‘Burren transplant’ plan aims to save orchids

Around 150 Irish gardeners and conservationists are being offered a unique "Burren transplant" of orchid-rich Burren land, thanks to a groundbreaking new conservation scheme.

Two local conservation groups, the BurrenBeo Trust and Conservation Volunteers Galway, have come up with an ambitious plan to transplant large sections of this land into public and private gardens all over the country, before the extension of the M18 motorway.

The Burren is one of the world’s leading habitats for orchids. Twenty-four of the 28 species of Irish orchids all grow within the Burren, making it Ireland’s richest habitat for the rare flowers by far.