Photos: Vicky Photography
Teagasc and The Heritage Council annually run National Hedgerow Week, a week to highlight the value of hedgerows in our landscapes. It is also an opportunity to bring together farmers, ecologists and the public to discuss hedgerows from a variety of perspectives. Events ran nationwide from Friday, the 29th of August and included demonstrations on how to plant and manage hedgerows, how to maximise their benefits for biodiversity, and how to provide hedgerows with seasonal care.
In Kilkenny, a dedicated event for hedge cutting contractors was held at Teagasc Kildalton College where industry experts spoke on hedge cutting machinery and safety considerations. Dr Catherine Keena, Countryside Management Specialist with Teagasc, delivered a comprehensive overview of the benefits of the biodiversity value that hedgerows provide. Hedgerows are essential habitats for many bird species in Ireland; 35 of the 110 regularly recorded countryside birds nest in hedgerows, they also offer shelter, food, nesting sites and song perches for many other bird species. Hedgerows provide cover and protection not only for birds but for mammals and insects on the move as hedgerows act like movement corridors. All 9 species of bats use the hedgerow as corridors for foraging and recent studies relating to barn owls have proven that barn owl’s movement and foraging patterns are linked with the presence of hedgerows.
Kilkenny County Council organised a foraging walk and talk with Monica Fleming along the mass path of Dunmore on the outskirts of Kilkenny City, an event funded by The Heritage Council to celebrate hedgerows. Monica led two groups along the mass path to explore the variety of plant species in the hedgerow and to identify the masses of autumn fruits on display. Fallen crab apples carpeted sections of the path, Monica gave details of the health benefits of rosehips and suggested ways that elderberry and sloes could be great additions to a drink’s cabinet.
Bernadette Moloney, the Biodiversity Officer with Kilkenny County Council joined one of the foraging walks and thanked Monica for her extensive knowledge. This marked the last in person biodiversity learning event for 2025 by the Biodiversity Officer but Bernadette was keen to suggest other learning opportunities available. The Kilkenny Library Service continues to run events throughout the year and she suggested keeping an eye for events being ran for the upcoming Sustainable Development Goals Week later in the month. Bernadette was also highlighted “The Sign Post Webinar Series” by Teagasc who run weekly webinars on Friday mornings which are all recorded and are also available as a podcast. While many webinars are specific to farming, there is a diverse range of topics that may interest the wider community, on the 12th of September for example their guest speaker is Professor Grace McCormack from University of Galway and his presentation will be on the native Irish honey bee. For further information on the Teagasc Sign Post Series, log onto www.teagasc.ie.
Further Info: bernadette.moloney@kilkennycoco.ie or phone 7794487.
