Kylemore Abbey Our Initiatives and Developing a Biodiversity Management Plan for the Future
Sustainability with a Focus on Biodiversity
IKylemore Abbey is a little over two years into its major drive for sustainability on the Kylemore Estate. The initiative whose initial stage focusses on 8 of the 17 goals detailed in the UN Sustainability Development Goals, has already proven to be a successful endeavour on the estate. One major achievement has been the partnership with NUI Galway. The University will work with Kylemore to document the current biodiversity profile on the 1,000-acre Kylemore Estate, to identify biodiversity projects and research topics which will benefit not only Kylemore Abbey but the wider community, to develop a Biodiversity Management Plan for Kylemore to preserve and safeguard the biodiversity of the Estate and to provide a location and rich ecosystem in which students will be able to study and learn about species, habitats and wider ecological and sustainability topics with practical applications. Other initiatives on the estate include the electrification of the fleet with the replacement of five vehicles with the more sustainable electric option. Also, the Victorian Walled Garden which has successfully been using ecological friendly alternatives to pesticides such as coffee ground from the café is now also creating its own peat free compost to service the 6.5 acres.
In addition to the education element of the partnership with NUI Galway, the Kylemore estate added almost 5km of new trails this year, each of those trails is furnished with a range of signage that educations visitors on the flora and fauna of the region, including their importance. One area, known as the “outdoor classroom” is focused on the biodiversity of the soils and river and urges visitors and school groups to educate themselves on their importance and how to protect them.
As one of the largest employers in the region, Kylemore can reach a large number of people from the local region. With this is mind, a staff led initiative to teach other members of the team how to identify and remove invasive species, identify, and plant native trees, and form a “Green Team” to drive sustainability on the estate has been in operation since earlier this year.
The practices which are being carried out in Kylemore have benefits far beyond the 1,000-acre estate. As well as the education element for NUI Galway, Visitors, and Staff, there are several other reasons why the initiatives are of a greater benefit.
The Kylemore estate is hugely ecologically diverse, a microcosm of Connemara’s landscape. Having the area open to the study if University Students and Professors allows for research and findings that will be impact the entire region.
One of the key focuses of the sustainability plan in Kylemore is the eradication of invasive species, in particular the Rhododendron ponticuum, Piri piri bur and Gunnera. Extensive work has been underway for the last decade in Kylemore, by limiting their spread the entire region will benefit by not having these invasive species on their lands damaging the native flora and fauna. By working with the Connemara National Park and regional groups on this and on the promotion of the protection of the Freshwater Pearl Mussel, Kylemore is helping to impact the wider region and support the education of the locality in the importance of sustainability.
Reducing the carbon footprint of the estate will also impact on the surrounding area. As well as the electrification of the fleet, the offices in Kylemore are in the process of migrating to a paperless model and permission has been sought for a small solar farm to meet the needs of the estate.
In an effort to both reduce carbon footprint through transport and also to support the local region and homegrown foods and crafts, Kylemore firmly supports local producers and suppliers. All of the meat and fish used in the restaurant is from organic local suppliers in Clifden, Ballyconneely, Killary Fjord etc. And where ingredients aren’t readily available in the immediate locality, they are sourced from the wider Connacht region. Our Craft Shop has a similar ethos by supporting local, regional, and Irish made crafts and championing a “Best of West” tagline. This ethos has led to partnerships with local crafts people such as a candlemaker who has made a range of scented candles inspired by the Kylemore Estate, and a partnership with Foxford Woollen Mills, another great business in the area.
Another of the key goals laid out in the UN Sustainability Goals is partnerships and wellbeing, and Kylemore Abbey has developed relationships with Croí, Pieta House, and Connemara Therapeutic Riding, as well as local community groups such as Renvyle GAA Club and Connemara Community Radio. By hosting events, providing sponsorship, using our social media channels to create awareness campaigns and having staff led activities to support these groups, we are not only contributing to causes and organizations that support the region, but we are also promoting the wellbeing of the those who benefit for the service, and our own staff who thoroughly enjoy being able to organize and participate in these events.
Tourism and the employment and prosperity it brings is vital to the Connemara economy, it can however, also be accused of being an unsustainable practice with airmiles and transport being the cause of such carbon emissions. Therefore, it is imperative that a business such as Kylemore does everything it can to offset that as much as possible and that is what we intend to do and have already set in motion.
Some the sustainability initiatives we have already mentioned including:
Removal of invasive plant species from woodlands and pastures
Protection measures for the freshwater pearl mussel
Supporting local and regional suppliers
Ongoing training in sustainability and development of a Green Team
Partnerships with charities and local community groups.
However, others include:
A programme of afforestation with indigenous trees – Currently Kylemore is on track to reach its goal for 2021 of planting 200 new trees. This will be an annual goal.
Replacement of agricultural stock with indigenous Connemara Ponies – in 2019 Kylemore Abbey introduced a Connemara Pony breeding programme to the estate. Since then, it has been working to raise awareness and promote this native breed. This programme has also been included in Áras an Uachtaráin’s biodiversity plan, as annually the paddocks outside the President’s residence will host one of Kylemore’s Connemara ponies’ and a foal to graze. This was the first year of that arrangement and it is already proving to be a major success.
Working towards eliminating Single Use Plastic – All of the packaging, cups, takeaway containers from the food outlets in Kylemore Abbey have been switched to biodegradable or recyclable materials as have the wrapping and bags in the craft shop. Also, for the Kylemore homemade products, all packaging where possible is biodegradable or recyclable and all of the ingredients for the soap and skincare products are being sourced from ethical producers.
Introduction of half a million Native Irish Black Bees. Already they can be seen in the garden feeding off and pollinating the heritage flowers. The native bees have also produced their first yield of honey which is available in our shop and is used to produce fillings for the chocolate kitchen.
Developing a food waste partnership - as was ran through lockdown where we supplied food products to several local charities.
While only a few years into this initiative, the scale of the effort being made by the entire team in Kylemore is massive. The involvement of the staff and the encouragement of the Benedictine Community of Nuns who run Kylemore and whose own ethos of contemplative ecology informs all of the above actions has made the actions thus far a success and will most definitely sustain this effort for many years to come.
Learn More about sustainability at Kylemore Abbey at https://www.kylemoreabbey.com/biodiversity-sustainability