Wikipedia:Green Sod Ireland

Green Sod Ireland(An Fóidín Glas) is an Irish charitable organisation founded in 2007 which works to establish Wild Acres (land) across Ireland. Green Sod Ireland aims to preserve habitats which are vital for biodiversity; the variety of plants, animals and microorganisms unique to localities. Through the acquisition of gifted land, Green Sod Ireland protects nature by allowing it to thrive and flourish ensuring 'wild' places for future generations. Through a variety of programmes, Green Sod Ireland also delivers ecological education to encourage the proactive preservation of nature. The philosophy of Deep Ecology and Gaia Theory underpin the ethos of Green Sod Ireland.

Vision
Ireland - a country where ecosystems are thriving and flourishing

Mission
Establishing Wild Acres (land) across Ireland to create safe habitats, vital for biodiversity. Delivering ecological education to encourage the proactive preservation of Nature.

Work
Green Sod Ireland works to protect land for its own sake and for the sake of all species that live on it; to renew land where it has been damaged by encouraging natural processes and enabling less restricted interactions amongst species; to liaise with local communities and to encourage them to live in harmony with nature, thereby promoting biodiversity and bio-dynamic agriculture; to promote an awareness and understanding of the natural world; to stimulate public support and debate the protection of land from improper use, so that land may no longer be seen merely as a commodity but as a source of life; and to encourage voluntary participation in the conservation and renewal of land.

Wild Acres
Green Sod Ireland is working to save land for present and future generations. In holding land in trust, Green Sod acknowledges and respects is for its own sake, thus protecting its indigenous life from destruction. As of 2017, Green Sod had been donated a five-acre site located in Clonmore County Carlow and a 14-acre site at Salrock, Little Killary, Connemara. The Carlow land, in the form of five fields, is species-rich grassland and has a raised boundary bunk of furze bushes, with a stream bordering one side. The five acres include two houses, a large shed, a lawn, an organic vegetable garden, and an orchard planted with a variety of fruit trees. The Connemara land is situated on the wind-swept hillside at Little Killary under the watchful eye of Mweelrea. It contains many distinct ecosystems from wet health to rocky outcrops to native woodland. To the north it has a sheltered rocky shoreline dropping into the Atlantic Ocean and Little Killary with mountain and peatland held in commonage to the south and the west. On both sites ongoing projects are being undertaken.

Ecological Education
Green Sod Ireland works with local communities and encourages them to live in harmony with nature. It is continuously undergoing various projects with volunteers to promote and educate people about the importance of biodiversity in Ireland and what the organisation does to achieve it. To advance education Green Sod Ireland promotes and encourages public awareness of the importance of conserving land and protecting the environment. Educational Programmes include the Story of the Universe for primary schools, a Transition Year Programme for secondary schools, and a Literacy Programme for adults called ‘Earth Literacy’. In addition, with their fundraising programme ‘Wild Awake Walks’, Green Sod encourages people to slow down, walk where they are, and become aware of nature around them. By downloading a pdf education pack from Green Sod Ireland’s webpage in exchange of a small donation, people will learn about nature and at the same time support Green Sod’s work.

Fundraising
It is Green Sod Ireland's intention to create ‘Wild Acres’ the length and breadth of the country, in an attempt to protect Ireland’s rich biodiversity. Therefore, Green Sod is currently looking at various means of acquiring land with a range of communities throughout Ireland that can be used to preserve and conserve wildlife in Ireland. In order to be able to purchase more land for protection in the future, Green Sod undergoes fundraising events such as Mini-Marathons, Nature Walks, Christmas and Summer Fairs.