Registration of Interest for AONB and Geopark Forests for Community Orchard Creation
Orchards have played an important role in communities for many centuries, providing a focal point, a gathering space, and a place where people and nature successfully work together to create abundant harvests. They provide vital green spaces, where people are encouraged to interact with nature either through becoming custodians of the trees or by simply being around them and enjoying their shade, beauty and fruit.

Newry Mourne and Down District Council's  AONB and Geopark Team have received funding through the Northern Ireland Environment Agency's Environment Fund to provide a mixture of fruit trees for communities to set up orchards in their area. Orchards play a key role in providing an early food source for our struggling pollinators as they emerge from winter. 

To help protect the bees and increase pollination, over the next year , we want to provide fruit trees to create orchards across the Ring of Gullion and Strangford and Lecale AONB (Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty) areas.

The trees must be planted within the AONB boundaries. You can view the boundary by clicking here or download the maps below. 

Ring of Gullion AONB MapDOWNLOAD

Strangford and Lecale AONB MapDOWNLOAD

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Email *
Name of group (if applying for a group)
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Full name of main contact
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Please state type of organisation
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Mobile number
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Have you worked with the AONB and Geopark Team in the past? If yes, please state in what year and name of the project.
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Which AONB will you be planting your community orchard in?
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Do you own the land you will be planting the community orchard in?
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If you do not own the land, please state who owns the land and confirm you have permission from the landowner to plant the community orchard.
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What is the grid reference of the land you want to plant on?
For help, visit Grid Reference Finder and enter the nearest postcode to the planting site. Right-click the icon to see the Grid reference. We need the six digit reference which is shown underneath the longer reference. 
Do you still need help finding the Grid reference? Please view the Grid reference video .
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Please describe the intended planting location, and how the space is used currently.
Stand where you are considering planting- observe where the sunlight falls, wind blows and the air moves.
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Is the site warm, sunny and sheltered from strong winds?
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Is the site south to south-west facing?
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Is the soil slightly acidic to neutral, well drained, uncompacted and loamy? Avoid frost pockets or standing water.
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Please check the guides on priority habitats and map of protected habitats.  Please confirm that the land is not a protected/ priority habitat where trees aren't suitable to be planted.  *
Please confirm that you are adhering to the minimum required setback distances from neighbouring properties/ overhead powerlines? A minimum of 5 metres (16ft) to each side of distribution lines (11,000 and 33,000 volt lines) and trees. This is approximately the same as the length of an average saloon type car. As the voltages increase for transmission lines, these minimum distances increase.(NIE, 2023) *
Who will look after, and take responsibility for, the trees as they grow?
Once your trees are in the ground it’s important to care for them to help them thrive, particularly in the first few years. Please tell us specifically who will be taking responsibility for their ongoing care and maintenance and your plan for looking after the trees.
- Planting the trees- dig a square hole, wider and deeper than the tree roots. Spread a layer of mulch around the newly planted tree.
- Frequently check the tree stakes, loosen tree ties if neccessary.
- Keep 1 meter weed free around the tree for the first 3-4 years. Try and keep weeds away from the base without strimming any of the bark off the lower trunk of the trees.
- Add mulch around the base of the trees each year.
- Pruning- this is very important in year 1-4. If you wish to keep the trees smaller, they can be pruned just before they start growing in the Spring.

 Click here for more information on how to care for your trees.
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Encouraging biodiversity in your orchard can provide natural defences against pests. Don't ever spray the trees or the area around the roots. Pesticides (insecticides, herbicides and fungicides) can harm pollinators directly and indirectly. Please confirm your group will not use pesticides in the orchard.
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Please state when you will be planting your trees. A requirement of receiving the trees, is photos after planting are to be sent to info@ringofgullion.org. Please state that you understand this requirment and photos will be sent within a week of planting taking place.
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Please state how many trees you require? We have a min limit of 5 trees ( made up of 3 Apple trees, a pear tree and a plum tree per order. We only have a limited number of trees and it is first come, first served basis. Other tree projects, include the Woodland Trust MOREwoods, MOREhedges , Trees on our land,  Small Woodland Grant Scheme or the Forest Expansion Scheme. If you require support applying for these projects, contact info@ringofgullion.org for more information.

Please check how much room you need for the trees before you submit your order.

The amount of space you need will differ depending on how you plant your trees. If in doubt order a lower number of trees, as you can always apply for more in future delivery seasons.

Each tree needs to be planted  2m-5m apart.

Remember it's orchards that we're planting - so the trees should be together. Although pollinating bees can travel 3 – 4km (2 – 212 miles), the general rule of thumb is that trees for cross-pollination should be within 18m (55ft) of each other to be really effective.

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Please state your preference of species. The pack has to include trees from the same flowering groups. In order to ensure successful pollination, the trees must be planted in proximity to each other - the pear & plum tree are mostly self pollinators but any tree which is not self fertilising need each other to successfully flower and bear fruit.All the trees are 2 years old and are in pots except the cherry trees. A crab apple will also be supplied to help as a pollinator for your fruit trees. 

We can't guarantee that you will get your prefence of species as we have limited number of each species, but we will do our best.
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Please state the number of each of your preferred species you require. We can't guarantee that you will get the number of your prefence of species as we have limited number of each species, but we will do our best.We will contact you to confirm species and numbers closed to the time.  *
Would you have the means to collect the trees?
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As the main aim of this project is to encourage biodiversity and protect & feed our pollinators in the AONBs, we require the group to carry out
monitoring the pollinators in your orchard.
Flower-Insect Timed Count (FIT) Count
You can track your progress and help monitor the progress of insects in your orchard by watching a 50 x 50 cm patch of flowers in your orchard for 10 minutes and recording how many insects visit. This FIT Count survey is quick and easy to do and doesn’t require
specialist knowledge of insects. 

Put your orchard on the Map!
The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan’s online mapping system tracks actions for pollinators across the island. Please add your pollinator-friendly orchard to our map at: https://pollinators.biodiversityireland.ie

Pollination service count

Each group who plants an Orchard is asked to, once a year, go out and record the number of apples, plums, pears, dawson, or cherry growing on the trees and email this count to info@ringofgullion.org.

Please confirm the groups understanding and confirmation that they will undertake these activities for the next five years of the project.

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Do you give permission for your mobile number to be added to an whats app group for groups setting up an orchard. Can confirm your group will join the facebook group set up for groups setting up orchards? Please confirm that your group will share at least 4 posts a year about biodiversity and your orchard.
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Would your group be willing to host a workshop on orchards on your site?
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The AONB and Geopark Team have a number of biodiversity projects to help communities connect with nature. Please tick any projects your group would like more be intersted in getting involved with.
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If you have any ideas for biodiversity workshops or require any support from the AONB and Geopark team to help your group get more involved in biodiversity projects? Please get in touch by emaill at info@ringofgullion.org
A copy of your responses will be emailed to the address you provided.
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