Delivering fast growing urban woodlands that boost biodiversity, support wildlife and significantly enhance local climate resilience
Drogheda Tidy Towns has delivered a major biodiversity and climate action initiative through the creation of 7 Stepping Stone Forests across Drogheda, planting over 4,000 native Irish trees and shrubs between during 2025 and 2026. These compact, fast growing micro woodlands were developed in partnership with Stepping Stone Forests (Dodder Action Group), kindly supported and sponsored by Amazon and its employees, and created with the enthusiastic involvement of local residents, schools, volunteers, and community groups.
A Stepping Stone Forest is a small, urban, densely planted woodland using native Irish species of trees and shrubs. Due to the dense nature of the planting the trees and shrubs grow very rapidly. Stepping Stone Forests use the Miyawaki Planting Method inspired by the world renowned botanist Prof. Akira Miyawaki
The planting is very dense with between one to five plants per each square meter. Prior to planting (approx. 6 months), the ground is covered in a layer of cardboard and then heavily mulched to help suppress competing vegetation, retain moisture, and to maintain a more even ground temperature.
Stepping Stone Forests provide a natural habitat for Irish wildlife. They also provide vital ecosystem services that greatly benefit us humans also.
These small dense mixed forests absorb more that 30 times more carbon than grass lawns and help to reduce global warming. The temperature within these forests is typically 2 degrees centigrade below the temperature around the forest.
The optimum planting time for bare root trees and shrubs in the Irish climate is from October to March.
Drogheda Tidy Towns supported by Amazon employees worked with John and Caragh from the Stepping Stones Project, local Resident Associations , Schools and other local community groups to identify suitable locations in Drogheda to plant theses mini urban forests during 2025 and 2026.
Seven sites were selected and a great total of over 4,00 trees were planted. Sites and dates planted:
The success of the project could only be achieved with the support of our sponsors Amazon, the great guidance of John and Caragh who lead the Stepping Stones projects and the help of volunteers and residents from the local areas schools such as St Ita’s school who supported us in Brookville , Marymount students who helped in Ballsgrove and St. Mary’s TY students who helped in Rosevale,
After the planting of the trees and shrubs, signs were erected at each site giving an overview of the project, the benefits and sponsor/stakeholders names.
This is an example of the details included on these signs.
For more information on the concept, planting method and projects, visit the Stepping Stone Forests website. – https://steppingstoneforests.org/
Whether you can volunteer your time, support our projects, or simply spread the word, every effort helps us keep Drogheda clean, green, and thriving.