Forestry Now | Afforestation: Now and Then with Marina Conway

Afforestation: Now and Then with Marina Conway

September 15, 2026 / 01:00:02/E21 Download MP3

Afforestation: Now and Then with Marina Conway.
A deep dive into how we screen all new afforestation applications in Ireland and how this process compares with the process in the past.

In this interview I'm joined by Marina Conway, Head of Woodlands at Hometree and one of Ireland's most recognisable and respected forestry professionals. We speak about the afforestation screening process and the type of habitats and landscape features they protect, we hone in on water quality and the treatment of applications on peaty soils and from hen harrier areas. Then we also talk about modern operation techniques that are used during planting to protect water and biodiversity. During the conversation we look at how things were done in the past and Marina flags problems we're still dealing with. And then we look forward and Marina makes interesting recommendations to increase afforestation and stakeholder engagement.

Marina is a qualified forester and is currently Head of Woodlands at Hometree. She is also a Nuffield Scholar, former CEO of Western Forestry. She also worked internationally in Government in New Zealand on Forestry in the Emissions Trading Scheme. She has spent the majority of her career in farm forestry, her passion is for farmers, farm families and communities being at the centre of our national forestry policy and that our forests are best served in local and rural ownership. She is especially proud of leading on Ireland’s first Woodland Festival, largest Native Woodland Park and first pioneer birch woodland. She has participated in national committees on forestry including appointed by the Minister to Project Woodland. Marina has a Degree and Masters in Agricultural Science (Forestry), qualifications in Environmental Auditing, Training and Water Pollution Control and is a 2025 Nuffield Scholar.

This podcast is supported by the Irish Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine. If you're thinking of planting a new forest or if you want information on financial and technical supports to manage your existing forest then go to

http://gov.ie/forestryforyou

Key Points:

Environmental assessment processes for afforestation in Ireland
Protection of water and biodiversity in land management
Native woodland restoration and ecological connectivity
Community engagement and public support for forestry
Challenges with peat soils and carbon balance
Future strategies for sustainable land use including - increased community engagement and reconsidering peat depths which can be planted.

Quotes:

"We have a lot of ambition in this country for forestry."
"Young spruce provides nesting habitat for hen harriers."
"Rewetting peatlands can be a part of our climate strategy."
"The state got it right in saying we need to become self-sufficient in timber in our own country."
Time to reconsider planting deeper peats? "Absolutely...it's carbon reasons that the thirty centimetre came in and it's a little bit arbitrary. I mean I don't know how much you know I think there is there is research going on now to to look into that a little bit more because it's forty centimetres in England, it's fifty centimetres in Scotland.."
"One of the things that that always frustrates me a little bit about the appropriate assessment screening process that is required under the Habitats Directive is that it doesn't take any cognizance of existing land use.... we can go in and do a two-year study on converting 40 acres into a native woodland. And I'm not joking, applications can take two or three years to be done. Yet the existing landowner can continue to farm that land, to spray rushes, to put on fertilizers, to dose their sheep, to, you know, to you know drain it."