Climate action social enterprise, Cloudforests, was recently joined by Axis in a community effort to extend its tree-planting initiative on the northwest coast of County Clare, Ireland. The occasion, which followed the inaugural planting day in 2022, again with participation from Axis, added fresh growth to the organisation’s initial site, Cloudforest One. The eco-project unites sustainability-focused organisations, known as ‘CoolPartners’, that are helping to cool the earth through positive action.
Galway-based Axis Account Manager, Damien Flaherty, pulled on his wellies, picked up a spade, and joined a large group of CoolPartners in a planting effort which saw over 1,000 new trees planted over the course of a day, as well as a brand-new orchard established at the site. The assembled group also learned about local beekeeping efforts, enjoyed valuable networking opportunities, and watched Lahinch’s thriving population of kestrels hunt in the evening twilight.
“As an Axis team member, I knew about Cloudforests,” states Damien Flaherty, “but nothing prepared me for what I saw and felt on the day. It’s a fantastic initiative when you see it with your own eyes. I thought I’d just be planting a few trees and heading home. Instead, I found that it’s an experience that makes you feel good about yourself and what you’ve done! It’s not just a tick-the-box exercise – and that’s very apparent when you’re speaking with the founder, Bernard Pender, and the team.”
CloudForests was a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Bernard Pender refined his idea for a network of native woodlands along Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way while the country was in full lockdown in early 2020; the scheme has already grown to encompass five community foresting initiatives spread along the coast of Counties Clare and Kerry. Axis Communications has been a proud CoolPartner since the support scheme began in 2021 and was honoured to play a part in the planting day at Doonaha’s Cloudforest Three in early 2022.
“We were very happy to have Axis Communications visit our first site,” says Bernard Pender. “Axis is one of our greatest supporters, and it is always a pleasure to bring our CoolPartners together in a joint initiative like this. Cloudforests is about more than just tree planting. It’s about doing something positive for the world. These forests are all about climate action, and there’s no better action than putting roots in the ground. This year’s planting day greatly expanded Cloudforest One – I can’t wait to see it grow.”
First established in the 2020/21 winter planting season, Cloudforest One is a mixed woodland comprising over 20,000 native trees, a number of streams and aquatic zones, and National beehives – part of a scheme developed in conjunction with the Native Irish Honey Bee Society to both help local bee populations and to now pollenate the newly-planted orchard as it grows. Cloudforests is also working on a renovation project, transforming a derelict farmhouse into an off-grid, solar-powered base of operations at Cloudforest One.
Axis technology supports the site; a 4K camera has been recording a time lapse at the Lahinch location since its foundation, and an automated Axis PTZ camera captures 24/7 live video to offer worldwide visitors a view of the ever-growing treeline – all while reliably withstanding the often harsh weather of Ireland’s rugged Atlantic coast.
“It was great to meet people from across the industry, including a number of Axis partners, in a social setting,” concludes Damien Flaherty, “but it’s not just about the people or even the trees – it’s about biodiversity in action. We were learning about the native tree species and encouraging their population to grow, turning land which isn’t agriculturally viable into eco-friendly woodland which supports wildlife and helps cool the earth. It’s a brilliant scheme and it’s important that everybody does something to help.”
Image courtesy of Cloudforests
