Biodiversity and Conservation
Sligo County Council has a commitment to the protection and enhancement of biodiversity throughout the entire county and is taking part in several initiatives and programmes to achieve this.
All Ireland Pollinator Plan
Sligo County Council has signed up to the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, which encourages landscaping and land management practices which promote native flowering plants to bloom, proving food for pollinator insects and increasing biodiversity. This has been implemented in public lands throughout the county, and the council has been proactive in erecting signage and training outdoor staff to reduce mowing and the use of herbicides.
More information on the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan can be found here. Resources for how you can encourage biodiversity in your own garden and a list of pollinator-friendly native plant species can be found here.
Sand Dune Awareness Campaign
Every year, Sligo County Council takes part in the Sand Dune Awareness Campaign run by the Climate Action Regional Office. This is an awareness building campaign designed to remind visitors to our local beaches of the importance and fragility of our sand dune systems. We try to encourage visitors and locals of coastal communities to consider the vulnerability of these ecosystems before walking, running, or playing on them. We do this using signage, social media posts and education programmes.
More information on this campaign can be found here.
Creation of Native Woodlands on Public Land Scheme
This scheme was created by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications to encourage public bodies with unused land to plant native forestry. So far, Sligo County Council has engaged with the Western Forestry Co-op, the HSE and Coillte on the creation of a native forest in Cloonamahon Native Woodland Park.
Sligo County Council is eager to continue to take part in the Native Woodland Scheme on council owned lands which are unsuitable for other developments.
View further information on this scheme.