A new project in the Bride Valley in east Cork will reward participating farmers for wildlife on their farms. The Biodiversity Regeneration In a Dairying Environment (BRIDE) project will provide participating farmers with farm habitat plans that identify the most appropriate and effective wildlife management options for individual farms. Farmers will be paid for their conservation actions.

The BRIDE Project has been designed by local farmers for local farmers

The BRIDE project was one of 11 selected from over 100 applications by the Department of Agriculture and the EU under the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) funding programme. An element of the project is its higher payments for higher wildlife gains. Thus, the more flowers in a hedgerow or field margin, the higher the payment.

This also means that farmers will be paid for the ongoing management of selected existing wildlife habitats.

BRIDE project manager Donal Sheehan said: “The BRIDE Project has been designed by local farmers for local farmers and this is one of the most important distinguishing features of the project.”

The BRIDE project will be open to farmers within the River Bride catchment from Glenville to Tallow. A public information meeting will be held in Corrin Event Centre at 8pm on Wednesday 2 May.

The project will run for five years and is designed to increase and maintain biodiversity on intensively managed farms in the area through simple innovative measures. The effects on wildlife will be monitored through the project.

An ecologist will work with participating farmers to develop a farm plan and advise on how to maximise the wildlife on their farm. This will focus on important habitats such as hedgerows, bogs, woodland, ponds, derelict buildings, etc.

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