The North Clare business community is getting involved in keeping the roads and laneways of the Burren tidy through a scheme rolled out by the Burren Ecotourism Network (BEN), and supported by Clare County Council and the Burren & Cliffs of Moher Geopark
Over 30 businesses have already signed up to the Adopt a Hedgerow Scheme, which sees participants clearing, monitoring and reporting on litter in the protected landscape of the Burren.
The Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark is providing training and materials to BEN under the GeoparkLIFE project to ensure that adopt a hedgerow becomes a long term scheme that will inspire other business communities in other
parts of the county.
BEN says the scheme will be extended in June to include the reporting of invasive species such as Japanese Knotweed, Giant Hogweed and Dogwood, which can negatively impact on native species that have been part of the Burren
ecosystem for millennia.
“Each of the participating businesses, which are all members of our network, is taking responsibility for keeping an eye on a defined section of hedgerow, reporting any dumping and periodically clearing the area of litter, commented Janet Cavanagh of the Burren Ecotourism Network (BEN).
Karen Foley, Environmental Awareness Officer with Clare County Council said,”We are delighted to lend our support to this innovative initiative which is targeted at prompting community-wide action to combat litter in one of the county’s most scenic areas.”
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.