The Nature Trust Acorn Collection

During the month of October 2024, acorn collection events were held in Coillte and other woodlands across the country in partnership with The Nature Trust. In total twelve events took place and were attended by schools and local community groups. Despite 2024 being a challenging year for acorns, over 5,000 acorns were collected and were transported to the Coillte Nursery at Ballintemple, Co. Carlow for grading, storage and germination. They will grow into oak saplings and will be planted when they reach between two and four years of age.

Rowers plant oaks to mark Olympic prospects

In July, Coillte, proud supporting partner of Rowing Ireland, planted eight native Irish oak trees in Farran Forest Park, Co. Cork, to celebrate the eight Irish boats that successfully qualified for the Olympics and Paralympics in France. Bernard Burke, Regional Area Manager, Coillte, was joined by 2023 Junior Female Rower of the Year, Holly Davis (Lee Valley RC) and Men’s Senior Athlete, Andrew Sheehan (UCC RC) at the ceremonial tree planting

Night and Day music festival at Lough Key

The Night and Day outdoor music festival took place in June in Coillte’s Lough Key Forest and Activity Park, Boyle, Co. Roscommon. The family friendly festival ran over three nights and revellers enjoyed performances from acts such as Bell X 1, Damien Dempsey and Mick Flannery as well as family games, poetry, drama, arts and crafts, all in the beautiful forest setting.

MEDITE SMARTPLY Sponsor Girls U16 Clonmel Town Football Club

MEDITE SMARTPLY is the proud sponsor of Clonmel Town Football Club’s U16 Girls team, helping to support and encourage the next generation of female athletes in the local community.

MEDITE SMARTPLY Support for the Waterford Viking Marathon

The Waterford Viking Marathon took place in June 2024, sponsored by MEDITE SMARTPLY. For the first time, the marathon included a section which was
dedicated to participants with autism who could run or walk a section of the marathon in a safe and enjoyable environment.

AsIAm Forest Ramble

Coillte was delighted to facilitate the AsIAm Forest Ramble walks in June 2024 across six of its forest parks. AsIAm is Ireland’s national autism charity,
and these walks aim to raise awareness about autism in Ireland and help raise funds for the charity. As part of this initiative, local community groups gathered for forest walks across the country including Avondale Forest Park in Co. Wicklow, Donadea Forest Park in Co. Kildare, Curragh Chase in Co. Limerick, Lough Key Forest and Activity Park in Co. Roscommon, Rossmore in Co. Monaghan and Farran Forest Park in Co. Cork.

World of Work Programme

Coillte continued to participate in the Business Action on Education initiative. Existing partner schools Duiske College in Graiguenamanagh, Co. Kilkenny, Mercy College in Woodford, Co. Galway and St. Tiernan’s College in Crossmolina, Co. Mayo, have now been joined by Patrician Presentation Secondary School in Fethard, Co. Tipperary. To date over 200 students have participated in the programme, receiving an introduction to the forestry sector in their community and learning about the roles and opportunities that are available. The programme included a field trip, a soft skills workshop and a sustainability workshop.

New forestry scholarship programme

Coillte launched its first ever scholarship programme during 2024 to give students the unique opportunity to pursue a full-time, third level programme within the area of forestry. Three students were selected including Áine O’Dwyer (Co. Donegal), Mia Sibbald (Co. Kildare) and Alex Power (Co. Waterford) who are now in their first year at SETU and already benefiting from the programme.

Transition year programme in its second year

In 2024 Coillte’s HR team hosted transition year students as part of the organisation’s Transition Year Student Programme with 22 students taking part. This
is a week-long programme showcasing how Coillte is focused on delivering the multiple benefits of its forests for climate, nature, wood, and people. The students visited forestry operations, recreation sites, a wind farm and one of MEDITE SMARTPLY’s manufacturing plants.

Celebrating National Tree Week with a photography competition for primary schools

In advance of National Tree Week in March 2024, Coillte launched a nature-inspired photography competition for all primary school students nationwide. The competition encouraged students to engage with nature and understand the importance of trees and forests for the planet. The four selected winners received an exciting class trip to ‘Beyond the Trees Avondale’ at Coillte’s Avondale Forest Park in Rathdrum, Co. Wicklow. The winners were: St Helens Senior National School, Portmarnock, Co. Dublin, Corofin National School, Corofin, Co. Clare, Kilbannon National School Tuam, Co. Galway and All Saints' National School Doohamlet, Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan

MEDITE SMARTPLY Highlights Career Opportunities within the Forestry Sector

MEDITE SMARTPLY engaged with secondary schools and universities over the course of the year, highlighting career opportunities within the forestry sector. One such event was the SETU Women in Technology event held in Waterford. The event is in its fifth year and provides information on pathways for women to enter third level education at SETU and the array of diverse careers in the technology area. Over 1,000 female students from Cork, Tipperary, Kilkenny, Wexford and Waterford attended.