MWM Bog Heritage Project

Presentation to local communityCoolronan Ecology Centre

16 Nov 2012

Introduction• This project was setup in Nov 2011 by a group of people in the locality. • The project group is called MWM Bog Heritage Group

(Meath/Westmeath) and is based here in this building • We have commenced a bog heritage project which targets a number of objectives

Objective Summary

• To develop an area within Bord Na Mona managed section of Ballivor bog as an amenity for the locality and for visitors.

• Develop this area within the bog where native bog plants and wildlife can flourish for educational and environmental reasons

• To promote the heritage aspect of Ballivor 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 locality. This is a long-term objective

Objective 1• To develop an area within Bord Na Mona managed section of Ballivor bog

as an amenity for the locality and for visitors.

Ballivor Bog was a raised bog that comprises an area of 7,000 acres approx. Bord Na Móna have ownership and control of 5,500 acres of the total.

The project group have had discussions with Bord Na Móna to section an area within the bog to be left as part of a bog preservation and restoration project

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 + Ling Heather, Lichens, Cranberries, Bog Asphodel. Native Animals: Fox, Hare, Deer, Bat Native Amphibians: Otter, Newt , Common FrogNative Birds : Red Grouse, Corncrake, Curlew, Merlin , Lapwing, Hen Harrier, Skylark, Meadow, PipitAnd many varieties of Invertebrates: Slugs, Spiders, Moths, and butterflies, Dragonflies, Damselflies ,Beetles

(List compiled from IPCC website)

Objective 3• To develop the heritage aspect of Ballivor bog for the interest of

current and former residents of the area, and for the wider community

• The group has met with some senior members of the community to recall their recollections of growing up in and around Ballivor bog and their stories have been noted. We plan to present these details on the website in the near future

• 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.

• Plan to develop this building as a Bog Heritage and Information Centre

Objective 4• Bring some employment and business opportunities to the

locality

If the project proceeds as planned , there is an opportunity to support existing businesses in the locality eg

• Ground work contractors to develop walkways and removal of items dumped in bog

• Also once the site is established shops, hotels, guesthouses ,minibus operators who would benefit by visitors to the area

Activities To Date

• Activities to date include

• Creation of membership cards to cover costs such as stationery , public liability insurance etc Feb 2012. Membership €5• Creation of website www.mwmbogproject.wordpress.com Feb 2012• Presentation to Ballivor Community and Renaissance Group March 2012 • Visited headquarters of IPCC (Irish Peatland Conservation Council) in Lullymore, Co Kildare April 2012• Meetings with senior residents of Ballivor Bog May 2012

Activities To Date continued• Meeting with Meath Leader archaeologist re house ruin and Cloneycavan

Man June 2012• Meeting with environmentalist , Eanna Ni Lamhna June 2012• Meeting with Bord na Mona Feb , July 2012• Meeting with Meath Co Council Heritage Dept Aug 2012• Meeting with NPWS to discuss wildlife Sept 2012• Attended Bog Regeneration course run by IPCC Sept 2012• Formal application to Meath Leader for funding Sept 2012• Facebook page creation Sept 2012• Approval from Meath Leader for this project to proceed Oct 2012• Meath Leader appointed project consultants commenced ecology survey of Ballivor bog , and organised funding application. Oct/Nov 2012• Attended Irish Peat Society seminar, Mayo Oct 2012

Future Activities Planned• Website content update ; pictures and videos

• Develop Heritage and Information centre in this building

• Visit centres around the country especially Clara , Abbeyleix and Lough Boora to get further ideas on bog heritage and amenities

• Develop Facebook presence

• Promote the study of bees and relationship to flora and fauna of a bog

• Present environmental awareness evenings in the centre

Other • This project is not intruding on any privately owned parts of Ballivor bog , only a section of Bord Na Mona bog as previously outlined.

• The group is not opposed to private owners cutting turf

• The project is planned to be a long term one which will take time to develop and maintain

• Thanks to Paul Nolan , Swan Inn proprietor for allowing the group to be located in this building lease free for the near future.

Ordnance Survey map of Bog

Uses for Irish Peatlands and their resources

• Animal Bedding• Bird Watching• Bog wood for carving• Camping , Orienteering , Fishing• Clay Pigeon Shooting• Bog snorkelling• Walking trails• Peat smoking of fish & whisky• Medicinal Plants , Heather honey• Balneology , therapies(Ref Irish Peatland Conservation Council )

Items found in Irish Bogs

• Bog Oak• Bog Butter• Human remains• Humour– I lived in a bog for decades and didn't age a day.

Unfortunately, I smelled like rotten peat moss the whole time and couldn't get a date in spite of my eternally youthful looks.

In retrospect, it just wasn't worth the hassle

……Sometimes you can live in the bog too long

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 MWM Bog Project has in mind to promote and sustain the bog.

Bogs Formation

• Bogs develop under conditions of low temperature, high acidity, low nutrient supply, stagnant water, and oxygen deficiency.

• Typical bog plants are sphagnum moss, rushes, and cotton grass; insectivorous plants such as sundews and bladderworts are common in bogs (insect prey make up for the lack of nutrients)

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.

General Principles for Bog Restoration

• Identifying 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 wetlands

Bog Restoration Practical Steps

• Surface Preparation• Plant Collection from donor site• Plant Spreading• Straw spreading• Fertilization• Raise water level

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.

Reference Canadian Peat Harvesting and the Environment," published by the North American Wetlands Conservation Council

(Canada)]

• 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.

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 environment

Effects of Carbon emission• Once a peat bog dries out, it starts emitting carbon by giving off

carbon dioxide gas (CO2) 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.

Flora and Fauna

Bees

Wetlands

Amenity Activities

Bird Watching Bog Tours

Nature Trails Raised walkways