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Tag: CHCDG

Hidden Donegal

November 19, 2016November 19, 2016 ~ www.ancaoradubh.ie ~ Leave a comment

Over the past few months, I have been involved with the Community Development Group here in my local village. The group was dormant for a number of years, but reinstated in February 2016 with new members and a renewed focus.

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Aranya CHCDG Community Compost coppice Design Dulra Education Elaine Ingham Grazing hedgerow Holistic Management Ireland PDC Permaculture Sheep silvopasture Soil soil microbiology trees Woodland

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Another beautiful night on the trail of the #corncrake ; this time on #inishirrer in #gweedore Bay. • These offshore islands are fast becoming the last refuge for the #corncrake here in #ireland as these once-common birds are being pushed to the very fringes of our land, largely by changes in land use, modern farming practices and increased predation on the mainland (often by domestic cats...!). • I consider myself lucky to have the opportunity to visit these forgotten corners. Those generations who made their lives and livelihoods in such a challenging environ must’ve been incredibly tough, but there’s definitely something enchanting in the timelessness and serenity of this spot on a night like this. Not bad as nightshifts go...

Scorching day today...! Hoping this Shou Sugi Ban technique will extend the life of this siding on the new office for a few years. Time will tell, but it sure was therapeutic...! Full build pics to come! • #ecobuild #cabinporn #shousugiban

A little bit more magic than usual in the glen this evening...

Great weather for a wee spin in to Tory Island yesterday to carry out the first of this year’s offshore #Corncrake census and take part in the @rteone #dawnchorus programme. •ou Lots of Corncrake activity already and let me tell you, these fellas aren’t shy at the start of the breeding season! It was incredible to hear them compete for attention within metres of the An Club with their calls echoing off the buildings! • #conservation #wildlifeconservation #birdwatchireland #wildatlanticway #wildatlanticwaydonegal #donegal #toryisland

Forget carbon neutral, our farms can be CARBON NEGATIVE! • This is a hugely important step in the #regenerativeagriculture debate - an independent carbon lifecycle assessment recently published indicates that @whiteoakpastures are sequestering at least 100% of carbon emissions from their beef operation through an #holisticmanagement approach, focussing on soil and ecosystem health. @whiteoakpastures is a carbon sink!!! • There is an increasing body of evidence supporting approaches such as holistic planned grazing to improve ecosystem functions and sequester carbon. Link to the report on the @whiteoakpastures bio.

This little dude having a real barney with himself this morning at @joannebutlerourganic ...! 🤣

There’s a stark beauty to the barren hillsides of #donegal, but this landscape tells its own tale. One of degeneration and an ecosystem that is stressed to its very limits. • To consider this landscape in any way “natural” is way wide of the mark, in truth, there are probably no remaining “natural” habitats in Ireland; all bear the mark of “management” in one way or another. Our modern Donegal vista is the product of a degenerative cycle, beginning with the clearance of scrub and woodland to make way for cultivation and the intensification of livestock farming (particularly sheep) and ending with the introduction of #reddeer for sport in the 1800’s - now no longer managed in anything more than a piecemeal manner. • The American economist and geographer J. Russell Smith pointed to the degenerative cycle of “Forest-field-plough-desert” in his seminal work “Tree Crops: A Permanent Agriculture”. The bitter irony of this important book is that it was published in 1929, just a few short years before the onset of the US #dustbowl, one of the worst examples of the degenerative management in agricultural history. In ecological terms, perhaps the Donegal uplands may be more accurately described as a wet desert - in it’s current state it certainly lacks the biodiversity and capacity for carbon and nutrient cycling that it has the potential to support. Conventional management practices are sustaining this ecological stagnation. • Part of the A.C.D vision is to regenerate the ecosystem within which we operate. We do this using the #holisticmanagement model. We use animal impact to stimulate natural systems, then carefully manage rest periods and protect regeneration to ensure we are building resilience through diversity at each iteration. A necessary part of management in our context is managing the artificially high deer population in our area so that natural regeneration can occur. In the absence of predators, the burden falls to us as custodians to take on this role and to ensure it is done in a safe, humane and considered manner. Completing the HCAP Deer Stalking assessment with #countrysportsireland was another step in that process. Big thanks to Ronan and team!

Is there anything more satisfying than a nice steaming load of woodchip...? • This load had been sitting so long it was partially composted and was chock full of earthworms! It’ll make the perfect base for the new veg garden. • Going to play around with a #nodig approach, so a couple of layers of soaked cardboard straight on top of pasture then a good 5” of woodchip for the footpaths. The beds will be made from soil from an old dung heap that has been composting for about 40 years! Seeding has been completed and the recent spell of warm weather should give them a fine kick start in the homemade shower door coldframe (patent pending...😜). Looking forward to seeing how this all goes...

This man is walking around the coastline....!!! - - - This week, we had a visitor; Peter from @ukctc stopped in for a few days rest and we promptly put him to work...🤣, getting the roof structure up for the pole barn. - - - Peter is on a charity trek around the coastline of the UK and Ireland - and when I say coast I mean the TIDELINE! He has walked 10,000 miles to date, starting from Dunnet Head in the north of Scotland, and has raised in the region of £10k for three charities; @rspb_love_nature @renewable_world and the @worldlandtrust . - - - He’ll be “turning the corner” at Bloody Foreland in the next few days, and progressing down the west coast of Ireland over the coming months. You can keep track of his adventure on his IG page @ukctc or on FB at “The Pale Blue Dot” - and of you see him, don’t forget to say hi! - - - He’s roughly half way on this mammoth journey and two years in! To add to the challenge, Peter has opted to sleep outdoors for the duration of his trip and he is entirely unsupported! If you happen to see him around, be sure to support him any way you can; be it a friendly hello, a donation in support of his trek, a hot meal or a days work. - - - We wish you all the best for this important trek Peter, so glad @an_caora_dubh_farm could be a small part of your huge challenge!

Great afternoon spent hanging out with #womenwhofarm @joannebutlerourganic @mcgeejosephine and @peetersnicky - lots of potting-on and prep for the upcoming season; this place is going to be pumping out food in the next few weeks and through the season! . . . Some final details added to the syllabus for the upcoming Intro to #permaculture weekend workshop to be held here at the end of May with Hannah of @earthcare_permaculture_ireland and @joannebutlerourganic - promises to be a great event and ONLY FOUR SPACES REMAINING!!!! Get in touch with Joanne directly (see previous post) to book your spot if you’ve been thinking about it...!

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