Autumn Newsletter 2026

Thursday 15th October 2026

It's hard to believe it's Autumn with the warm weather we're having; the darker evenings are the only giveaway! That, and just a touch of orange in the tree canopy.

In our Autumn Newsletter;

Introducing our New Tree Nursery Manager
Seed Collecting - Call-out for Seeds!
Tree Nursery Update
River Clady Restoration - Community Information Evening
Summer Balsam Bashing
Native Tree Nursery Network
Other Events

Introducing our New Tree Nursery Manager!

We're delighted to introduce Cía, our new Tree Nursery Manager!

Cía will be working part-time for Boyne Rivers Trust looking after our tree nurseries, and coordinating seed collecting, processing and tree planting efforts. We're delighted to have her on board!

Cía has a background in Environmental Social Science and five years of experience in ecological restoration and community engagement. She is a tree planter and has worked with Hometree for the past four years. She has a passion for native woodlands, biodiversity and supporting communities to deepen their connection with nature.

Seed Collecting

It's seed collecting season! We've been out and about with volunteers to collect seeds from local native trees, which will be sown in our two tree nurseries, in Athboy and in Townley Hall.

In late September, we had a seed collecting event at Dowth National Park with a great turnout of over 30 volunteers of all ages! We focused on collecting from hawthorn, ash, elder, and guelder rose. Many thanks to NPWS for hosting us at Netterville.

Seed collecting continues with our Woodlands Volunteer group, who have already collected acorns and sloes for our nurseries.

We’re looking for seeds!

If you have a native seed source that we can collect from, please let us know! Specifically, we are looking for Guelder rose, Spindle, Oak, Hazel, Rowan, and Alder buckthorn.

We are focused on collecting from trees of Irish provenance. If you know of a tree or hedge that may be of interest, please send Cía an email at Cia@boyneriverstrust.ie with the details. If you can include a photo of the tree that would be much appreciated.

Tree Nursery Update

Our tree nurseries are looking great at the end of the summer! Take a look at the trees growing in our Townley Hall polytunnel below. Soon they will start to drop their leaves with the changing of the season, at which point we can move the trees into storage before planting out over winter, and making space for new seeds to be sown!

Thanks to all our volunteers who have worked tirelessly over the summer to keep our trees watered and weeded, and for preparing the nurseries for winter!

River Clady Restoration - Community Information Evening

We have been working alongside farmers and ecologists to plan tree planting and fencing along the River Clady, a tributary of the River Boyne which rises in Bohermeen, flows through Dunderry, before entering the Boyne just past Bective. The river is suffering poor ecological health, with the presence of invasive species, nutrient and sediment run-off, and historical structural changes to the river.

Next month we will host a Clady Community Information Evening at the Solstice Arts Centre, to share about our work on the Clady and hear from local community members. The ecologists on the project will share their findings about the challenges facing the Clady, with an update from Boyne Rivers Trust on the ongoing work with landowners along the river.

We are eager to hear from landowners/farmers along or near the River Clady.

Keep an eye on our social media for the details!

Summer Balsam Bashing

Our summer of Balsam Bashing has come to an end for 2026! Many thanks to all who helped us clear Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) from the banks of the River Mattock (along 600m) and River Clady (>1 hectare cleared!). We're hoping to see much lower presence of Balsam in these areas when we return to them next year.

Native Tree Nursery Network

This week we visited Hometree HQ for the first meeting of the new Native Tree Nursery Network. The network will facilitate native tree nurseries throughout Ireland to exchange practical information, advice and support, in growing trees well, funding and engaging the local community.

It was a fascinating day of networking and learning, with lots of inspiration and new connections to take away!

We look forward to continuing our engagement with the network and linking in with other nurseries to share knowledge and experience.

Other Events

We've been busy the last few months with various events, talks and workshops, including:

Agroforestry Training with Irish Agroforestry Forum (IAF)

We learned about the practical techniques and policies related to Agroforestry (AKA Silvopasture) which combines livestock farming and tree growing.

BASE Ireland Farm Walk

We visited the Poole Family Farm to see the wonderful work done to protect nature and water quality on the farm, including their pond!

RBMS Communities Caring for Water Conference.

We delivered a presentation on the work of the Trust, highlighting successes and challenges, and our growth and development over the years. It was a great opportunity to meet other organisations and projects working to protect water quality.

Picnic in the Park 2026

We were delighted to take part again in Picnic in the Park at Dowth National Park, a part of the Take Me to the River Series by Solstice Arts Centre, celebrating Water Heritage. We shared information about our work, the Boyne’s cultural and ecological value, and how community members can get involved in preserving and restoring our natural heritage.

Boyne Better Farming for Water Farm Walk at Newgrange Farm

We attended a Farm Walk at Newgrange Farm to learn about the incredible actions for nature and water done on the farm, such as riparian tree planting, as part of the Better Farming for Water campaign in the Boyne, led by Teagasc.

Trim Family Resource Centre Seed Harvesting Workshop

We took part in Trim FRC's Climate Action Week celebrations by leading a Seed Harvesting workshop for their Gardening Group! We explored local native trees and learned about how to harvest and sow their seeds. We found species including Spindle, Guelder Rose, Hazel, Hawthorn, and the town's namesake, Elder (“Trim” comes from Áth Troim, meaning Ford of the Elder Tree).