Kerry farm restoring native forest to encourage biodiversity

Sandra Spethmann of Curraghmore Farm said: “I would love to see some parts of the mountains have Irish rainforests so that we have pockets of original ancient native woodlands.”

Young native trees planted Curraghmore Farm at the foot of Carrauntoohill. Picture: Sandra Spethmann

A family farm in Kerry has taken on the ambitious project of re-establishing native Irish forestry with the aim of encouraging biodiversity and land regeneration.

The Sullivan family has been on the 1,200-acre farm at the foot of Carrauntoohill since 1997 and took on an intensively grazed mountainous landscape. Sandra Spethmann along with her partner JJ Sullivan run Curraghmore Farm together and in addition to planting thousands of sessile oak, downy birch, hazel, rowan, crabapple, and scots pine, they plan on re-instating miles of hedgerows.