Offaly landowners to be offered support to create more space for nature on their land

The Hare’s Corner, an innovative biodiversity initiative by the non-profit organisation Burrenbeo Trust in conjunction with Offaly County Biodiversity Office, is being rolled out this year to landowners in Co. Offaly.

This follows the successful growth of the initiative, which has helped create 1,600 habitats for biodiversity across four counties since its launch in 2021.

Inspired by the term ‘The Hare’s Corner’ - an old farming expression for an awkward section of a field which wasn’t intensively farmed and so was ‘left to nature’ - the aim of this project is to help create habitats that have proven benefits for biodiversity, for climate-action as well as for the wellbeing of participants.

The Hare’s Corner project offers landowners practical support to carry out simple but impactful actions for nature such as creation of a wildlife pond, a native mini-woodland, a wildlife hedge, a heritage mini-orchard, with apple trees from Irish Seed Savers Association and/or a bespoke ‘plan for nature’ for their site. This support is offered in the form of materials (mixed species of native trees and heritage apple trees), micro-funding (towards machinery costs for pond digging), professional services (such as a hydrologist’s visit to help plan a pond, or an ecologist’s visit to ‘plan for nature’) and guidance.

Ricky Whelan, Biodiversity officer for Co. Offaly commented, “Offaly County Council are delighted to partner with The Hare’s Corner project and warmly welcome its launch in Co. Offaly. Many people want to do something proactive for nature and just need that extra nudge and some expertise in how to do it. The Hare’s Corner meets this need by providing the encouragement, advice, and micro-funding to do it. We look forward to providing the local support necessary to bring this fantastic opportunity to participants in Co. Offaly.

“The growing demand for this initiative has been truly inspiring. Many landowners are eager to support nature but often struggle with knowing where or how to begin. The Hare’s Corner initiative bridges this gap between awareness and action by offering practical guidance, essential materials, and, when needed, micro-funding - helping turn intentions into impactful biodiversity actions on the ground,” says Fionn-Doyle Chowen of Burrenbeo Trust.

The Hare’s Corner initiative in Co.Offaly in 2025 will be funded through a combination of public and private sector funding, including the National Parks and Wildlife Service's Local Biodiversity Action Fund and is an action of the National Biodiversity Action Plan 2023 – 2030, and private funders.

Applications are open from March 6-20 for landowners in County Offaly as well as counties Limerick, Galway, Carlow, Sligo and Meath, and can be accessed through www.burrenbeo.com/thc . If the call is oversubscribed, then priority will be given to Burrenbeo Trust Members.

Landowners, farmers, community groups, and schools with land in an eligible county—or with permission to undertake work on a site within that county—are welcome to apply.

However, those participating in the ACRES or NPWS Farm Plan Scheme, as well as landowners with sites in designated areas (SACs, SPAs etc), are not currently eligible.