife you have supported by planting trees. Future generations will thank you for it.