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Cuttin' it, footin' it and clampin' it together -
there's more to the bog than turf

For release 30 November 2000

Cutover and cutaway bogs are an extensive resource in the midlands of
Ireland, covering some 300,000ha. The use of the turf they contain, the
diversity of wildlife they shelter and the options for their use when peat
extraction is completed provide a stimulating educational theme for project
work with transition year students.

The Cutover and Cutaway Bogs Education Pack published today by the Irish
Peatland Conservation Council (IPCC) aims to get young people motivated
about the bogs. In particular it will help them to understand, appreciate
and make decisions about the value of these sites to their future, and the
future of their community.

The pack compiled with the help of 30 Midland-based teachers, land managers
and researchers has already motivated transition year students in two
schools to take on this issue for the benefit of their locality.

The transition year in St Brendan's Community School, Birr adopted a small
area of hand cutover bog at Killaun. The students installed a board walk
nature trail for school and visitor use. It travels through a maze of
different wildlife habitats: Sphagnum swamp, birch woodland, bog pools,
fens and heathlands. "It's one of the most exciting natural amenities in
the Midlands and it's the work of young people" said Dr Catherine
O'Connell, Head of Education with the IPCC and co-ordinator of the new
Education Pack.

Another project undertaken by St Joseph's Secondary School, Rochfortbridge,
investigated the impact of the peat industry on the development of
Rochfortbridge town. Fifty years ago Bord na Móna built an estate of 100
houses in the town for workers of the bogs in its hinterland. As the
residents of this estate had the same employer and shared many other
facilities, they developed a strong sense of community, an important part
of village life in Rochfortbridge. Three further estates have been built in
the town in the last 10 years, for people who commute some distances to
work in a variety of companies, not in the boglands as these are already
cut away. Their lifestyles could prevent them from integrating into village
life. To help overcome this difficulty the students published a directory
of amenities and services available in Rochfortbridge and they circulated
this to all residents in the town.

"Even if you're not involved in teaching, the pack is a great read, pulling
together information on the cutover and cutaway bogs that has never been
readily available before" says Dr O'Connell. "Thanks to the support of Bord
na Móna and The Heritage Council, the pack contains over 150 colour
pictures throughout its 120 pages", she added.

The Cutover and Cutaway Bogs Education Pack is available from the Irish
Peatland Conservation Council, 119 Capel Street, Dublin 1 for £13.50
including postage and packing. Order it online today

To co-incide with the release of the pack, IPCC have launched a new Cutover & Cutaway Bogs Explorer's Guide at www.ipcc.ie

For further information please contact Catherine O'Connell, Head of
Education, IPCC, 119 Capel Street, Dublin 1. Tel/Fax: 353 1 872 2397
E-mail: bogs@ipcc.ie Website : www.ipcc.ie
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IPCC - Action for Bogs - Ag caomhnu na bportach

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