MIVAN HELPS BIODIVERISTY AND BEGINS A SUSTAINABLITY GOAL

Mivan, the internationally renowned leader in specialist bespoke joinery and luxury interior fit-out, helped create a new woodland habitat for years to come by planting over 500 trees.

Trees provide dynamic benefits for both humans and the natural environment. They are the lungs of the world and yet in the UK & Ireland, the national percentage of forestry is less than half of the European average. As a part of our commitment to sustainability, at Mivan we will plant 400,000 trees by (2035). Within that commitment we have decided to plant a proportion with Mivan Staff as volunteers in collaboration with Farming Carbon to replenish native woodland species in Northern Ireland.

This week, we had 8 members of staff, plant 550 native trees to create a 7 species woodland, in a wild strip on the edge of an arable farm. The site has a waterway running down one side, and rose up a hill into drier, stonier ground. The woodland species included Oak, Scot’s pine, Birch, Sweet cherry, Rowan, Alder and Willow. Due to the proximity of a watercourse, we were selective about which trees were planted in each part of the site. The alder and willow thrive in damp, wet ground – so they were planted mostly in the lower areas. The other species were planted in a diverse mix.

Each of the tree species has a different life span, and were planted in 2m spacing. The Birch and Alder will live for 60 years, while the Oak and Scot’s Pine should still be standing after 600. This variation of lifespan means that our planting, in March 2023 could provide a habitat and a home to generations of wildlife for the next few centuries, and the woodland will continue to grow and change in that time.

As humans we thrive in diverse environments, we thrive eating diverse diets. So, it makes sense that our wildlife species are the same. Within our tree planting, the flowers on the sweet cherry will feed pollinators, the fruit of the rowan will feed the birds, and the oak will feed the dormouse, squirrels, and jackdaws when it drops its acorn seeds. Each of the trees will grow to create a habitat in itself; as well as the woodland habitat as a whole.

This year there has been an additional 100 Northern Irish wildlife species added to the “under threat” list. Part of the reason we are losing species, is due to a decline in safe habitat for them. Creating woodlands locally provides new habitats for wildlife, which means that our communities can continue to experience diversity in wildlife. Planting trees has a benefit in terms of carbon drawdown and retention, 63% of the trees planted were hardwoods each of which will sequester 1 tonne of carbon per year for the next 100 years. Alder sequesters nitrogen and makes it available in the soil which improves the soil condition for the plants around it. Removing nitrogen from the atmosphere reduces nitrate oxide, a GHG (greenhouse gas) 300x more potent that carbon dioxide. The benefit of this project is felt by the wildlife, the air, the river and the farmer.

Farming Carbon liaise with farmers in NI to provide unique & beautiful sites like the location of our tree planting project. The trees planted will create habitats for biodiversity, drawdown carbon and will help the farmland itself to mitigate potential issues like nutrient contamination of waterways (because of the roots systems cleaning the soil). It has also provided impactful social value for the farmer, who now has a woodland ecosystem, a buffer for the river and has felt the support of a collective of people coming to his land and giving their time to help him.

For more information on Farming Carbon contact Steph directly at info@farmingcarbon.co.uk or check out @farmingcarbon on any social media platform.