Leitrim venue hosts screening of film investigating local forestry practices

Some 48 people attended a screening in the Bee Park Community Centre, Manorhamilton, of The Forest Midwife by Beta Bajgart, film-maker with See the Light Productions.

The Film portrayed the growing of native trees on 27 out of 40 acres of land in Co. Roscommon by Catherine Cleary and her family. Catherine Cleary, a native of Dublin, is a writer and social entrepreneur, and also co-founder of the Pocket Forests initiative.

The screening was hosted by local community group Our Native Glens, and the panel discussion after the screening was led by Oscar Mooney, a forestry PhD student and member of Our Native Glens. The panel members consisted of Beta Bajgart (Film-maker), Anja Murray (Ecologist, Author & Broadcaster), Yosef Dvores (Ecologist and Chairperson of Our Native Glens), and Tommy Earley (Mountallen EcoFarm).

Following the screening, discussions led to some thoughtful and respectful insights into the topic of forestry in County Leitrim.

How the word ‘forest’ has led to negative connotations in our minds, associated with darkness, and Sitka spruce plantation domination, but also, more importantly and significantly, with the idea of loss from the landscape. Loss of busy, active farmed land, with crops or animals and the people who farmed them.

Councillor Eddie Mitchell referred to the way we feel about the loss of people. How we need and want people to come and live in the community. He mentioned that he sees every patch of Sitka as a family gone. Investors planting native trees in the landscape is better than Sitka, but really, he says, “they need to plant themselves”.

READ MORE: Superb Leitrim shock Sligo for first Connacht SFC win over Yeatsmen since 2011

​Other people referred to the colonialism aspect of the loss of land from local ownership. Danish Banks and/or other investment companies could come in and pay significantly more money for land than locals could afford, leading to resentment against Sitka Spruce plantations.

Local musician and Artist Dee Armstrong mentioned how County Leitrim has had two significant losses: firstly, during the famine, when the population was between 150,000 and 160,000, and declined significantly afterwards. And secondly, during the 60’s and 70’s where one in every two people left the area.

Other voices reinforced the importance of having trees in the right place. Leitrim is lucky to still have some important semi-natural grasslands, with important native and rare flowers such as the small white orchid and Irish ladies tresses. Some of our grasslands are also home to the rare and native Marsh Fritillary Butterfly. So native trees do have an important place in the landscape, but so too do other habitats such as grasslands and boglands.

Anja Murray stressed the importance of leaving corners for natural regeneration to allow scrub and thickets of blackthorn to grow.

READ MORE: Honouring Leitrim man's life and sculptures on his first anniversary

“Most of the time we have to do absolutely nothing”. Tommy Earley mentioned how, as farmers, we can significantly improve the nature conservation values of our farms by simply allowing our hedgerows to fill out and grow thicker. He mentioned technological improvements make it easier for us to remove scrub, but just because the technology is there doesn’t mean that we have to use it.

Another Manorhamilton Native noticed the gender imbalance in the room was 70% female, and asked the potentially loaded question: Is it only women who care about the environment?

Our Native Glens, based in County Leitrim, continues to carry out voluntary nature activities throughout the year, including tree planting, invasive removal (rhododendron ponticum and Himalayan balsam), tree-cycling, nature recording, training and awareness-raising walks and talks.