ALDI Plants 15,000 Trees Along ‘Kerry Way’

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Ruairí Foley, Deputy Store Manager at Aldi Killorglin, John Lynch, landowner, and Gerard Moroney, Southern Regional Manager with Green Belt, at Muingaphuca, Killorglin, Co Kerry. As part of Aldi’s commitment to planting 100,000 native hardwood trees over the next five years, Aldi recently planted 15,000 trees on a site in Muingaphuca in the heart of Kerry. Photo: Don MacMonagle

ALDI has planted 15,000 trees on a site in Muingaphuca in the heart of mid-Kerry.

The initiative is the latest step in Aldi’s Carbon Reduction Pledge, which saw Aldi achieve Carbon Neutral status at the beginning of 2019.

The new plantation of native Irish woodland will help to encourage local flora and fauna, while aligning with the Government’s aim to plant 22 million trees a year until 2040. The Muingaphuca plantation will remove 2,700 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Working in conjunction with Green Belt, the site underwent a Forest Carbon Woodlands Benefit Assessment. As part of this assessment, it was established that the site was planned sensitively to enhance the neighbouring aquatic feature close to the project boundary, to enhance the local landscape and to create a new and diverse habitat along the ‘Kerry Way’.

Additionally, the site has been planned with significant setbacks throughout, enabling grassland to revert to more natural vegetation, further enhancing biodiversity in the area. The plantation will ultimately create a habitat for foxes, deer, badgers, squirrels, pine martens and many more.

The unique nature of this woodland is the re-establishment of woodland cover in an area with a string history of woodland removal.

Green Belt, who coordinated the project, said: “Climate action is a global priority. The key word to most might be climate; the key word for Green Belt is action. Green Belt are delighted to work with Aldi to initiate and deliver step 1 of real action by helping them establishing 10.22 hectares of new native woodland, by planting 31,000 native trees which will over time lead to the capture of 5,785 tonnes of carbon. Real action which will lead to real change.”