Sustainability & Biodiversity

Caring for Fota’s historic arboretum and gardens means nurturing their biodiversity, as well as respecting their rich history.

Our dedicated team of gardening staff and volunteers at Fota House, Arboretum & Gardens work tirelessly to protect and enhance the rich variety of flora and fauna that flourish in our formal gardens, pleasure grounds and woodlands.

Conserving Habitats for Wildlife

Nurturing the biodiversity of Fota’s gardens involves balancing traditional methods and fresh insights. Many garden tools, from shovels to hoes, have changed little over the centuries. And gardening has always involved passing on skills and insights from generation to generation.

We make our decisions about planting and structural changes in ways that carefully balance respect for the past with our future-focused commitment to enhancing the sustainability and biodiversity of the Fota Estate.

Follow the Fota Bee Trail

Find the 12 stations along Fota’s family-friendly bee trail, and you’ll gain a better understanding of our pollinating friends and the factors that shape how welcome they feel in an Irish garden.

You’ll learn how Fota’s diverse trees and flowers support bees and gather some ideas for your own green spaces too!

A Sanctuary for Bees

In partnership with the Irish Bee Conservation Project (IBCP), we have installed an apiary for the Irish Black Bee on the grounds of Fota House that supports almost 70 bee boxes around Fota Island.

Our aim is to create a Bee Sanctuary of national importance along with related educational programmes for school children and research students.

A bee with some purple flowers in the background.

Wilding Our Ornamental Gardens

Our walled gardens have traditionally been planted with formal bedding, but several are now being stocked with wildflowers, which are better for biodiversity, more sustainable, and hugely popular with our visitors.

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