Meath County Council leads new drive to restore local grassland habitats
Meath County Council has announced a renewed push to restore local grassland habitats across the county.
The council is now working on a number of projects backed by the Local Biodiversity Action Fund (LBAF) to support the promotion of local grassland habitats, including reaching out to students and conducting ongoing trials utilizing more traditional methods of management to rejuvenate grasslands and Barn Owl populations.
The LBAF is operated by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to assist Local Authorities to carry out projects that target the objectives of Ireland’s 4th National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP) 2023 – 2030.
Speaking about the grasslands in Meath and their importance, Meath County Council Biodiversity Officer Ben Malone said: “While tightly mown amenity grass lawns, playing pitches and pastures for livestock play their own important roles in society, manicured and monoculture grasslands are no match for sensitively managed and species rich meadows when one looks at grasslands through the lens of biodiversity and climate action.”
“Grassland habitats can offer local wildlife a vital lifeline during the summer months when managed correctly. The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan has been immensely successful at broadcasting this important message over the past decade,” he added.
In recent years, the council has worked with landowners, schools, and environmental groups to raise awareness of these habitats and trial alternative management strategies. A 14-acre site beneath the Spire of Lloyd near Kells has become a focal point for this work. Since 2022, the site has been managed in partnership with a local farmer using traditional methods, with early results showing a marked increase in biodiversity, including native wildflowers, pollinators, and small mammals.
The site is also being used for educational outreach. Over 90 students from St. Colmcille’s S.N.S. visited the meadow earlier this year to learn about its role in soil health, carbon capture, and wildlife conservation.
The council said public access to the site is also being maintained through mown walking paths, offering a model for balancing conservation with community use of public lands.
One key species linked to the project is the Barn Owl. Once common across rural Ireland, the bird has suffered severe population declines over the past 50 years.
A council-commissioned survey in 2023 found early signs of recovery in Meath, though numbers remain low.
The council is now working with BirdWatch Ireland’s Meath branch to monitor known breeding sites and provide training for local conservation volunteers.