ASCENT – “Apply Skills and Conserve our Environment with New Tools”
ASCENT was an innovative project that tackled environmental challenges in seven northern European upland areas. The three-year project was led by Donegal County Council. It was a collaborative project involving:
- Newry, Mourne and Down District Council
- Mourne Heritage Trust
- Metsähallitus Park and Wildlife in Finland
- Hordaland County Council in Norway
- The Soil Conservation Service of Iceland
Associated partners included Údarás na Gaeltachta, Causeway Coast and Glens Heritage Trust, Mossfellsbær Municipality, and Skaftárhreppur.
Unregulated access and natural erosion had caused degradation in some areas. This led to the loss of unique biodiversity and bio-resources. In response, ASCENT developed management plans and implemented measures to ensure future economic and environmental sustainability.
The total budget for the project in Newry, Mourne, and Down area was €311,000.
Getting woolly in Norway
1st October, 2018
ASCENT Project Partners met in Odda, Norway, in September 2018 to share knowledge and discuss upland management challenges faced across the Northern Periphery and Arctic Circle.
Norwegian hosts from Hordaland County Council were eager to learn about Irish ‘Sheep’s Wool’ paths, which were used to ‘float’ pathways over bogs and deep peat. This visit was part of a wider goal to share knowledge and engage more closely with land management bodies internationally.
This helped to develop strategic solutions for conserving upland areas, addressing challenges like habitat decline, increased tourism, and climate change.
