A proverb says:
It will never rain apples. If we want apples, we must plant trees first.

Introducing: The Ballast Pit Triangle Open Orchard!

Come plant some trees with us (Sustainable Skerries / Skerries Open Orchards Project)
at the Ballast Pit (near the traffic lights)

this Saturday, 26 March 2022, from 2 pm!

Or indeed in Mourne View at Wild Cat Lane on Friday from 4 pm, where we’re starting another open orchard – or some non-fruit trees on Saturday morning from 10 am with Fingal County Council.

 Can you join us? Please fill in this form so we can mail you the details!

You may know that we have received funding to start mini open orchards in Skerries, and have already planted 20 trees in Kelly’s Bay.  Now we are ready for more – but we can’t do that without you.

• We have had talks with Fingal County Council, and they are very supportive.
• Now we are asking you to help make this plan become a reality.

Join us and plant a mini orchard close to the Ballast Pit pedestrian lights this Saturday!

This is your opportunity to help plant the trees in the designated areas (see map on the other side). The fruit of the trees will be everybody’s to enjoy.

🌳 Information panels  will ensure passers-by know the background of our orchard trees. 🌳

Some questions and answers

The first planting day in February was brilliant – see for yourself on SustainableSkerries.com/orchards.  

Now we have just about enough time to plant a few more trees before the end of this planting season.

Is the County Council OK with this? Yes, we have met with Fingal County Council on location, and they are really supportive of our project.

Will there be more Open Orchards? We’d like some in our area…
We hope there will be many more! We’re coming to the end of this year’s planting season, and have started planning for the next ones that will be planted in the autumn.  🌳 Get in touch, join the Skerries Open Orchards Project aka SkOOP! 🌳

Where can I learn more? Apart from SustainableSkerries.com/orchards, ChangeX has some information about our project and about open orchards in general.

How do I sign up?
Please fill in this form so we can mail you the details – if that doesn’t work, you can also send an email to sustskerries@gmail.com

Will we get loads of apples and other fruit?
Not for the first couple of years, but over time, there should be quite a bit.  People are welcome to help us harvest the fruit!

Why start an open orchard, anyway?
What is the thinking behind the Skerries Open Orchards Project?

We’re glad you asked! The Skerries Open Orchards Project aims to plant fruit trees in public places in Skerries. The trees will provide free fruit to local residents and greenery to the open spaces in our town, but there are other benefits too. 

A newly planted tree will offer some extra pollination opportunities and absorb a small amount of carbon dioxide as well as rainwater that might otherwise have stayed on the surface. And as the trees grow, so do these positive effects.

Of course there are already many fruit trees around the town, but by planting fruit trees on public land, the project is an investment in our shared public space. The trees embellish our greens and provide an opportunity for residents’ groups to work together to protect and nurture them. The trees will start to produce fruit, but it’s the process of caring for them that produces the most important harvest: strengthening our community and improving our public space.

Overview: This week’s Tree Planting Opportunities in Skerries

By the way: Did you know that it’s National Tree Week? We couldn’t have planned these better so!

• Mourne View Open Orchards Planting: Fri 25 March 2022.
  Meet at Wildcat Lane, 4 pm.  

• Ballast Pit Triangle Open Orchard Saturday: 26 March
  Join us near the pedestrian lights and help planting a mix of fruit trees, from 2 pm.

 Join us! Just fill in this form and we will mail you the details!

And Fingal County Council are holding a Community Tree Planting Workshop, Town Park: Sat 26 March, assemble 10 am at the Skerries Mills car park. No need to register. You can find all the details on this on our site, sustainableskerries.com/orchards, as well. Fingal County Council will even have a few trees to give away, free for households!

Sustainable Skerries, a committee of the Skerries Community Association CLG,
is involved in activities around biodiversity (currently implementing the Skerries Pollinator Plan),
food (Sustainable Skerries Food Festival planned for April 2023),
waste reduction / circular economy (Repair Cafés, Car Boot Sale Sun 8 May 2022),
sustainable energy (with Skerries Sustainable Energy Committee) and
sustainable transport (with Skerries Cycling Initiative).
We also engage with other groups in Skerries, as well as Fingal County Council
(e.g. in the consultation process for the next Fingal Development Plan).
Join us! sustskerries@gmail.com 

Our aim is to make Skerries resilient, regenerative,
and a great place to live for all… now and in the years to come.