Ballinakelly Wood

In February 2025, FERS Ltd was commissioned by the Native Woodland Trust to prepare a Community Biodiversity Action Plan (CBAP) for Ballinakelly Wood, a 15.2-hectare woodland at Burtonhall Demesne, Co. Carlow. The project was funded under the Community Foundation Ireland Biodiversity Fund 2024, which supports communities to classify, map and enhance local habitats in partnership with a qualified ecologist. Ballinakelly Wood, formerly part of the Burton Hall estate, was donated to the Trust in 2024 following closure to the public during the pandemic, and its restoration is now being actively undertaken by the Trust’s Carlow branch.

The assessment combined a detailed desk study, drawing on historical mapping, National Biodiversity Data Centre records, the Heritage Trees of Ireland dataset and consultation with knowledgeable local individuals, with a comprehensive suite of field surveys carried out between March and July 2025. Botanical and habitat surveys, classified to Fossitt (2000) Level 3 and supported by nine detailed relevés, recorded 115 vascular plant species and mapped the woodland’s mixed broadleaf, conifer and open habitats. This was supplemented by breeding bird surveys incorporating passive acoustic monitoring, a non-volant mammal survey using infrared trail cameras, and a bat activity survey using an Anabat Walkabout full-spectrum detector.

A key technical element of the survey was the use of drone-based orthomosaic mapping to characterise the extent and density of Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus), an invasive species forming dense, impenetrable thickets across large areas of the wood. High-resolution aerial imagery, captured using a DJI Mavic 2 Zoom and processed into orthomosaic maps, allowed the full distribution of Cherry Laurel infestation to be mapped in detail across the site. This imagery was overlaid onto an Irish Grid 100-metre management framework, enabling a phased, prioritised approach to clearance that targets the most heavily infested areas first, an approach that would have been far more difficult to achieve through ground survey alone.

The CBAP’s recommendations set out a structured programme to enhance the woodland’s biodiversity value. Central to this is the phased control of Cherry Laurel and Snowberry through a combination of contractor-led mechanical and chemical treatment and volunteer-led clearance, following methodology developed by the Gaelic Woodland Project. Further recommendations address the protection of veteran and heritage trees, including the woodland’s 500-year-old “Burton Hall Yew”, through root protection and careful management of surrounding shade; the retention of standing and fallen deadwood to support saproxylic invertebrates and cavity-nesting species; the restoration of rides, glades and path networks to benefit edge habitats; and the expansion of native woodland cover through natural regeneration and targeted enrichment planting, supported by the Trust’s own local-provenance tree nursery.

The completed CBAP provides the Native Woodland Trust with a clear, evidence-based framework to guide volunteer effort and prioritise conservation action at Ballinakelly Wood for years to come.