PEATLANDS IN PRACTICE GATHERING
A two-day event: Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th of October
The Common Knowledge Centre, Kilfenora, Co. Clare
Free to attend, lunch is included, booking is required
Around 20% of Ireland's land area is covered by peatland, and these Peatlands are so intrinsically linked to our Irish heritage and culture. Over the years, these living landscapes have been degraded through various practices such as turf cutting, land drainage, and coniferous tree planting. In more recent years, land owners and community groups have been changing the story of how we interact with this land, and engaging in ways that are less extractive and much more restorative.
At Common Knowledge, we have 10 acres of degraded peatland on our 50 acre mixed habitat site, that we have actively been working on restoring over the past two years. We do this alongside our community, through free environmental education workshop days. By building timber dams in the drains to rewet the land, removing invasive species, and starting small paludiculture trials, our aim is to regenerate this landscape and to educate others on how to do the same on their own patches of land.
This gathering is bringing together community groups, land owners, farmers, ecologists, nature restoration enthusiasts, educators, and cultural practitioners who want to learn more about how to restore degraded peatland habitats, and connect with like minded people to care about restoring our beautiful bogs! This project invites people to take part directly in peatland restoration, reconnecting with our living landscapes that are shaped by both nature and culture.
Over the weekend you'll move between panel discussions, keynote talks, hands-on restoration workshops, a guided walk out onto the bog, and a facilitated peer exchange where groups share what they've tried that’s worked well, what went wrong and what they'd do differently. As much of the learning comes from the person beside you as from the person at the front.
Who this weekend is for
This event is for anyone interested or involved in peatland restoration, at any stage and any level of experience:
Community groups already running a restoration project, or thinking about starting one
Landowners and farmers with peat ground, wondering what restoration would actually mean for their land
Ecologists, environmental consultants and restoration practitionersTeachers, educators and youth or heritage group leaders
Volunteers, students and people who are simply curious about peatlands and want to learn more about peatland restoration.
What happens across the two days
Saturday
Panel discussions with a group of experts sharing insights, opinions, and stories, hosted by Anja Murray
Panel 1: ‘‘Communities taking action on Peatland Restoration’
Panel 2: ‘ Engaging the community through culture’
Two Keynote speeches from experts in the field Facilitated
Peer exchange workshops
Sunday
Choice of one of the following hands-on workshops to attend:
‘Peatland re-wetting: Timber dam building’ with Feidhlim Harty
‘Peatlands in Action: Get to know your bog!’ with Lydia Furey
‘Peatlands and heritage tour of the Common Knowledge land’ with Aisling Wheeler
Followed by the Boglands Oral History presentation, with traditional music and song to close the weekend.
Stories from the bog
The weekend also marks the culmination of our Boglands Oral History Project. Folklorist Dáithí Ó Reilly, has spent this year speaking to our neighbours and local people in County Clare, recording their memories and relationships with the bog. On Sunday those recordings get their first public airing, alongside traditional music and song to close the event.
Booking
The weekend is free to attend. Places are limited and booking is required, so book your place early. Doors open at 10:00 on Saturday and we finish at 16:00 on Sunday.
What's included in your ticket:
Lunch on both days, all panel discussions, keynote talks, your chosen hands-on workshop, facilitated peer exchange discussion, and the oral history presentation.
What's not included:
Accommodation: If you require accommodation, we have a guesthouse on site where you can book your stay: https://www.ourcommonknowledge.org/staywithus
Please bring: A reusable cup and water bottle, waterproof boots and clothing for the weather. Some of the weekend is spent outside.
What is the Peatlands in Practice project?
Peatlands in Practice is our new, community-led peatland restoration project at Common Knowledge. Based at our 50 acres site here at The Common Knowledge centre in Kilfenora, County Clare. This project empowers people to take meaningful action. Through practical workshops, interactive tours, collaborations and culture events, participants gain the skills and confidence they need to make a real difference on both a personal and community scale. Over the course of 6 months, we will work with ecologists, educators, cultural practitioners, and local communities to restore degraded peatland habitats through hands-on ecosystem restoration education, and together we will learn how to appreciate the beauty of bogs and the importance of restoring them.
This project invites people to take part directly in peatland restoration, reconnecting with the living landscapes shaped by both nature and culture.Completely free-of-charge and open to all backgrounds and experience levels, this project encourages participants to take what they learn and share it with their communities, creating a positive ripple effect of environmental action.
Supporters
Peatlands in Practice is co-funded by the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Heritage Council. We're grateful to both for making the project, and this weekend, free for everyone who comes
Beautiful poster and design from Denise Conroy of Votive Illustration
Note: Please bring waterproof shoes and weather-appropriate clothing for the workshops and a Reusable cup.
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For more information about booking a course, accommodation options, and preparing for your course at Common Knowledge, see our
.
2026 Supporters & Partners
Common Knowledge is deeply grateful for the support of its co-funders the National Parks & Wildlife Services & the Heritage Council for bringing the Peatlands in Practice project to life.
We are also very grateful to our other supporters SSE Airtricity, the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Patagonia and Ecosystem Restoration Communities for our their support with our overall efforts in eco-system registration.
