Coolronan Bog Project - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Coolronan Bog Project

Presentation to

Ballivor

Renaissance Group

and community

7 March 2012Slide2

Introduction

This project was setup in

Nov

2011

by

a group of 5 local

people.

With backing of local community and

interested organisations, it is hoped to

commence a bog restoration project

which will target a number of objectivesSlide3

Objective Summary

To

develop a small but specific section of

Bord

Na Mona managed section of Coolronan

bog as an amenity for the

locality

and for

visitors.

Create an area within the bog where native bog plants and wildlife can

flourish

To

develop the heritage aspect of Coolronan bog for the interest of current and former residents of the

area, and for the wider community

Bring some employment and business opportunities to the

localitySlide4

Objective 1

To develop a small but specific section of Bord Na Mona managed section of Coolronan bog as an amenity for the locality and for visitors

.

Coolronan Bog is a raised bog that comprises an area of 7,000 acres approx.

Bord Na Móna have ownership and control of 6,000 acres approx of this

amount.

The project group have commenced discussions with Bord Na Móna and other

organisations to section an area of 150 to 200 acres to allow be developed as

part of a bog restoration project .

It is planned to create walkway / cycleway , lake / wetlands and development

of Cutaway section to start a process to restore this part of the bog to its natural

state. One of the main attractions in this section is the ruin of a house which dates

back to famine times and which was lived in up to the 1950’s

Opportunities for the bog being a facility for school tours , nature trail walks ,

birdwatching etcSlide5

Objective 2

Create an area within the bog where native bog plants and wildlife can flourish

Native plants

: Peat Forming Sphagnum Mosses ,Bog Bean, Deer Antler

Lichen, Butterwort, Sundew, Bog Cotton,, Bell Heather,

Lichens, Cranberries, Bog Asphodel.

Native Animals:

Fox, Hare, Deer, Bat

Native Amphibians

: Otter, Common Frog, Lizard

Native Birds :

Red Grouse, Corncrake, Curlew, Merlin , Lapwing, Hen Harrier,

Skylark, Meadow, Pipit

And many varieties of Invertebrates

: Slugs, Spiders, Moths, and butterflies,

Dragonflies, Damselflies ,BeetlesSlide6

Objective 3

To develop the heritage aspect of Coolronan bog for the interest of current and former residents of the area, and for the wider

community

The group is meeting with some elderly members of the community to recall their recollections of growing up in and around Coolronan bog and their stories will be captured on video and audio tape. These clips will be uploaded on the website

.

These recollections are part of the history of the locality and are invaluable to understand living and working in the bog back in 1940’s and 1950’s.Slide7

Objective 4

Bring some employment and business opportunities to the

locality

If the project can proceed , there is an opportunity

to

support

existing businesses in the locality

eg

Ground work contractors to develop the site .

Also once the site is established shops

, hotels, pubs

,

minibus operators who

would benefit by visitors to the areaSlide8

Activities To Date

Activities to date

include

Project Group Meetings to discuss scope and objectives of project

Initial contact with

Bord

Na

Mona

Create website

www.mwmbogproject.wordpress.com

Creation of membership

cardsSlide9

Other

This project is not intruding on any privately owned parts

of Coolronan bog , only a section of

Bord

Na Mona bog as

previously outlined

Location of bog section proposed as per map next slideSlide10

Ordnance Survey map of Bog Slide11

Planned Activities

Commission an independent Environmental Study / ecological report on the section of bog aquired.

Meet with Irish Peatland Conservation Council

to discuss options for bog restoration

This group is a voluntary body that have carried

out significant research already into the ecological

state of Irish bogs.

Review with local community and interested groups.Slide12

More Planned Activities

Inspect other raised bogs which are now amenity

centres in counties Kildare, Laois, Offaly

Further correspondence with

BNM

Meet RTE environmentalist,

Éanna

Ní

Lamhna

and discuss our

options

with her for promoting Biodiversity in

Coolronan

bog

Meet

with

Dept

of Heritage representatives ; 2012 is special

famine

yearSlide13

Examples of Bog Restoration project

In Abbeyleix Bog in 2009 , BNM worked with local community to restore water levels to promote peat forming vegetation

In Abbeyleix, BNM worked with IPCC (Irish Peatland Conservation council) , IPWS (Irish Parks and Wildlife service) and Laois Heritage on this project. A lease agreement has been put in place with the local community that passes responsibility to local community to manage the bog there.

This is the type of joint initiative that the Coolronan Bog Project has in mind to promote and sustain the bog.Slide14

Functions of a bog

In addition to being a fuel source , bogs have other important functions

filtering water

acting as a water collection basin,

accumulating carbon

providing habitat for flora and fauna.Slide15

General Principles for Bog Restoration

I

dentifying

bogs for preservation through environmental assessment;

Using

careful harvesting techniques so that restoration can

be

readily

achieved

Leaving

at least three feet of peat at the bottom of the

bog

Returning

of harvested bogs to functioning

wetlandsSlide16

Bog Restoration Practical Steps

Surface Preparation

Plant Collection from donor site

Plant Spreading

Straw spreading

Fertilization

Raise water level Slide17

A view from Canada

There are good examples of harvested bogs in Canada where more than one foot of sphagnum moss has re-grown, unaided, during the 10 to 15 years since harvesting has ceased. These bogs look like and provide the functions of virgin bogs

.

Even though Canada does not have peat supply concerns, the industry is looking for ways to accelerate peat bog regeneration. Until recently, peat bogs have been left to regenerate, a process that can take up to 20 years. New research in ways to restore bogs quickly, indicates that time can be shortened to five to eight years.Slide18

Bogs as Carbon Stores

A bog is

the biggest

natural store

of carbon.

Peat

is rich in fossil carbon, removed from the atmosphere by

plants

and accumulated over thousands of years.

Drainage

and destruction of raised bogs results in the rapid

loss

of the stored carbon in the form of greenhouse gases

(

carbon dioxide and methane), as the peat decomposes

.

Kyoto agreement imposes regulations and financial penalties on countries who ignore impact on the environmentSlide19

Effects of Carbon emission

Once a peat bog dries out, it starts emitting carbon by giving off carbon dioxide gas (CO

2

) and methane into the atmosphere, and by releasing it into rivers and streams in the form of dissolved organic carbon (DOC

).

Bogs hold staggering amounts of carbon - estimated at 455

petagrams

, around a third of the world's stock of soil organic carbon

. (1

Petagram

= 1 Billion Metric Tonnes)

If bogs lose more carbon as DOC, this could have serious effects on drinking water supplies. As well as turning water brown, dissolved carbon can interfere with treatment filters and make it more expensive to make water safe to drink.

And if peat bogs become badly degraded, there could also be implications for the risk of flooding.Slide20

Flora and Fauna

Bees

WetlandsSlide21

Amenity Activities

Bird Watching

Bog Tours

Nature Trails

Raised walkways Slide22

Bog Restoration example, Quebec, CanadaSlide23

Bog Restoration Steps &Pics 1Slide24

Bog Restoration Steps & Pics 2Slide25

Bog Restoration Steps & Pics3