Urban Biodiversity Landscaping

Ennis Tidy Towns was asked to provide advice and input into the new Ennis Municipal District Landscaping contract as an ongoing basis, starting in 2017.

• We were grateful for the opportunity to provide input and the rationale behind our biodiversity friendly management conditions. We believe small changes to landscaping practices can result in significant positive impacts to local biodiversity.  The core aspects included:
• Reduced road verge cutting to facilitate a more diverse grassland habitat
• Targeted maintenance and seed augmentation (procured in Ireland from guaranteed Irish seed banks) of three
  roundabouts to develop pollinator friendly roundabouts. These are at Claureen, Cappahard and Beechpark
• The public green area opposite Dunnes Stores is in part used as a playing pitch for the nearby school. To
  ensure continued recreational use of this part of the site we agreed to target a specific maintenance to the west of
  the site. This area was cut as frequently but with an increased mower height thereby promoting a greater
  diversity of small flowering plants
• Areas previously targeted with herbicide have now been substantially reduced

We look forward to assessing the efficacy of these measures at the end of the year and seeing how this
programme can be rolled out in future years, subject to consultation with Clare County Council.