Image Credit: Comeragh Uplands and Communities EIP Project
The Comeragh Uplands and Communities EIP Project launched their ‘Walking with Wildlife Guide to the Comeragh Mountains’ publication on the 8th of October in Ballymacarbry, Co. Waterford. You can freely download a copy of this guide, which provides information about flora and fauna species found in the area, here.
This EIP-AGRI project aims to build farmer’s capacity to manage their upland habitats and engage with the local communities in order to secure a sustainable social, economic and environmental future. The two actions of the projects are to (i) explore an innovative model of ecologists and farmers sharing their knowledge in a ‘learning by doing’ model on the mountain to grow their knowledge and skills in areas such as sheep production, habitat management and prescribed burning on their commonages and (ii) investigate the feasibility of farmers working with national and local groups to identify how cultural heritage has shaped the habitats and build a local community of interest in the Comeragh Mountains natural and cultural heritage.
The new capacity, knowledge and relationships derived from this project will not only provide the foundation for the mountain’s sustainable management, but also provide a starting point for institutions in developing a module for upland habitat management course for farmers and students as well as help inform an integrated agri-environment rural development strategy to fit the new CAP.
The increased levels of engagement with the broader County Waterford community brought about through the findings and resultant upland publications produced by this project will also result in an improved sharing of the mountain’s landscape, rich plant diversity, and potential to contribute to rural development opportunities.
