Síol Sustainability Solutions

March was a busy month for Síol, with a few days spent in sunny Barcelona for the Soil Health Bootcamp! Led by the wonderful , we participated in a series of roadmapping activities for - an emerging project which will stabilise and rejuvenate the soils of climate-disaffected agricultural regions in Poland, Romania, and Spain through the use of localised cover crop mixes.

The living skin of the earth, soil is often overlooked in discussions when it comes to protecting our biosphere. As a signatory of the , Síol is committed to raising awareness in this area 🏞️🌎.

In February, Síol set to work repotting tens of acorns salvaged from Storm Éowyn's destructive touchdown in Co. Cavan, giving the little oaks lots more space to grow ahead of some longer-term planting plans later on in 2026 - stay tuned! 🪴🌳

As we approach (22 April), we're looking back at some environmental initiatives that Síol has participated in in 2026.

In January, we kicked off the year doing what we enjoy most - planting 50 trees in Co. Meath with the help of some amazing volunteers. The saplings, kindly provided to the landowners by through its Hare's Corner initiative, will form the basis for a biodiverse hedgerow of native Irish species and establish a vital wildlife corridor 🦊🎋.

Happy New Year! 🥳🎉 We hope that this year brings health, happiness, and success for all of our partners and audience. Thank you for the amazing support in 2025 - the year this initiative began, and one to remember!

We're kicking off 2026 by reflecting on our highlight from last year. In October, Síol had the honour of travelling to Porto, Portugal in its role as a member of the Community of Practice. This amazing project is a Horizon Europe-funded effort to enhance soil literacy and empower glocal ecosystems to restore soil values, roles, and connectivity through science, technology, and creative expression.

Glocal? Yes, you read that right! Glocal initiatives - a blend of "global" and "local" - connect community-level efforts to vital work being carried out internationally. By enabling grassroots change, SoilTribes contributes to global sustainability efforts and soil literacy.

The bootcamp in Porto provided an exciting opportunity to connect with likeminded individuals and organisations and brainstorm in a collaborative setting. Síol is especially proud to have formed part of the team behind a winning micro-project which is set to see implementation on-the-ground in Poland.

We can't wait to be part of the next SoilTribes bootcamp in Barcelona in March, where we'll reconnect with colleagues. Stay tuned! 🌱

For more information on SoilTribes, check out the website here: https://soiltribes.eu/

Another day, another network! We're truly honoured to collaborate with some amazing partner organisations and contribute to impactful projects on the topics that matter most. Síol was recently invited to join the Every1 project ecosystem. Funded by the European Union, this project explores the digital energy transition by identifying knowledge gaps, developing accessible learning pathways, and strengthening stakeholder collaboration. Through capacity-building and knowledge sharing, Every1's goal is to empower citizens, policymakers, and industries to navigate and shape the evolving energy landscape. ⚡✅

Stay tuned for more updates to follow, and check out the Every1 website at the link below:

https://every1.energy/

The European Commission has referred to soil as "the living skin of our planet". Aside from its fundamental role in natural ecosystems, where it contributes to clean water, clear air, and biodiversity, it's also responsible for the production of 95% of our food. Additionally, soils sequester about 80% of the carbon in terrestrial ecosystems worldwide. Despite this, 60% of soils in the EU are in an unhealthy state because of compaction, salinisation / alkalinisation and over-fertilisation, among other issues, all of which are exacerbated by climate change and increasing natural disasters. ⛰🏆

For these reasons and many more, Síol Sustainability Solutions was honoured to be invited to join the SoilTribes Community of Practice. Today marked the first official meeting of this network. This exciting Horizon Europe project aims to establish a global ecosystem promoting soil-centric values, roles, and collaboration through “back to Earth” narratives by bridging science, technology, arts, and community-driven action. We look forward to contributing to insightful discussions on these topics, participating in workshops, and helping to develop policy proposals to affect positive impact in our society going forward. 📈📝

This next step in Síol's journey is closely aligned with its values as a proud signatory of the European Commission's "Mission Soil Statement". Stay tuned for more updates to follow, and check out the SoilTribes website at the link below:

https://soiltribes.eu/

Last week we had the exciting opportunity to attend "Nature Restoration in Ireland: Meet the Storytellers", a seminar organised as part of TU Dublin's fantastic Green Week initiative and in association with Green Foundation Ireland 🌱.

During the seminar, two fascinating films were presented. "This is Your River" guides viewers along the banks of the Dodder, from the Wicklow Mountains to Dublin Port, and presents the fantastic work of the Dodder Action Group. "The Forest Midwife", meanwhile, charts the experiences of writer and social entrepreneur Catherine Cleary in her efforts to transform a piece of land in Roscommon into a forest and natural haven 🌊🌳.

After the screening, filmmakers John Gormley (This is Your River) and Beta Bajgart (The Forest Midwife) were joined by Dr. Olive Leavey (National Coordinator of Irish Forest Owners) and Chairperson Dr. Pat Brereton to engage in an interesting panel discussion, providing a wealth of valuable insights. Much praise is owed also to Brian Gormley, TUD's Head of Sustainability Education, for seamlessly overseeing proceedings on the day. 🎤

Congratulations to all involved in the organisation of this inspiring event, and we look forward to attending many more in the future! ☀️

It's World Wildlife Day! 🗺🐾

In 2013, the United Nations General Assembly designated March 3 as the international date to celebrate wild animals and plants, recognising their unique roles and contributions to the planet 🌏.

This year's theme is "Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and Planet", but there are many ways that you can invest in wildlife, aside from funding! Why not research the kinds of native plants you can sow to strengthen your local ecosystem? You could build a "Bug Hotel" to provide a home for some of nature's most important residents, or even mount a "box" for winged friends to rest in... birds, bats, or both - you decide! 🦇🐦

The important takeaway is to recognise that the very smallest of our actions at the local level have the capacity to impact widespread change. Consider letting your lawn grow back a little wilder than usual, or volunteer to pick up some discarded rubbish in your local community. It might seem like a tiny step, but with enough of those, we can run a marathon! 🏆

Wow. We're blown away by the support for Síol to date, and want to thank the now 100+ followers on the company's Instagram page! 💯

Here's some "100" themed sustainability and environmental trivia to get your brain in motion 🧠⚙️

Did you know that...

Cardboard can be made of up to 100% recycled wood fibres? 📦 (But watch out for plastic lining, wax, and other unhelpful additives that sometimes join the party!)

The combined weight of ants on our planet exceeds that of humans? While we account for a total of 7 billion individuals, ants number over 100 trillion! 🐜

The Great Green Wall's aim is to restore 100 million hectares of land by 2030, creating an 8,000km wide belt of rejuvenated and reforested land across the African continent? Launched by the African Union in 2007, this ambitious mission is an attempt to stem the spread of the Sahara desert, and could result in the sequestration of 250 million tonnes of carbon. 🏜🌱

Síol Sustainability Solutions is proud to support the fantastic Reforest Nation by planting native Irish hazel. This company is doing some incredible work, truly leading the charge in the island's tree planting initiatives. 🌱🌿🌳

Did you know that forests cover just 11% of Ireland's land? This is far behind the EU average of 39%, and there's more - only 1-2% of our forestry is biodiverse, native woodland. The remainder comprises mostly non-native monoculture plantations of species like Sitka spruce, grown relatively quickly and ultimately felled for profit. 🌲

To encourage authentic, biodiverse ecosystems to thrive, it's vital that we support the work of groups like Reforest Nation - because it doesn't end with the trees! By reforesting exploited tracts of the island's landscape, the return of critical ecological actors is encouraged, from seedlings and shrubs, to insects, birds, bats, pine martens, and beyond. The positive impact combines carbon sequestration, wildlife conservation, and untold social and cultural good, among others. Why not take a look at Reforest Nation's website for yourself and check out their success story to date, which has included the planting of over one million native trees! 🌟