Visitors hedge their bets on Laois hedgerow walk
Pat Byrne leads the tour at the guided hedgerow walk on Byrne’s Biodiversity Farm at Killabban, Maganey, Laois during National Hedgerow Week 2025. Photo: Alf Harvey
A HARDY group hedged their bets on the weather, as they set off to explore how hedgerows boost biodiversity and support sustainable land management.
The guided walk at Byrne’s Biodiversity Farm in Killabban, Maganey on 6 September, as part of National Hedgerow Week, was organised by Laois Co Council in collaboration with the Heritage Council. And the weather was perfect.
The community event brought together landowners, conservationists, educators, public representatives and other interested parties, who thoroughly enjoyed the hedgerow walk hosted by farmer Pat Byrne, alongside county council biodiversity officer Lisa Doyle and Jason Monaghan from the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).
The walk highlighted the critical role of hedgerows in protecting wildlife and strengthening the natural environment, with expert talks from Pat and Jason on hedgerow management techniques, which are designed to maximise year-round ecological value.
Visitors learned how practices such as rotational cutting, management techniques and buffer strip management can transform hedgerows into thriving habitats. The event emphasised that well-managed hedgerows not only provide food and shelter for pollinators, birds and small mammals but also enhance soil health, water retention and climate resilience.
Lisa observed: “Hedgerows are more than just field boundaries. When managed thoughtfully, they become living ecosystems in conjunction with adjacent land management that support pollinators, birds, mammals and native plants - and they deliver wider environmental benefits for communities too.”
The group learned that hedgerows can support over 2,000 species, including many pollinators and protected wildlife.
They also act as ‘green corridors’ connecting fragmented habitats, contribute to ecosystem stability in the wider landscape and capture carbon, contributing to climate resilience.
Lisa said the organisers hope that the enjoyable and informative event inspired landowners and communities “to see hedgerows not just as boundaries, but as networks of biodiversity that benefit us all”.
