Although Ireland's Biodiversity Week events have been postponed due to COVID-19, at Irish Country Living we're still celebrating International Biodiversity Week and how so many Irish farmers innovate and work towards unique and effective ways to farm with nature.

Donal Sheehan is a commercial dairy farmer and project manager of the Bride Project ("Bride" stands for Biodiversity Regeneration in a Dairying Environment) and, as Donal says himself, it basically "does what it says on the tin".

Donal Sheehan.

"There’s no rocket science here," he says jovially. "We know how ecology works; it’s just a matter of blending it into a way that works for both farmers and nature."

The project, which is co-funded by the European Union and the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine through the European Innovation Partnership, aims to provide incentives (through assessments and payment schemes) and implement a results-based approach to conserve and restore natural habitats on lowland intensive farmland.

We know how ecology works; it’s just a matter of blending it into a way that works for both farmers and nature

"The issue, we see, with farmers in general, is they think we want them to leave all the land growing wild," Donal says.

"We don't want that at all - if we did that, everything would be scrub and then woodland. Then, you’re only left with biodiversity that would thrive in the woodland. Farming can encourage biodiversity by offering different types of habitats."

Donal feels that farming, over the centuries, has encouraged different types of biodiversity as many Irish animals have evolved over time to cohabitate with grazing animals. This means that protection of native grasslands and wetlands are as essential as protecting our woodlands.

"Skylarks have evolved to live alongside grazing animals, as have other species," he explains. "And they don’t nest in a field of cabbage. They need our grazing animals!"

With this in mind, there are many opportunities for commercial farmers to make small changes to increase biodiversity on their land.

Donal says it can be as simple as taking 2m on the side of a hedgerow and keeping it free of pesticides, fertiliser and letting it grow wild, or to create a small pond to encourage pollinator and amphibian activity.

Over the years, there has been a drive to maximise your workable land, and wetlands were taken out

"The main thing to do is to retain what you have. Wetlands, in particular, have been decimated," he says.

"Over the years, there has been a drive to maximise your workable land, and wetlands were taken out. Take stock of what you have at the moment and retain that. There may come a time that we will be paid for what is left."

Donal believes it’s not realistic to encourage farmers to start a woodland in the middle of their field, but that if every farmers were to give back a bit of their land to nature, it will encourage the wildflowers and grasses to come back which will attract pollinators and birds.

"When I get my milk check, all it tells me are the volumes that I produce," he says.

"There’s no incentive for me to plant trees or farm with nature. It's difficult for farmers because that’s the system that we’re in."

The Bride Project has recently launched a digital booklet called Farm Habitat Management Guidelines, which can be downloaded, free of charge, from its website. The project also offers tips on small steps you can take to farm with nature on its Twitter and Facebook pages.