Leave No Trace Ireland were delighted to undertake a new pilot training programme for private landowners. This programme was the first of its kind in Ireland, exploring the current challenges landowners face regarding visitor management and recreation.
The course took place in Killarney National Park Biosphere Reserve, and spurred great interest with both courses oversubscribed.
The aim of the training course was to assess; the needs of private landowners with regards to outdoor recreation; the understanding and relevance of the Leave No Trace programme; and to equip private landowners and farmers with the knowledge of how to speak with recreationists that may enter their lands. This also included training on legal rights for both parties, and improving both knowledge of and opportunities for enhancement of biodiversity of private lands.
The needs of the landowners identified were:
- Access Rights
- Liability
- Communication with users
- Dogs in the outdoors
- Trust and Relationships
Eighteen landowners from the local area participated over the two days, led by Leave No Trace Trainer Sinead Pollock and Dr Noel Doyle.
Dr Noel Doyle commented on the success of the pilot programme and stressed the importance of collaboration and open communication with private landowners. “This allowed for a deeper understanding of the issues faced by the landowners involved with the MacGillycuddy Reeks EIP Project on a local level”. Noel recommended that future programmes incorporate engagement with local communities before training to develop a relationship and build on established connections to create awareness campaigns addressing key issues.
There was a lot of interest in further collaboration with Leave No Trace Ireland. We are excited to work further with private landowners and communities to support them and address the issues they face.
