Laois County Town Portlaoise transforming into paradise of biodiversity

Portlaoise Tidy Towns have made great progress since launching their Biodiversity Action Plan in 2023.

From planting thousands of trees to launching the Town in a Garden initiative, they have put biodiversity at the heart of their mission for Portlaoise.

The following are just some of the completed and ongoing projects outlined to the Leinster Express / Laois Live, which the Portlaoise Tidy Towns Committee says have formed part of the environmentally-friendly biodiversity story so far.

Raising awareness and monitoring biodiversity has been achieved through educational walks, workshops on wildflowers, butterflies, and bumblebees. They have also worked with primary and secondary schools to advance biodiversity.

One educational project is the large mural that has been painted in the People's Park to teach the public about all the wildlife and fish that live in and around the River Triogue.

Another way found to raise awareness is the location of logos for the ‘A Town in a Garden’ project on solar-powered Belly Bins throughout Portlaoise.

Tree planting has been a big Portlaoise Tidy Towns project. The committee has partnered with the Trees on the Land charity to source native saplings all of which are sourced and grown in Ireland. This led to a first place in the National Tree Project Award in 2024!
Over 40,000 young native trees/hedging have been planted, with more to come on public and private land. This was recognised with a Tree Council of Ireland Special Award in the National Supervalu Tidy Towns Competition in 2024

Volunteers have planted native Buckthorn plants, which they say support the Brimstone butterfly. The plants have been interspersed in some of the planted areas in the town.

Community orchards have also been planted, featuring apple and plum trees. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

To encourage planting, a tree giveaway is held every year during National Tree Week, where over 1,000 native trees are distributed to the public.

Another element of their work has been meadow creation and management

Urban meadows of all sizes are created throughout the town while no-mow May takes place, where possible, around Portlaoise.

The species-rich grassland of the Burial Ridge is being managed following the completion of a management plan.

Another project is the creation of the biodiversity-friendly Southern Ring Road landscaping scheme. This has included the management of wildflower meadows, creation of pollinator-friendly flowerbeds, planting of hedging and trees and installation of educational coloured pollinator information wooden posts along the footpath.

Work has also been carried out to conserve the rare and threatened Green-winged Orchid. This included getting expert support to preserve and protect this species in the town. This is monitored each year.

Another big element in the biodiversity project is pollinator-friendly planting. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

This has involved perennial planting in flower beds to replace much of the annual bedding planting.

A phenomenal 1 million spring bulbs have been planted on the majority of approach roads and green areas in the town, which is unique to Portlaoise.

This includes spring crocuses and daffodils. The committee says this scheme has won huge praise from the community.

The Tidy Towns Committee say a roundabout landscaping strategy was developed to include different landscape treatments to support pollinators, such as planting pollinator-friendly flowerbeds and managing wildflower meadows.

Roundabouts completed to date include Fairgreen, Birch Grove, Beladd, Market Square, Mountrath Road, Kilminchy, Timahoe Road and Southern Ring Road.

The Green Walls Project has seen several large concrete walls greened with evergreen and biodiversity-friendly climbers such as ivy and pyracantha. The Tidy Towns aim to extend this to more parts of the town in the upcoming years.

Encouraging the bird population of the County Town has also been advanced through bird boxes which have been located in trees around Portlaoise.

A specific Sand Martin nest wall was erected in the People's Park to support the disappearing habitat of this bird.

Swift boxes were built into the design of the new library on Lower Main Street, again to support the disappearing habitat of this bird. These are in addition to the Swift boxes already installed in previous years, and we aim to add more in the future.

Work has also taken place to employ a nature-based solution for rainwater management.

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This included a Triogue River Safari and a water and wildlife management scheme. A sustainable urban drainage study was also carried out to identify opportunities for nature-based solutions for managing rainwater from roads, footpaths and car parking areas. The Committee is working with various partners to develop these opportunities.

More than 200 water reservoir hanging baskets and tubs have also been used.

Pollution control is another ambition in the strategy. Litter picks to prevent harmful waste from entering important habitats, such as the River Triogue have helped.

There has also been a move away from pesticide use for weed control on roads. This has been found to be a successful scheme that continues to be rolled out.

Invasive species control is another element in the strategy. This has led to work controlling the invasive Himalayan Balsam and Japanese Knotweed plants, including along the Triogue River in the Linear Park.

While a lot is done, Portlaoise Tidy Towns promises it has more to do. So, what’s to come? MORE BELOW PICTURE.

The Committee has collaborated with the Town Team and Laois County Council's Portlaoise Municipal District in planning new exciting projects in the pipeline for the years ahead.

These include:

•  Rainwater gardens to be developed throughout the town – these flower beds will cleanse water before it flows into the Triogue River.
• Parklets – Relaxing seated coffee areas to be planted with pollinator-friendly planting.
• Surveys to measure the increase in butterflies and bees in all the biodiversity areas in Portlaoise.
• Continued planting of trees and bulbs.
• Expand our network of species-rich meadows.
• Rainwater harvesting for the flower tubs.
• Creation of a water refill station.

Portlaoise Tidy Towns wish to continue the journey towards becoming the ‘Tidiest Town in Ireland’ and transforming Portlaoise into ‘A Town in a Garden’.

Huge thanks are extended by the Committee to all the volunteers as well as Laois County Council, Portlaoise Town Team and other organisations and people who have contributed and helped deliver on the actions set out in the Plan.

They say the progress to date couldn’t have happened without all the long hours put in by everyone to make the town a better place for people and wildlife.