For National Tree Week, we were invited to Hazelwood Forest, a wooded area near Sligo, which is managed by Coillte. There, we met Brian and Sinéad, who were our guides for the day, and also Joanne, who had organised the visit. Brian and Sinéad told us lots about Hazelwood, forestry in general and Coillte. We learned that Hazelwood has three types of woodland, namely Alluvial woodland, Mixed broadleaf woodland and Commercial plantation though shortly Coillte will completely phase out the commercial area of the forest and move to an entirely bio-forest. This will involve cutting down some non-native trees, e.g. Sitka Spruce, and removing some of the shrubbery from the understorey so that native trees can grow or be planted in the gaps. Brian and Sinéad spoke about invasive species and told us that Coillte is working hard to remove invasive species, such as the Chinese rhododendron, from wooded areas and though it is a difficult task, it is necessary in order to restore our woodlands. Brian introduced us to the many native tree species which grow in Hazelwood, including willow, hazel, alder, ash, birch, whitethorn, oak, beech, lime, poplar, horse chestnut, holly and yew. As we walked along, we read the information notes at various points and we also got to count the rings in the trunk of a roughly 70-year-old tree. We learned that there are trees up to 150 years old in this 103-hectare forest. Brian also showed us the two beautiful shell houses which were initially built for the enjoyment of the ladies of Hazelwood Estate and their guests and later used by fishermen to hide from storms. These shell houses are shortly being restored to their former glory. As we walked, we got to take in the brilliant views across Lough Gill and the Garavogue River. On Lough Gill, we saw the 10 islands which local fishermen are keen to conserve due to their importance in terms of biodiversity. In response to our questions, Brian told us that Coillte employs 600 people in addition to an estimated 2,000 external contractors. Brian pointed out the parts of the woodland which form part of Hazelwood Estate which is privately owned by the owners of Hazelwood House and Brewery. Fortunately, these owners plan to work on the regeneration of the forest owned by them in line with their conservation and development work at Hazelwood House. Our visit ended with a tree-planting ceremony led by Johnny. This tree will act as a reminder of our trip each time we return to Hazelwood. And, we would recommend returning to or visiting Hazelwood as it really is a wonderfully scenic area and, while there, we were reminded of The Lake Isle of Innisfree by W.B. Yeats which James recited as we looked out on the beautiful Lough Gill.
