MANCH PROJECT
The Manch Estate is a private woodland estate of 320 acres in County Cork, Ireland. The INFF leased Manch from 2006 when it became the base for all operations for the INFF and Green Economy Foundation until our move in 2021.
During that time Manch was home to all aspects of the work of our organisation
- The Office and headquarters.
- The education centre and classroom, focusing on primary, secondary and third level education programmes.
- The restoration of the Victorian walled garden as a biodiversity garden with living willow sculptures, aged fruit trees and many species of flora and fauna.
- The management and restoration of approximately 100 acres of old mixed woodland.
- Extensive hedgerow establishment, restoration and management.
- Establishment of approximately 100 acres of forestry trials including our woodland establishment trials and oak provenance and progency trials.
- 25 kilometers of pathways comprising woodland and riparian walks.
- Habitat creation and restoration including establishing ponds and wetland areas
- Hazel and willow coppice
- Natural regeneration trials
- Timber extraction and processing
- Community education, open days, guided walks, family events, community groups
- Corporate educational events
- Research students and post-graduate internships
- Hosting volunteer groups
- Planting days
The Manch Project showcases many different aspects of land management providing a platform for discussion with a wide variety of participants including farmers, landowners, NGO’s, environmental groups, private businesses and the Forest Service to inform broad and fair debate on sustainable development in forestry and other related industries.
Woodland establishment, maintenance &research.
Specific projects at Manch are based around monitoring and maintenance of the woodland and tree-cover on the estate.
- Areas of existing mature woodland are being restored and re-structured using systems and timescales that allow for minimal disturbance and give flora and fauna the best possible chance of adapting to any changes.
- With many old hedgerows already on the estate, we have worked at restoring and managing overgrown hedges,establishing new hedgerows and adding demonstrations of different hedge-laying techniques at appropriate places.
- Areas that were previously under tillage or grassland have been planted using techniques that INFF wished to investigate and promote. Two such regimes are the ‘Shelter Well System’ and ‘Matrix Planting’.
- Trials of different planting techniques and species mix for riparian zone management.
- Coppice establishment for short and longer rotations for sustainable sources firewood, small diameter timber and other materials.
- Oak provenance and progeny trials: Manch is the location of one of three national oak trials put in place in 2006. For more details on the oak trials please click here.
PLANTED 2 MILLION TREES
Trees on the Land is a cross-border initiative from the Green Economy Foundation. The project works to establish young native trees at sites across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland where it is partnered with The Woodland Trust.
The vision is to establish tree cover and woodland in rural and urban areas that will grow for many years and provide valuable resources, beneficial ecosystem services and a lasting legacy for future generations.
The planting initiative provides a simple scheme for landowners to access quality native tree mixes each season. We work with farmers, smallholders, community groups, councils, schools, colleges, sports clubs and many other landowners to coordinate sites to accommodate trees. The trees are funded by a combination of donations from the general public, contributions from landowners and sponsorship from local businesses. The initiative is run by a small team of professionals and a large network of volunteers who work to co-ordinate the planting projects each season.
We plant small woodlands, coppices, orchards, hedgerows, shelter belts, agroforestry projects, reforestation sites and larger woodlands. The project has planted over two million trees since 2013.
For more information please see www.treesontheland.com
EDUCATION
Education – our education groups ran from 2005 to its abrupt ending with the Covid lockdown of 2020. During that time, we worked with 1,000s of primary, secondary and third level students every year as well as adult groups,corporate groups and community-based organisations. We have extensive experience in the delivery of environmental education with a passionate commitment to enhancing knowledge of the environment and connection with the natural world as an important aspect of health and well-being, and as a way to mitigate biodiversity loss through destruction of nature. For up to date information on our education programme see projects.
