🌿 Meet the Species You’re Helping: Birds, Bees & Biodiversity in Our Forests

A CloudForests.ie story about Ireland’s returning wildlife

Ireland’s Atlantic coastline has always been wild, but much of its native woodland once disappeared—until now. Through the work of CloudForests and the community of people and companies who support our mission, we’re restoring pockets of vibrant, native forests along Ireland’s western edge.

And as the trees return, so do the creatures that depend on them.
Here are just some of the Irish species you’re helping to protect and re-establish every time a new CloudForest is planted.

🐦 Birds Returning to Our Native Woodlands

šŸ•Šļø The Wood Pigeon – Ireland’s Gentle Forest Grazer

A familiar sight, these calm, heavy-winged birds are often among the first to recolonise young forests. They feast on buds, seeds, and berries—helping to disperse seeds deeper into CloudForests sites.

🐦 The Robin – The Guardian of New Growth

robin on a branch

Ireland’s favourite garden bird thrives in regenerating woodlands. Robins are territorial and often follow volunteers around as we plant, hoping for insects unearthed in the soil.

šŸ¦‰ The Long-Eared Owl – A Silent Beneficiary

As CloudForests sites mature, they create hunting grounds for long-eared owls. These secretive predators need dense conifers for roosting and open areas for hunting—exactly the mosaic habitat we’re restoring.

🦜 The Chaffinch & Goldfinch – Colour in the Canopy

Both species benefit directly from the native trees we plant: alder, birch, and rowan produce seeds that keep these finches singing all year.

šŸ Bees & Pollinators Thriving in Rewilded Spaces

šŸ The Buff-Tailed Bumblebee – Ireland’s Hardest Worker

This species is vital for pollinating spring flowers. As CloudForests improves ground cover with woodland wildflowers, bumblebee populations rebound fast.

šŸÆ The Irish Honeybee – A Partner in Biodiversity

Honeybees flourish when native tree species like willow and hazel bloom. These early pollen sources help colonies thrive and boost surrounding farmland.

Learn more about Native Irish Bees

🌼 Hoverflies & Solitary Bees – The Hidden Heroes

Often overshadowed by honeybees, these tiny pollinators are some of the most effective pollen carriers in Ireland. CloudForests’ diverse planting plans—especially flowering shrubs like hawthorn and blackthorn—give them exactly what they need.

šŸ¦‹ Insects, Butterflies & Tiny Forest Engineers

butterfly on flower

šŸ¦‹ The Peacock Butterfly & Tortoiseshell

These bright, familiar butterflies rely on sunny patches and nettle beds near woodland edges—common microhabitats in CloudForests projects.

🪲 The Ground Beetle – The Soil Guardian

A sign of healthy, chemical-free soil, ground beetles help keep ecosystems balanced. As our forests grow, beetle diversity increases dramatically.

šŸ› Moths of the Irish Night

Moths play a huge role in pollination that few people see. Native woodland habitats bring back species like the silver Y, poplar hawk-moth, and angle shades.

beetle

🌱 Native Irish Trees = Irish Wildlife Comeback

Every tree planted at CloudForests.ie plays a specific ecological role:

  • Oak supports over 300 insect species, making it a cornerstone of new food webs.

  • Rowan feeds birds through the autumn with its red berries.

  • Hazel offers pollen in late winter—critical for early bees.

  • Birch stabilises soil and shelters ground-nesting birds.

  • Alder restores boggy and coastal soils, fixing nitrogen naturally.

Your support helps recreate the layered richness of Ireland’s lost temperate rainforest—one sapling, one species, one forest at a time.

šŸŒ§ļø What Happens Next? Biodiversity Builds Biodiversity

The magic of reforestation is that once the ecosystem begins to return, it accelerates itself.
More trees mean more shelter → more insects → more bird species → healthier soil → more flowering plants → and so on.

This is how CloudForests restores self-sustaining natural systems, not just carbon sinks.

šŸŒ You’re Not Just Planting a Forest—You’re Rebuilding an Ecosystem

Every supporter—whether an individual or a corporate partner—helps create real habitats that protect climate, wildlife, and Ireland’s natural heritage.

By supporting CloudForests.ie, you are helping:

🌿 Restore native Irish woodland
šŸ Rebuild pollinator populations
šŸ¦‰ Create safe habitats for rare birds
🌱 Protect biodiversity for generations

And most importantly: you’re proving that climate action can be local, visible, and alive.

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🌿 From Planning to Planting: Building a Forest Step-by-Step

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The Hidden Return of Woodpeckers to Ireland: A Natural Wonder Revealed