CHOICES SHAPE YOUR FUTURE
By Judith Ashton
I have visited many big cities in the world. Polluted, overpopulated, frenzied, noisy, crazy places where everything is 24-hour flashing lights and whatever your over-stimulated brain wants is just a phone-tap away. I couldn’t wait to get the hell out and return to some modicum of sanity; always breathing a huge sigh of relief touching down on the runway at Dublin Airport. East, west, home is best!
I love my little patch of the planet. Co. Kilkenny is a jewel of beauty and tranquillity. I can breathe fresh air, listen to the birds, and at night I can see the Milky Way and all the galaxies with no light pollution. A great gift indeed that I never take for granted.
Woodstock Estate in Inistioge has been my walking place for years and I’ve enjoyed exploring its paths, woodlands and formal gardens. As youngsters, my sons, Dan and Jack, roamed and played hide-and-seek and climbed the giant trees with their pals.
County Kilkenny has one of the most beautiful natural, historic amenities in the world and we all must treasure Woodstock Estate and Gardens. It has a rare collection of specimen gigantic trees, including the fabulous Monkey Puzzles and Noble Fir walks and Sequoias; planted by wise people who looked to the future, knowing they would never see them reach maturity. There’s a restored walled and formal garden, summer tea shop and lots of accessible trails which can be enjoyed with buggies, bikes or wheelchairs regardless of age or ability.
Notwithstanding the incredible variety of plants and trees, biodiversity abounds on the woodland floor and along the River Nore Valley. There are red squirrels, many types of bats, badgers, foxes, stoats, hedgehogs, pine martens etc. who all call this place home, not to mention the riverbank creatures, otters, voles, fish etc.
The region also has an impressive list of birds who either live in or visit the locality. Sadly, many of these birds are now on the endangered species list and classified as red or amber. Many Irish wild birds are under huge pressure due to various factors, namely habitat loss, pollution, climate change, scarcity of prey etc.
Several local species, e.g. some birds of prey either resident or migratory, such as kestrels, owls, merlins, red kites, peregrine falcons and Whooper swans, are already protected. White-tailed eagles overwinter in the Nore Valley on a regular basis and ospreys have been seen as it’s on a migratory path. All these birds are very vulnerable to wind turbine strikes.
Many locals and visitors enjoy exploring the trails, accompanying children or grandkids to the playground or simply sitting on the benches soaking in peace and quiet. It’s a natural haven and antidote to the madness of fast-paced urban life. A real treat for both mind and body. What is there not to treasure? Above all, it’s freely available in our backyard. However… there’s a problem.
So, “what is it?” you may ask.
It’s a potentially huge one and a massive threat to all the above. The renewable energy firm Empower Renewables plans to install eight 175-metre giant wind turbines nearby. It’s called: The Curraghmore project [aka: Woodstock & Mt. Alto].
In a Government document, the EU Nature Restoration Project “Environmental Pillar” published earlier this year, Woodstock Forest was named as one of the 14 national areas suited for nature restoration. Residents have created “Protect Inistioge’s Environment” [PIE] to oppose the planned wind farm. Chair Patrick Croke says, “The proposals would align with the Government objectives, including the EU Nature Restoration Regulation, a legally binding law under the EU Green Deal requiring 20% restoration of land and sea by 2030.”
It’s generally accepted that renewable energy is the future; however, in the case of the unmatched scenic value of Woodstock and surrounding areas e.g. the natural beauty, the woods, rivers, wildlife, birds plus the tourist potential and future investment in the local economy; surely, a massive wind farm project with attendant disruption, infrastructure, road building, tree felling, soil erosion, increased flooding, noise etc. are mutually exclusive. Farmers and livestock will be compromised, people’s mental and physical health will be impacted etc.
Once a national, natural asset is destroyed, it’s irreplaceable. Let’s protect Woodstock and preserve Nature for everyone and future generations. Like the ancestors who planted its now magnificent trees, let’s leave future generations a beautiful legacy to enjoy.
Warning: Google just illegally felled 250,000 trees in Finland for a data centre. “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone…” – Joni Mitchell.
