As part of its Sustainability Strategy, the management and staff at Galway Racecourse were delighted to take part last week in the 100 Million Trees Project & Uniphar Group enabling them to create their very own mini-forest on the ground of the 150 acre site.
Joining the staff on the day to help plant their very own tree were eager helpers from the local Briarhill Primary school, all first-class pupils from Ms O’Brien’s class.
Speaking at the tree planting, CEO of Galway Racecourse Michael Moloney said that as we all try to mitigate against climate change, this new forest will provide another new mini area of biodiversity in an “urban” location.
“Last year we worked on a sustainability project with a fantastic group of four MBA Students at the University of Galway, from the J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics, led by Dr. Johanna Clancy. “That project started us on our journey with our Sustainable Development Goals, something that we’re very passionate about here. A special thank you to John Burke, MaryPat Kavanagh, Dr Eva Flynn and Tim Mac for all their help and advice that’s been instrumental for us,” he said.
The 100 Million Trees Project is a national initiative developed by brothers, Richard and David Mulcahy, which aims to see the planting of 100 million native Irish trees across the island of Ireland throughout the next decade, as a community-driven initiative to reverse the immense environmental damage caused by the reduction of forests worldwide and the loss of huge areas of biodiversity.
Always looking to the future, sustainability measures already underway at Galway Racecourse include the installation of solar panels, the upgrading of the lighting system at the venue, track irrigation using water from their own source, plus composting of horse manure and shavings from the stables to name but a few.
There is an exciting year ahead at Ballybrit as planning is well underway for the iconic and much-loved Galway Races Summer Festival that takes place over seven days, from Monday July 29 to Sunday August 4 2024. Get in touch with the team if you are looking to experience it. For more information, visit website galwayraces.com and social media platforms.
