Cork GAA club plants more than 120 trees in city-wide climate and biodiversity initiative
Cllr Kenneth Collins Cork City Council, Maria Young of Green Spaces for Health, members of St. Vincent’s GAA and Revolution pictured at recent tree planting drive at in St. Vincent’s GAA. Picture: Alison Miles
A GAA club on the northside of Cork City has planted over 120 trees on its grounds as part of an ambitious city-wide community climate and biodiversity scheme.
St Vincent’s GAA Club has also upgraded the internal lighting in its club building after being chosen as one of 23 community groups to receive a share of an €860,000 fund, which was set up to help fund specific climate and biodiversity projects as the city strives to become carbon neutral by 2030.
Cork City Council’s Community Climate Action Programme Fund is supported by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and was set up to fund specific on-the-ground projects such as the installation of solar panels or tree planting.
Club treasurer and city councillor, Sinn Féin's Kenneth Collins, contacted Maria Young from the Green Spaces for Health group for help with the tree-planting project.
“I knew our club would be a great site for trees, but I didn’t know what to plant,” he said.
“I met Maria through the community climate leadership meetups and found out from her that there are schools and communities across the city growing saplings.
“The saplings needed homes, and we had land to plant them in, so it was a win for everyone, including nature and climate.” Ms Young said the acorns were collected from two Cork City trees by local school children.
“They were planted in the specialised boxes by school communities across the city, then potted-on and minded by them for two years,” she said.
“Now more hands are planting them out. The amount of people involved is wonderful.”
A team from the Wilton-based web and digital marketing company, Revolution, helped out with the major planting project – the company’s second time working with Green Spaces for Health.
They collected the saplings from the tree nurseries and brought them to St Vincent’s. Company founder and owner Matt Sroka said his team was delighted to get involved.
“We, as a company, embed initiatives like this that are good for people and the planet in the way we do business,” he said.
“It comes from our strong to urge to ‘give back’. We can make a greener future one tree at a time, but it takes a city working together to grow a community that can act for climate.” National Tree Week takes place next week and more community planting is planned, with around 20 community groups taking part.
Coillte is providing sapling trees to county councils for distribution to communities nationwide.
Following the huge success of last year’s public tree giveaway, when hundreds of people queued at Tramore Valley Park for free saplings, Cork City Council confirmed that it will again distribute trees to the public, with details and locations to be announced later this week.
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