Minister Heather Humphreys has welcomed the announcement that St. Killian’s Heritage Trust in Co Cavan and River Blackwater Catchment Trust in Co Monaghan have been approved for funding under the Peatlands Community Engagement Scheme.

St. Killian’s Heritage Trust will receive€10,000 to complete an oral history project, to purchase interactive screens, to purchase equipment for educational purposes, to produce a calendar, to exhibit old agricultural bog tools and to hold nature awareness and sensory experiences, ecology and climate change experiences and mental health awareness experiences.

Meanwhile, River Blackwater Catchment Trust will receive €7,500 to complete the removal of approximately 50 ha of self-seeding conifers and rhododendron within Slieve Beagh Special Protection Area.

Minister Heather Humphreys said: “I know from my own experience that hands-on local action can have enormous positive impacts - not just for nature and biodiversity, but also for people in terms of physical and mental health and wellbeing. Investments in nature deliver enormous social value, which is especially important in these challenging times.”

Malcolm Noonan T.D., Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform today, announced that he has approved grant funding of just under €230,000 to 25 community groups and organisation's for a variety of peatlands related projects across Ireland.

Announcing the funding under the Peatlands Community Engagement Scheme, which has been operating for the last number of years, the Minister stated that he was delighted to see the diverse range of initiatives put forward by such active community and volunteer groups and environmental organisation's. The Minister stated that the amount of high quality applications received for 2021 was impressive and he was delighted there was such a geographic spread – with projects in 15 counties set to benefit.

He said: “The high volume and quality of applications to the Scheme shows just how much communities care about and value their local peatlands, and how much enthusiasm there is across the country for local people to work together to protect, explore and enjoy the seprecious habitats. These kinds of bottom-up initiatives are inspiring and I’m proud to have the opportunity to support them.”

This funding allocation - a two-fold increase on last year’s allocation to the scheme - will support various projects in local peatland areas from boardwalks, maintenance of bog trails, peatland restoration plans, information signage and way finder markers, the surveying of bog habitats and birds, promotional material and publications, oral history projects, invasive species control and peatland education programmes to nature awareness, wellness and sensory experiences.