We now have 8 mini orchards with over 100 apple, plum, pear, damson and hazel trees in Skerries!
See our website for more pictures and details.
https://sustainableskerries.com/2023/03/13/2023-planting-season/
Keep Sat 4 March and 11 March free as we'll be planting more trees in seven mini orchards on those days! More details soon.
The 2023 Planting Season will see more than 20 more trees - at least, we hope - throughout Skerries!
Get in touch if you are in Skerries and have an idea where they should go.
We're talking to Fingal County Council to get their go-ahead.
We're planting more trees!
Go to sustainableskerries.com/orchards for details and to 🤜 sign up 🤛for the planting of
🌳 Mourne View Open Orchard starting at Wildcat Lane (Fri 25 March, from 4 pm)
🌳 Ballast Pit Triangle Open Orchard (Sat 26 March, from 2 pm, near the bus stop)
See more here: sustainableskerries.com/orchards
See the Sustainable Skerries website for details!
sustainableskerries.com/orchards
Over 50 people, adults and children, planted 20 trees in our first open orchard, right in the middle of Skerries, where local residents in Kelly's Bay and Mourne View can see and enjoy. We are now gearing up for the second open orchard, which with a bit of luck we can get going before the end of the current planting season, and are preparing for more in the autumn.
We got great coverage in the local media, and are gearing up for a second open orchard already!
Full updates on our website... and also some tips & tricks
sustainableskerries.com/orchards
The planting of our first Open Orchard as reported in the Fingal Independent:
https://www.independent.ie/regionals/dublin/fingal/kellys-bay-residents-hard-work-bears-fruit-as-community-orchard-opens-41347986.html
Quick update... the Skerries Open Orchards Projects team will meet on the location of the proposed first open orchard, the Kelly's Bay Open Orchard (see the flyer below for where exactly this is hopefully going to be!) THIS FRIDAY (10 Dec 2021) from 3 pm to plan where which trees might go.
And then we'll be meeting with those who'd like to be guardians on the same plot THIS SATURDAY (11 Dec 2021) from 4 pm.
See you there?!
It's beginning to happen! Our very first Open Orchard, in Kelly's Bay, has the go-ahead from the county council.
Yesterday, today, and tomorrow (4-6 December 2021), we are putting these leaflets through the doors of local residents. We have more information on sustainableskerries.com/orchards, and you can sign up there as well to become a guardian either of this, the Kelly's Bay, orchard or of one of our future orchards.
Hello there, dear Skerries Open Orchards people!
Just a quick note that:
🌳 Our main channel of communication is the WhatsApp grop, especially for those more actively involved in the planning - please send a message to Sabine via ChangeX if you're no in the group yet.
🌳 Big events, such as planting days, will be announced on this page. Keep your eyes peeled!
Sabine
Here is our draft workplan.
Skerries Open Orchards Project Work Plan Version 1.0 of 12 October 2021
Based on the first project meeting on 11 October 2021, attended by:
Emma Oldroyd, Tedy Otto, Dominica McKevitt, Janet Martin, Hans Zomer, Charles Heasman, Marion Heasman, Louise Ring, Sabine McKenna (Notes, Champion)
Draft Work Plan:
Phase 1: Preparation and planning:
1A. Agree on first orchard location. Completed pending site visit
The first orchard will probably be established in the area to the North of the foot / cycle path traversing the green on Kelly’s Bay Promenade (see map)
Site visits on Sun 17 Oct, 11 am and Mon 18 Oct, 5.30 pm.
All invited to attend!
1B. Contact local residents: KB Strand, Promenade. To be started (SMcK). Invite to site visits. Ask to join SkOOP
1C. Get OK and support from Fingal County Council (FCC) Started (SMcK). Follow up with FCC, Mick Hackett
1D. Find Tree Guardians / Stewards for first orchard. To be started after site visits
Phase 2. Creating our first open orchard
2A. Agree and purchase plants
2B. Agree and purchase signage.
2C. Training for Tree Guardians / Stewards
For 2A, 2B, 2C: Learn from team members and Kilkenny, Cloughjordan
Note: What the Tree Guardians / Stewards need to do should be documented, possibly as a web page on sustainableskerries.com
Training could possibly take place in the allotments or in Ardgillan? Would Dominica, Charlie, Marion or others be happy to run this?
2D. Planting day. Note: Needs Insurance Cover.
Possibly arrange for other activities in case there are more people than needed: Bulb planting, plant your own (whatever plant would be good to bring home)...
Phase 3. Continued care & harvesting
3A. Care by Tree Guardians / Stewards: Watering, weeding. Checking stakes.Checking signage.
3B. Harvesting. Possibly having a “harvest day” (or more than one if the fruit ripens at different times?)
Phase 4. Publicity and starting the next orchard(s)
4A. Reporting on the project. Good for raising public awareness and getting more people on board.Necessary for ChangeX (to draw down the second sum of money) ChangeX:On the project page. Sustainable Skerries:Website, Facebook page,Instagram account. Other: Skerries News, Fingal Independent
4B. Starting the next orchard. Asking all residents’ groups on the Skerries Neighbourhoods Network to suggest the next area.
Location of the first open orchard:
The proposed area for our first open orchard is the strip to the North of what is here called “Kelly’s Bay Cycle Path,” roughly coloured in darker green in the second map..
Meeting point for our site visits Sun 17 Oct, 11 am, and Mon 18 Oct, 5.30 pm: Pedestrian Gate near Bus Stop, Harrison's Bay Road.
Covid Plan:
All meetings for now will be either online or outdoors, observing social distancing.
Long version of the work plan:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1umiknMni-IFk1iFW2OfG61uVNflRYt2p7CvSR2ihtG0/edit?usp=sharing
