Native Woodland and Nature Reserve
Goleen Harbour features an 8-acre nature reserve on-site, consisting of over 10,000 native trees planted under the Native Woodland Scheme. Our aim is to restore existing native woodlands and encourage the growth of new ones in order to preserve the local biodiversity.
We are working with Forester Mark Donnelly—formally Head Forester for the National Trust in Wales—who has tremendous knowledge of biodiversity to help ensure that everything we do ultimately enhances the natural habitat.
Our native tree species include Oak, Alder, Hazel, Holly, Hawthorn, Birch, and Scotch Pine. Our Goleen Harbour loop walk extends through the woodland where we will soon have an outdoor classroom area.
The remainder of our farmland is grassland of mixed quality. Approximately 6 acres are suitable for making hay, while approximately 17 acres of Special Area of Conservation land—which was once very overgrown with gorse—is now being grazed by our horses and Connemara ponies.
Through grazing the area, we have brought back the beautiful native “Chough,” a sea bird that resembles a crow but with a vibrant orange beak. As a result of proactively grazing this land, our efforts have been a success—with lots of Chough birds spotted here in recent years.
