Thomas Reidy talks about The Callacoon Woodland Project's forestry journey

This is the story of a group of local people who pooled resources to buy a piece of land and plant it with native forestry - not for profit, but purely for biodiversity. Sparked by an idea from Paul Butler and a few core members who spotted the land for sale, the project grew through donations and community investment into a thriving native woodland since autumn 2020. In this video, Thomas Reidy, one of the project members explains how straightforward the process was, with Teagasc advisers guiding them on which trees would suit local conditions, what grants were available, and which forestry companies could handle planting and fencing. The result is a genuine community amenity - home to a beehive, visited by curious neighbours, and already showing signs of returning wildlife, from native insects and small mammals to lichen growing on the trees, a sign of clean air. The video also touches on the wider benefits of woodland on farmland - from firewood generated through thinning, to better grass growth, to sheep and other farm animals thriving alongside trees. Above all, it's a story about legacy: passing something meaningful on to the next generation, and hopefully inspiring others to plant even a small corner of their own land.