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CALLING CONCERNED CITIZENS
WOODLAND WATCH
Help save our precious, vanishing
Native Woodlands.
FIND. PROTECT. WATCH.
FACT:
The Irish Government confirms that our Native Woodlands are almost extinct with less than 0.1% island coverage.
This precious 0.1% is constantly being eroded and soon will be gone forever!
If we allow Ireland’s native forests to vanish through our own neglect, we will erase millennia of unique genetic heritage, causing an irreversible collapse in the biodiversity that depends on them.
BUT IS OUR GOVERNMENT NOT PROTECTING OUR NATIVE WOODLANDS?
THE SHORT ANSWER IS NO!
When the Irish government granted legal protection to certain woodlands, it did so based on a single, limited survey of Ireland’s native woodlands (made back in the early 2000’s).
Limited in scope, the survey identified only around 100 sites. These tended to be the larger woodlands.
Of the 100 woodlands somewhat protected through SAC, SPA, NHA, National Park, or Nature Reserve status (as shown on NPWS designation maps), the reality is that these woods are in a poor state. Most of our woodlands are at serious risk. Signs that a woodland may be at risk include:
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Not legally protected.
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Recently sold or transferred.
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Advertised or earmarked for development.
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Grazing or other damaging land use.
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Invasive species threatening native plants.
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No deer fencing or other protection.
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Poor or no management.
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Threats from climate change, pests, and disease.
FACT:
In reality, there are likely hundreds more unidentified Woodlands in Ireland—anywhere from 5 to 12 acres in size—that are equally precious.
These smaller yet still precious forests, scattered across the country, remain unprotected and urgently need safeguarding before they disappear.
These estimated 1,000 unidentified woodlands are in fact being lost to Felling (for grazing or to extract sand or stone etc) to increase the cash value of the land.
Often neither the landowner nor the buyer knows that the Woodland is precious Native Woodland that might be older than Newgrange!
Regrettably some are lost despite knowing the land is under Native trees, but the gain may outweigh the penalties and landowners may not be aware of both supports available nor the impacts on compliance for other subsidies.
“Not a month goes by without us seeing a potential Native Woodland going on sale in the media”
Jim Lawlor Chairman of the Native Woodland Trust
WOODLAND WATCH
FIND. PROTECT. WATCH.
JOIN THE WOODLAND WATCH COMMUNITY
Ireland's remaining native woodlands need eyes on the ground, and that means you!
FIND
Discover a woodland near you and nominate it for protection. We'll show you how to find one and identify it as a native woodland – and how to submit a nomination if it is.
PROTECT
Know a native woodland that is unprotected and in danger?
We will show you how to spot the warning signs , register it and bring it to our attention.
WATCH
Help keep a woodland safe. We will guide you on what to look for. Including immediate danger signs and how to report any changes or threats.
Together, we can protect what's left – and make sure it's still here for the next generation.
WHO CAN HELP?
Farmers and landowners – Know the history of local land and tree cover.
Citizen scientists – Use skills, tools, and data collection methods to help identify, record, and monitor native woodlands.
Local walkers and hikers – Regular visitors who notice changes in woodlands.
Dog walkers – Out daily and often spot unusual activity.
Nature photographers – Capture seasonal changes and rare species.
Birdwatchers – Notice disturbances during nesting seasons.
Cyclists and runners – Frequent rural roads and trails near woodlands.
Residents living near woodlands – First to see threats like felling or dumping.
School teachers & students – Can get involved through environmental projects.
Tidy Towns members – Already active in local biodiversity work.
Heritage and history groups – Often know the location of old or forgotten woodlands.
Community volunteers – Willing to help with surveys, mapping, or monitoring.
Anglers and kayakers – Spend time near riparian woodlands and riverbanks.
CASE STUDY A
This ancient woodland, home to over half of Ireland’s native tree species including rare ones, was long overlooked. Inaccurate surveys and neglect meant it was excluded from protections, and in the 1970s it even faced a felling proposal. It narrowly survived construction of the M6 motorway thanks to the intervention of the county engineer.
Donated to the Woodland Trust in 2013, the site has since been secured and expanded, quadrupling in size by 2022. Today it stands as a rare remnant of Ireland’s ancient woodland heritage, finally protected after decades of disregard.
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CASE STUDY B
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Camcor Wood, shaped by the spate-prone Camcor River, has likely survived for centuries thanks to flooding that made farming impossible. It shelters rare features such as petrifying tufa springs, the spawning grounds of the Croneen Trout, and species found nowhere else.
Though partly protected under EU SAC and SPA designations, the wood has suffered felling, firewood harvesting, and damage from overgrazing deer. Without proper management and fencing, its rare habitats remain at risk despite their protected status.
Mapping your Finds
Help Us Map Ireland’s Native Woodlands.
Every native woodland you find brings us closer to a complete picture of Ireland’s precious forest heritage. Using our Find, Protect, Watch guides, you can help identify, record, and safeguard these vital habitats.
If you’ve discovered a native woodland — whether it’s a hidden gem, an unprotected forest, or one under threat — log it on our site. Your information will appear on our interactive map so others can help keep watch.
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