The LIFE IP Wild Atlantic Nature project in which three partners of the LIFE INSULAR project participate (IBADER, COILLTE and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage of the Government of Ireland), has won the 2024 Natura 2000 Award in the category ‘Working together for nature’. The Natura 2000 Award highlights projects that demonstrate excellence in nature conservation and sustainable land use. Wild Atlantic Nature is the first Irish project to win such an award.
The project is being developed across Ireland's Natura 2000 Network, designated for their value in protecting peatbog habitats. The jury awarded the LIFE project based on the results-based agri-environmental payment scheme program. Through it, farmers and other landowners receive payments for achieving environmental results. The system directly links agri-environmental payments to farmers to the ecological conditions of their land, through a check-based approach that assesses different types of habitats and the level of ecosystem services provided. In this way, good environmental management is rewarded and the improvement of lands that obtain the best scores is encouraged.
