Peatland Restoration - Biochar, Sheep's Wool and Community Engagement

Peatlands in Practice: Peatland Restoration - Biochar, Sheep's Wool and Community Engagement!

This environmental education workshop is free-of-charge and open to people from all walks of life. Whether you have 100 acres of peatland you are in the process of restoring, or you are simply curious about learning about the beauty and biodiversity of our bogs and doing some hands-on restoration work, all are welcome! 

This workshop will look at less conventional approaches to peatland restoration, including the use of biochar and sheep’s wool as locally available, low environmental impact materials. It will also explore how community involvement can support restoration work and help build a stronger connection between people and their local peatlands.

This is an interactive and hands-on workshop. After a morning classroom session at the centre, the rest of the workshop will be taking place outdoors on the land at the Common Knowledge.  Participants will work together in small groups alongside experienced facilitators. No previous experience is required, just a willingness to get stuck in and learn through doing! All tools and materials will be provided. The session will include time for discussion, reflection, and learning about how these techniques fit into wider peatland restoration efforts. 

A wholesome lunch is provided. 

Our site isn't very accessible at the moment, so those with mobility issues may wish to just attend the classroom learning portion of the workshop at the start of the day. 

Note: Please wear waterproof shoes and weather-appropriate clothing.

We look forward to welcoming you to an afternoon of exploration, education, and community connection!

This workshop will be led by Sinead Grimes - Sinéad Grimes is Project Manager of the Dúlra Project with FORUM Connemara CLG. Her work focuses on community-led habitat restoration, invasive-species management and practical approaches to peatland recovery across Connemara and South Mayo. She has a particular interest in developing useful environmental applications for locally available materials, including sheep wool and biochar produced from invasive vegetation and other land-management residues.

What is the Peatlands in Practice project?

Peatlands in Practice is our new, community-led peatland restoration project! Based at our 50 acres site here at The Common Knowledge centre in Kilfenora, County Clare. 

This project empowers people to take meaningful action. Through practical workshops, interactive tours, collaborations and culture events, participants gain the skills and confidence they need to make a real difference on both a personal and community scale. Over the next 6 months, we will work with ecologists, educators, cultural practitioners, and local communities to restore degraded peatland habitats through hands-on ecosystem restoration education, and together we will learn how to appreciate the beauty of bogs and the importance of restoring them.

This project invites people to take part directly in peatland restoration, reconnecting with the living landscapes shaped by both nature and culture.
Completely free-of-charge and open to all backgrounds and experience levels, this project encourages participants to take what they learn and share it with their communities, creating a positive ripple effect of environmental action.