On Tuesday 26 May, the SOILCRATES Ireland Living Lab welcomed visitors from Lithuania for a knowledge exchange visit across a number of locations in the Ballyhoura region.
The visiting group included representatives from Lithuanian Living Labs, including Praviršulis Tyrelis LL, Žaliasis Raistas (Dabravolė) LL, Bukta Forest LL and Šimonių Giria LL, alongside the Foundation for Peatland Restoration and Conservation, the State Forest Enterprise of the Republic of Lithuania, Vytautas Magnus University, the State Service for Protected Areas under the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania, Community Association “Around Žasliai”, and two Lithuanian farmers.
Additional guests included Jonathan Etzold, Senior Expert for Wetlands at NABU and National Coordinator of LIFE “Multi Peat”, as well as two researchers from the Data Science Institute at the University of Galway.
During the visit, the group explored several sites within the Ballyhoura region and learned more about the community, conservation and soil enhancement activities taking place as part of the SOILCRATES EU Horizon Europe project.
Sincere thanks are extended to Rhiannon Laubach for providing an overview of Ballyhoura Development CLG’s community engagement activities with local farmers, and to Carmel O’Sullivan for sharing insights into the soil enhancement experiments being undertaken on her farm as part of SOILCRATES.
The group also visited Griston Bog, where Ballyhoura Heritage and Environment CLG provided an overview of their conservation activities, before continuing to Doon Social Farm. There, Marian Clarke from Ballyhoura Rural Services led a tour of the site, which serves as a lighthouse site within the SOILCRATES Ireland Living Lab.
The visit provided a valuable opportunity for peer learning, knowledge exchange and relationship-building between Living Labs. It also supported the continued development of the SOILCRATES Living Labs journey, bringing together farmers, researchers, community organisations and environmental practitioners to share practical experiences and approaches.
The exchange took place on what was reported as the warmest May day recorded in Ireland, making it a memorable occasion for all involved.
