Minister visits award-winning community garden in Rathcoffey
The Minister of State in the Department of Agriculture recently visited Rathcoffey Zero Waste Garden to congratulate the committee behind the success of its Green Flag.
Green Party Senator Pippa Hackett described the initiative as “an inspiring community-led project.”
The project was a recipient of the International Green Flag Community Award for 2021 in September.
She added: “Well done on achieving the Green Flag and thank you for the warm welcome and hospitality.”
Also attending the get -together was Green Party colleagues Cllr Vincent P Martin and Cllr Vanessa Liston.
The community project won an Energia Get Ireland Growing award in 2019 and was also nominated in the National Pride of Place competition.
The project is based on 1.5 acres of Kildare County Council land and boasts a €5,500 poly tunnel and a small office.
The garden also fosters wildlife, including flowers to aid bees and butterflies to promote biodiversity.
Zero Waste Community Garden Rathcoffey has also been chosen as the site for DHL Express Ireland to plant 250 native Irish trees as part of the Deutsche Post DHL (DPDHL) global initiative to plant 1,000,000 trees every year.
The Plant a Million Trees initiative is part of DHL’s GoGreen and Zero-Emissions 2050 plan which aims to certify 80 percent of its employees as GoGreen specialists, getting them involved in environmental and climate protection activities. This includes joining partners ranging from top celebrities like Bryan Adams, to the tiny village of Rathcoffey to plant one million trees globally every year to protect the environment.
Pat Pender, founder and chairman of project said: “The biodiversity the gardeners have enhanced and nurtured through assistance of Kildare County Council, and most recently our partnership with Enrich Soil Solutions and donations of additional materials from local businesses, ensure the trees have the best possible chance to thrive. Our gardeners care deeply about the environment in which they tend their plots.”