Sustainability
Read about some of the actions we have taken to be more environmentally friendly
Increasing biodiversity - Our Pollinator Plan
In 2023, we delighted to be national winners in the All-Ireland Pollinator plan.
Examples of some of the pollinator friendly actions we have taken are:
- The planters in the village and the flower beds we maintain around the village all contain pollinator friendly species
- No pesticides or herbicides are used by the Raheny Tidy Village Group. This policy was decided in 2020 and has been very successful. Hand weeding can be time consuming, but it is worth putting in the time to protect pollinators and other wildlife.
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- We support 'no mow May' which encourages people not to cut their lawns in May and allow wildflowers to bloom. Several areas in the village have been designated 'no mow' areas.
- We run an annual seed swap in October. At this event we raise awareness about the importance of sustainable planting and using locally sourced seeds.
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Leaf Composting
Sweeping up the leaves from the deciduous trees is one of the big jobs we do in Raheny each autumn. We leave the leaves alone from flower beds and lawns as they nourish the soil and provide a home for lots of creatures over the winter. But it is important to have footpaths clear to avoid injury to pedestrians.
We now have several large leaf bins in the in the village to compost leaves. We use the leaf mould to mulch flowerbeds.
Water Conservation
We have installed water butts in several locations around the village and use this to water plants in the village. In the planters and hanging baskets, we choose drought-tolerant plants which need less watering.
River Santry
One of our long term goals is to make a river walk through the village. ​
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​The banks of the Santry river have been chosen as a protected habitat because of the different plants that grow there. Rivers are known as an excellent sites for biodiversity and the Santry river is an important habitat in our village.
We carry out regular cleaning and removal of rubbish from the river. We also do regular river testing.
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In 2022 a biodiversity study of the river identified tree species such as willow and alder which provide vital food for early pollinators and wildflowers such as dog violet and cuckoo pint.
Sustainable Planting
We aim to grow more and more plants from seed, cuttings, or donations from our volunteers' gardens in order to reduce plastic waste. The herb planter in this photo was planted with chives, thyme, mint and oregano donated from the gardens of volunteers.
Sunflower Competition
The Raheny Tidy Village ‘Tallest Sunflower’ competition was devised to raise awareness about the importance of pollinator friendly plants. It has been a great success so far with entries from across the community from individuals, schools and nurseries.
Watermill Woodland
We identified the woodland area beside the shops at the corner of Watermill Road as one place that could be improved and enjoyed by the local community. It has been designated as an area in the village where dandelions flourish in the spring and there is a succession to other wildflowers in spring and summer. This area has ben chosen as it is in the centre of the village and is a different kind of habitat that could be valuable to ground nesting bees. The grass is not cut in the woodland to provide a habitat for a variety of insects and other invertebrates.
A mulch path has been installed through this small woodland which discourages people from walking on the wildflowers. On advice from a local ecologist, Dr Mary Tubridy, we have planted an understorey of native ferns, shrubs and climbers to enhance the woodland. There is some control necessary of dock and goose grass until the new planting has become established and two dedicated volunteers manage the control of these plants.