The news in Brief
DAFM's Host a Hive initiative
This letter will go out with annual Native Woodland Scheme premium payments to native woodland owners annually until the premium payment term comes to an end, i.e 15 years.
15th May 2019
«Title» «Name»
«Address1»
«Address2»
«Address3»
«Address4»
«Eircode»
Ref. Management Guidelines for Ireland’s Native Woodlands and the 'Host a Hive, Help the Honey Bee!' initiative
Dear «Title» «Surname»
I am writing to inform you of a publication that will be of direct relevance to your native woodland. The publication is a full-colour book entitled Management Guidelines for Ireland’s Native Woodlands, and is the result of a joint initiative between the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine and the Department of Culture, Heritage & the Gaeltacht. It provides owners and practitioners with key information on establishing and managing native woodlands as a living part of our countryside, to realise their full potential regarding woodland biodiversity, the protection of water, and the realisation of sustainable produces.
Management Guidelines for Ireland’s Native Woodlands is available in hardcopy and also in download from the following websites:
Host a hive, help the honey bee!
In recent years, honey bees have suffered severe decline world-wide for a variety of reasons including disease, pests, climate change and pesticides. Native woodland is an excellent source of pollen and nectar throughout the spring, summer and autumn seasons from the wide array of woodland flowers in the ground flora, shrub layer and tree canopy. As native woodlands created and restored under the Native Woodland Scheme (NWS) are not intensively managed, with the primary objective being biodiversity enhancement, there is scope to develop synergy and practical measures to optimise pollination and pollinators.
As a contribution towards the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, a national strategy to address pollinator decline and to protect pollination services, Woodlands of Ireland and the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine wish to highlight to woodland owners involved with the NWS the opportunity for linkage with the Federation of Irish Beekeepers' Associations (FIBKA) and the Irish Beekeepers’ Association clg (IBA clg) through their local branches. This association could allow members of these organisations to establish hives within new native woodlands planted under the scheme, as well as ancient, old and scrub native woodlands restored under the scheme. This initiative is also supported by the Native Irish Honeybee Society (NIHBS), which promotes the conservation and re-introduction of the native Irish honey bee throughout Ireland.
FIBKA and the IBA clg already enter into this type of arrangement with other landowners throughout Ireland, and can assure that NWS woodland owners are not liable for any incidents concerning this proposed new arrangement. In this regard, each beekeeper has his/her own insurance policy to cover any accidents or injuries arising from beekeeping activities.
As well as providing much needed foraging for honey bees and thereby advancing the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, woodland owners may enjoy the prospect of their woodland providing this additional 'ecosystem service', also resulting in increased pollination in your woodland. There is also the possibility of sampling honey produced – in part at least – from your own woodland!
In time, this may also develop further through the creation of local honey-producing initiatives, as illustrated by the Nectar Way agri-food tourism initiative, which is establishing County Wicklow as a honey tasting destination (see www.thenectarway.com). Remember, every little bit helps, and your action will contribute positively to bees, pollination and the environment.
So, as an owner of a woodland created or restored under the Native Woodland Scheme, if you are interested in the idea of hosting a beehive (or a number of hives) and helping the honey bee, and in that way, contribute to the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, contact either FIBKA via www.irishbeekeeping.ie/ (and under the ‘Contact Us’ tab, your nearest local FIBKA Association) or the IBA clg at www.irishbeekeepersassociation.com (and under ‘Map of affiliated associations’ tab).
Further information on NIHBS can be obtained at www. http://nihbs.org/ For further details on the 'Host a Hive' initiative, please contact Dr Declan Little, Project Manager, Woodlands of Ireland, woodsofireland@gmail.com
Hosting a hive would be very much in keeping with the objectives of the Native Woodland Scheme, as it will promote biodiversity within both the woodland itself and the surrounding countryside. As such, the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine hope that you would give serious consideration to this opportunity, as it will help the honey bee establish another foothold on its journey back to recovery.
Please note, this letter introduces the opportunity that now exists between woodland owners and beekeeping associations, to host a hive. Engagement is purely voluntary, and no liability shall be attached to the Minister for Agriculture, Food & the Marine for any injury, loss or damage to any person or property in respect activities within the woodland arising from this letter.
Yours sincerely,
________________________________
Christine Smith
Forestry Division
This letter will go out with annual Native Woodland Scheme premium payments to native woodland owners annually until the premium payment term comes to an end, i.e 15 years.
15th May 2019
«Title» «Name»
«Address1»
«Address2»
«Address3»
«Address4»
«Eircode»
Ref. Management Guidelines for Ireland’s Native Woodlands and the 'Host a Hive, Help the Honey Bee!' initiative
Dear «Title» «Surname»
I am writing to inform you of a publication that will be of direct relevance to your native woodland. The publication is a full-colour book entitled Management Guidelines for Ireland’s Native Woodlands, and is the result of a joint initiative between the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine and the Department of Culture, Heritage & the Gaeltacht. It provides owners and practitioners with key information on establishing and managing native woodlands as a living part of our countryside, to realise their full potential regarding woodland biodiversity, the protection of water, and the realisation of sustainable produces.
Management Guidelines for Ireland’s Native Woodlands is available in hardcopy and also in download from the following websites:
- www.agriculture.gov.ie/forestservice/publications/
- www.npws.ie/publications/
- www.woodlandsofireland.com/publications
Host a hive, help the honey bee!
In recent years, honey bees have suffered severe decline world-wide for a variety of reasons including disease, pests, climate change and pesticides. Native woodland is an excellent source of pollen and nectar throughout the spring, summer and autumn seasons from the wide array of woodland flowers in the ground flora, shrub layer and tree canopy. As native woodlands created and restored under the Native Woodland Scheme (NWS) are not intensively managed, with the primary objective being biodiversity enhancement, there is scope to develop synergy and practical measures to optimise pollination and pollinators.
As a contribution towards the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, a national strategy to address pollinator decline and to protect pollination services, Woodlands of Ireland and the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine wish to highlight to woodland owners involved with the NWS the opportunity for linkage with the Federation of Irish Beekeepers' Associations (FIBKA) and the Irish Beekeepers’ Association clg (IBA clg) through their local branches. This association could allow members of these organisations to establish hives within new native woodlands planted under the scheme, as well as ancient, old and scrub native woodlands restored under the scheme. This initiative is also supported by the Native Irish Honeybee Society (NIHBS), which promotes the conservation and re-introduction of the native Irish honey bee throughout Ireland.
FIBKA and the IBA clg already enter into this type of arrangement with other landowners throughout Ireland, and can assure that NWS woodland owners are not liable for any incidents concerning this proposed new arrangement. In this regard, each beekeeper has his/her own insurance policy to cover any accidents or injuries arising from beekeeping activities.
As well as providing much needed foraging for honey bees and thereby advancing the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, woodland owners may enjoy the prospect of their woodland providing this additional 'ecosystem service', also resulting in increased pollination in your woodland. There is also the possibility of sampling honey produced – in part at least – from your own woodland!
In time, this may also develop further through the creation of local honey-producing initiatives, as illustrated by the Nectar Way agri-food tourism initiative, which is establishing County Wicklow as a honey tasting destination (see www.thenectarway.com). Remember, every little bit helps, and your action will contribute positively to bees, pollination and the environment.
So, as an owner of a woodland created or restored under the Native Woodland Scheme, if you are interested in the idea of hosting a beehive (or a number of hives) and helping the honey bee, and in that way, contribute to the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, contact either FIBKA via www.irishbeekeeping.ie/ (and under the ‘Contact Us’ tab, your nearest local FIBKA Association) or the IBA clg at www.irishbeekeepersassociation.com (and under ‘Map of affiliated associations’ tab).
Further information on NIHBS can be obtained at www. http://nihbs.org/ For further details on the 'Host a Hive' initiative, please contact Dr Declan Little, Project Manager, Woodlands of Ireland, woodsofireland@gmail.com
Hosting a hive would be very much in keeping with the objectives of the Native Woodland Scheme, as it will promote biodiversity within both the woodland itself and the surrounding countryside. As such, the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine hope that you would give serious consideration to this opportunity, as it will help the honey bee establish another foothold on its journey back to recovery.
Please note, this letter introduces the opportunity that now exists between woodland owners and beekeeping associations, to host a hive. Engagement is purely voluntary, and no liability shall be attached to the Minister for Agriculture, Food & the Marine for any injury, loss or damage to any person or property in respect activities within the woodland arising from this letter.
Yours sincerely,
________________________________
Christine Smith
Forestry Division
