Under the theme of REGENERATION!, on Saturday November 23rd and as a finale to the Galway Science and Technology Festival, we are inviting people to join us in planting a series of small native fruit orchards in Terryland Forest Park.
Participants will also be introduced to the first monuments in the city to both the farming and Mincéir communities of the city who were once such an integral part of the landscape that is now Galway city and which gives due recognition to their traditional practices that today would be viewed as sustainable and part of a modern Circular Economy approach. On show also will be replica elements of a late 17th century Hedge School that is being reborn as a 21st century Outdoor Classroom, and on activities that are been undertaken to help in the reintroduction of organic farming in the city and in restoring a lost wetland.
Furthermore an exhibition will take place of photos from the former St. Brendan’s National School which closed down in 1992 and whose student population came from the nearby neighbourhoods of Bohermore, Wellpark, Riverside, Sandy Road and Tuam Road. The images are from the BEO online heritage archives of the Insight Research Centre for Data Analytics at the University of Galway.
Heritage Orchards
In the last five decades the majority of traditional orchards, which were made up of a mosaic of habitats such as meadows, hedgerows and woods, have been lost to built development and intensive farming leading to Ireland probably having the lowest such biodiversity-rich land cover in Europe. As a result many varieties of native fruit trees and bushes faced extinction, only saved from such a fate thanks to the efforts of dedicated conservationists such as Seedsavers in county Clare.
Date/Times: November 24th, 10am
Location: Meet at An Nead(Irish for the 'Nest') hut at Sandy Road entrance to Terryland Forest Park- https://maps.app.goo.gl/fMuwWXpK5ziFQRL17
Please wear clothing suitable for outdoor planting and rainy weather.
