The Woodland League

Dedicated to restoring the relationship between people and their native woodlands

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The Woodland League are a not-for-profit voluntary environmental non governmental organisation, an umbrella or focus group made up of groups and individuals keen to highlight and communicate the new awareness of the benefits of ´continuous-cover´, multi-use native woodlands with a view to creating new community native tree nurseries and woodlands. Our aim is to restore the relationship between people and their woodlands.

The Woodland League aims are summarised by what we call the three R´s:
• Regeneration of the Great Forests of Ireland,
• Restoration of the indigenous Forest culture of Ireland,
• Reform of current State forestry policy.

We actively lobby and campaign to change Irish forestry policy through our petition and through the submissions we make to government. We make communities aware of their rights and entitlements under Agenda 21 to clean air, soil and water via increased native woodlands.

Activities:
• We are also interested in promoting research and discussion on the Brehon laws by which Irish society operated until the fall of the Gaelic order.
• Ted Cook and Andrew St.Ledger are involved in promoting native trees (tree lore, planting, crafts, history and general information on the benefits of native trees) through the ´Heritage in Schools´ scheme which is administered through primary schools.
• The WLL also initiates walks and talks, and we visit schools throughout the country promoting native woodland heritage, and actively lobby to change Irish forestry policy. We do represent a number of Irish farmers who approached us through frustration and dissatisfaction with Forest Service advice on tree planting on their lands (they wished to plant native trees and they felt that they were being steered towards non-native conifers.)
• On our website, we provide web space for communities to highlight local forestry concerns such as illegal tree felling and unsustainable use of forest lands for development.
• We also actively help to establish native tree nurseries by working with foresters, landowners, NGOs and community groups. We have a large network of experts to call upon for information and advice in Ireland and abroad, all fully supportive of our initiatives.

Projects:
• A Walk in Ballyseedy Wood - Ted Cook, as part of Kerry Earth Day, leads a walk through Ballyseedy Wood, and describes this fabulous native woodland
• Tangencya: Andrew St. Ledger worked with Zulu wood carvers in Durban in 2004 on a large arts project called ´Tangencya´. The theme of Andrew´s specific project was a conversation between Africa and Ireland to which he gave the title ´Ukumbisana / Meitheal´ (from the Zulu word for ´coming together´ and the Irish word for a community work-party). The context of this conversation was the native trees of Africa and Ireland and together they created a sculpture reflecting this which is being used for educational purposes to foster a connection back to native African trees.
• Tuamgraney woodland project: www.tuamgraney.org
• Broadford Native tree Arboretum project: http://organiccollege.com/2013/11/25/broadford-arboretum-an-eco-tourism-gem-in-west-limerick/

Andrew St. Ledger is the Public Relations Officer of the Woodland League (WLL).

For other net participants we can offer an expert guidance through trained staff, give an expert opinion, procure expert information and establish new contacts in the field of our work.