Portlaoise is buzzing with beautiful biodiversity plan

PORTLAOISE is buzzing as a five-year biodiversity action plan transforms barren corners and lifts spirits throughout the town.

The ambitious plan launched by Portlaoise Tidy Towns two years ago is already having an impact, as the group works to create ‘A Town in a Garden’.

In a scheme unique to Portlaoise, one million spring bulbs were planted on the majority of approach roads and green areas in the town. The beautiful planting includes cheerful spring crocuses and daffodils and has received huge praise from the community.

In a detailed update on the Portlaoise Biodiversity Action Plan 2023-28, the Tidy Towns group said on 22 April: ‘The progress to date couldn’t have happened without all the long hours put in by everyone, to make the town a better place for people and wildlife.’ 

The group gave ‘huge thanks’ to all volunteers, Laois County Council, the Portlaoise Town Team and other organisations and individuals, who have contributed and helped to deliver on the actions set out in the plan.

Just some of the completed and ongoing projects so far are educational work with primary and secondary schools, river walks and a series of public biodiversity identification workshops on wildflowers, butterflies and bumblebees.

A large mural was painted in the People’s Park to teach passersby about all the wildlife and fish living in and around the Triogue river, while ‘A Town in a Garden’ logos were placed on solar-powered Belly Bins throughout the town.

The Tidy Towns group works with ‘Trees on the Land’ to source native saplings, all grown in Ireland, with ongoing tree planting projects that saw Portlaoise win first place in the 2024 National Tree Project Awards.

The group also won the Tree Council of Ireland Special Award in the 2024 national Tidy Towns competition, as over 40,000 young native trees or hedging were planted across the town, with more to come on both public and private land.

Native Buckthorn plants, which support the Brimstone butterfly, have been interspersed in some of the planted areas, while planting of community orchards has included apple and plum trees.

Other initiatives include meadow creation and management, with urban meadows of all sizes created across the town. No-mow May is also implemented where possible.

The species-rich grassland of the burial ridge on the Ridge Road is being managed, following the completion of a management plan.

Creating a biodiversity-friendly Southern Ring Road has involved landscaping schemes that include wildflower meadows, pollinator-friendly flower beds, native hedging and trees and the installation of educational, coloured pollinator information wooden posts along the footpath.

Conservation of the rare and threatened Green-winged Orchid project is ongoing and important steps were taken, with expert support, to preserve and protect this species, which is monitored in the town each year. Meanwhile, pollinator-friendly perennial planting has replaced much of the annual bedding throughout the town.

A roundabout landscaping strategy has also had a vibrant impact, with different landscape treatments ranging from pollinator-friendly flower beds to wildflower meadows. Roundabouts completed so far include Fairgreen, Birch Grove, Beladd, Market Square, Mountrath Road, Kilminchy, Timahoe Road and the Southern Ring Road.

A Green Walls Project saw several large concrete walls greened up, with evergreen and biodiversity-friendly climbers such as ivy and pyracantha. The Tidy Towns group aims to extend the project in coming years.

Bird boxes are also an important part of the biodiversity journey and have been erected on trees around the town. A specific Sand Martin nest wall was created in the People’s Park and Swift boxes were built into the design of the new library on Lower Main Street, to support both species’ disappearing habitats.

Swift boxes had already been installed in previous years and it is hoped to add more in the future.

Focusing on a nature-based solution for rainwater management, a Triogue River Safari was held and ongoing water and wildlife management schemes were established A sustainable urban drainage study was carried out to identify opportunities for nature-based solutions for managing rainwater from roads, footpaths and car parking areas. The group is working with various partners to develop identified opportunities. More than 200 water reservoir hanging baskets and tubs are used throughout the town.

Ongoing litter picks prevent waste entering important habitats such as the Triogue, which would have harmful effects on wildlife. Tidy Towns is also working with project partners to help move away from pesticide use for weed control on roads, in a successful scheme that continues to be rolled out to more areas.

Invasive species control is another important part of the five-year plan, which includes control of Himalayan Balsam and Japanese Knotweed plants in areas such as along the Triogue River in the Linear Park.

Many more exciting new projects are in the pipeline, as Portlaoise Tidy Towns collaborates with the Town Team and the Portlaoise Municipal District of Laois County Council. These include the development of ‘rainwater gardens’, which are flower beds that will cleanse water before it flows into the Triogue River, as well as relaxing seated coffee areas known as ‘parklets’, which will contain pollinator-friendly planting.

Other upcoming projects include surveys to measure the increase in butterflies and bees in all the biodiversity areas in Portlaoise; creation of a Water Refill Station; expansion of the network of species-rich meadows and rainwater harvesting for flower tubs.

As they celebrate the work done and look ahead to the next three years, the group said: ‘Portlaoise Tidy Towns wish to continue the journey towards becoming the ‘Tidiest Town in Ireland’ and transforming Portlaoise into ‘A Town in a Garden’.’