Shared spaces in estates and around the town are an invaluable resource for residents and visitors. Ennis Tidy Towns is committed to supporting Estates to create a Green Community.
A Green Community is one that works towards improving their local environment, enhancing biodiversity and promoting sustainable living such as reducing waste, water and energy usage.
This is your space, so community-led projects work best. The first steps should be to gather support and ideas from the residents in your Estate to ensure you create a space that everyone can enjoy.
We have listed a few Ideas for projects to help beautify your estate while supporting our environment below. You can also download our Community Biodiversity Toolkit here.
Planting
- Tree planting – Plant additional trees near existing ones to form small copses or create treelines which attract birds and bats.
- Wildflowers – Perimeter wildflower areas enhance biodiversity and reduce the time for landscaping, as it only requires two cuts per year!
- Flowerbeds – Ornamental flower/shrub planting will enhance the attractiveness of the estate. Clare County Council Gardening Section have recommended species such as Hypericum, Euonymus, Potentilla, Escallonia and Berberis.
Green Area Design
- Green Wall – Mask concrete walls with creepers such as ivy or clematis. These not only are aesthetically pleasing but help reduce greenhouse gases and support local biodiversity.
- Upcycled Art and Sculpture- Engage a local artist in creating a community designed installation out of recycled material such as old tiles, wood or recycled materials provided by the residents.
- Flagship Projects – Seek funding for large-scale community events such as environmental workshops or employing community artists to host events.
Sustainable Living
- Community Garden – Creating a community garden allows the residents to garden collectively, , sociably and sustainably in an urban area.
- Promote Sustainable Living – Make information readily available to residents through Facebook or periodic flyers. See some of the tips on our Sustainable Living Page.
Wildlife
- Nest boxes – Make an attractive feature out of colourful nest boxes and enhance the wildlife value of your trees by attracting birds.
- Community Orchard – Designate a small corner site for a variety of apple trees, plum and nut shrubs. These trees and shrubs add to local landscaping and become a source of food for birds and wildlife.
- Pollinator Management – A slightly altered cutting regime for some green areas will help support pollinators such as bees and butterflies.
If you want to start a Green Community Project and need our support please contact us!