… and the largest rewilding area in South Dublin. Networks for Nature!
Why are hedgerows important?
Notice Nature Hedgerow Factsheet states that:
“As we have so little native woodland in Ireland, hedges are an important substitute for woodland edge habitat. They host a wide range of plant and shrub species, insects, birds and mammals. Most hedgerows originate from planting and typically form field or property boundaries.
Historically, many of our hedgerows would have been planted from the 18th century onwards, following the enactment of legislation requiring landowners to enclose their land. Today, it is estimated that Ireland has a hedgerow length of around 300,000km.”
But some hedgerows are much older and were established to mark townland boundaries. Heritage hedgerows are of high ecological, historical and landscape significance.
And we have 2.492 km of mostly HERITAGE HEDGEROWS including a townland boundary! These hedgerows are of county ecological importance.
As stated in the Rathcoole Lands Ecology Assessment:
“This is because they have features such as being non-linear, associated with a
watercourse or parish boundary, the boundary is present on old OSI
mapping, or they score highly in terms of species richness, hedgebank and
ditch features and connectivity.”
Better still, our hedgerows are next to and in places part of the Alluvial Woodland, making a wonderful array of connected habitats.
Rathcoole Woodlands and the largest rewilding area in South Dublin, a biodiversity gem on our doorstep of significant conservation importance for birds, bats and habitats.
https://www.noticenature.ie/
Ireland’s biodiversity public awareness programme, providing information on places to visit, educational resources and events nationwide.
