Leitrim Hedgerow Project

1996 - Before leaving Mohill though I produced an illustrated calendar on Ireland’s rare native hedgerow trees and plants; the drawings are done with a biro from leaf samples collected in Leitrim, the text I put together covering growing habitats, biodiversity info, historic uses and a line of poetry  -the calendar proved popular running into a small second reprint!

Background:

13 years ago - a friend said there was a job going in Co Leitrim with a tree group. New to Ireland and finding work hard to get, I got a lift from a Dublin friend who deposited me in Mohill (my Irish friend had never been to Leitrim and hoped I would be alright!). As some of you might remember me, it was quite an experience to come from New Zealand to Mohill. My job was to set up a small craft shop to highlight Crann’s (an Irish Tree NGO) activities and support local craftspeople who were using native timbers and help in a hedgerow awareness project. The Crann Mohill shop also held a small library and ran local meetings so I got to know and visit some of the ‘local project woodland owners’ and their trees early on.

My background before coming to Ireland was in science but I have always had a strong interest in art. Working for Crann I found I was naturally documenting the many activities of this small group, taking photos, writing the Crann newsletter (only a few pages then!) and generally letting myself be educated by the local group into a new way of thinking about sustainable environments. Coming from New Zealand where we large areas of native forest, it was disquieting to think that Ireland had so much of its woodland cleared and yet it is even more puzzling that it remains the least wooded country in Europe while having the best climate for growing trees.

When the ‘local project’ started in the 1990s, a local Crann school survey confirmed that Leitrim like the rest of Ireland was irresponsibly dependent on tropical and imported timbers. Unfortunately with the ongoing building boom we can sadly admit that we are using more imported timber than ever. So it was truly inspiring to find a small group of people who were working hands on in creating a new vision of forestry for Ireland (or might I say recovering a lost forest culture). Although small, the project really sought to put into practice ‘think global, act locally’.

I worked for a couple of summers in Mohill and then I was fortunate enough to realise a long cherished dream and got a place at the National College of Art & Design in Dublin. Before leaving Mohill though I produced this illustrated calendar- it also gave me the knowledge to recognise most irish tree species.