The Hare’s Corner biodiversity initiative is marking its 5th anniversary by creating a projected 1,600 habitats for biodiversity in six counties this year.
The Hare’s Corner takes its name from the old farming expression for an awkward section of a field which wasn’t intensively farmed and was therefore left to nature.
This year, landowners in Galway, Limerick, Sligo, Meath, Offaly and Carlow are being supported in the creation of wildlife ponds, mini-woodlands, hedgerows, mini-orchards and plans for nature on their land through the initiative.
To mark the project’s fifth anniversary, The Hare’s Corner launched a dedicated website this week (www.theharescorner.ie) complete with practical tips, infographics and short videos aimed at helping people to create their own Hare’s Corners.
Examples of the practical tips on creating Hare’s Corners include ‘how to plant a native tree’, ‘how to create a pond for wildlife’, ‘how to create a dead hedge habitat’, ‘how to create a wildflower meadow’ and many more.
The project delivered 100 Hare’s Corners in Clare in its first year, 2021. This increased to 900 in four counties in 2024, and it is already well on the way to meeting its projection of 1,600 in six counties this year.
The delivery of the habitats has also become more economical with the expansion of the project, with an average price per habitat of €500 in 2021 projected to be halved to €250 this year.
The Hare’s Corner is coordinated by Burrenbeo Trust, a national non-profit organisation that supports people to take positive action for their local landscapes.
Its flagship programmes – ‘Farming for Nature’, ‘Heritage Keepers’ and ‘The Hare’s Corner’ – initiated in and inspired by the Burren are spreading across the country due to their proven efficacy and demand.
The Hare’s Corner project offers landowners practical support to carry out simple but impactful actions for nature in the form of materials (mixed species of common and rare native trees and heritage apple trees), micro-funding (towards machinery costs for pond digging), and professional services (such as input from a hydrologist or ecologist).
This year, Burrenbeo Trust has partnered with biodiversity officers in counties Galway, Limerick, Sligo, Meath, Offaly, Carlow and Galway city to deliver Hare’s Corners.
The initiative is being funded through a combination of public and private sector funding, including the National Parks and Wildlife Service’s Local Biodiversity Action Fund and is an action of the National Biodiversity Action Plan 2023 – 2030.
Private funders include the Life’s2Good Foundation, SSE Generation Green Fund, NTR PLC, Greencoat Renewables PLC, ESB, 123.ie, and Aldi Stores Ltd.
The project plans to expand its reach in 2026 with the ambition of ultimately going nationwide and welcomes interest from private and public funders to help achieve this.
It is also interested in hearing from ecologists and hydrologists who have hands-on experience of working with people and nature and who would like to join The Hare’s Corner team as freelance advisors in their own counties.
Lee Worrell, The Hare’s Corner Coordinator, says, “We believe that by enabling thousands of small, tangible actions for nature we can have the collective impact that we need to turn the tide on biodiversity loss.”
“It has been heartening to see the demand out there for making space for nature, for taking the steps that have proven benefits not just for biodiversity but also for climate resilience and for the wellbeing of participants.”
“The Hare’s Corner has been oversubscribed each year, which clearly demonstrates the public appetite for becoming involved in biodiversity initiatives.”
“We would be delighted to welcome new sponsors interested in helping us to expand the reach of The Hare’s Corner next year.”
