Change comes from the community not officialdom - Burren conservation pioneer tells Mayo meeting

BRENDAN Dunford, a key figure in the Burren’s acclaimed conservation and sustainable farming journey, was guest speaker at the July public meeting of the Lough Carra Catchment Association, held at Partry Community Centre.

Brendan has spent the past 25 years working in the Burren, where he led the award-winning BurrenLIFE Project and, later, the Burren Programme from 2010 to 2023. He is also a founder of the Burrenbeo Trust and has played a leading role in initiatives such as Heritage Keepers, The Hare’s Corner, and Farming for Nature.

Introducing him, Dr. Cilian Roden described Dunford as “a pioneer of conservation based on community involvement.” He credited the BurrenLIFE Project’s success to the early and strong engagement of farmers and Dunford’s belief that true conservation only works when those who know the land best are central to decision-making.

In his address, Dunford reflected on the success of the Burren Programme, emphasising that real, lasting change comes from the ground up.

“This is where change comes from - from the community, not from officialdom,” he said. “You can’t protect something by designating it from afar - we’ve spent a lot of time engaging with people and persuading farmers that they’re the important ones. It’s not just about scientists or policy-makers - farmers are the ones who will really make the difference.”

He drew clear parallels between the Burren and Lough Carra, both being limestone landscapes rich in biodiversity, archaeological heritage, and tradition, but also facing contemporary pressures on water quality and land use. “If we want to preserve the landscape,” he said, “the human connection needs to be upheld as well.”

Dunford stressed that farming, when done well, is not the enemy of conservation but a powerful ally.

“Without farming, the Burren would lose much of its biodiversity. Farming is a positive force when applied correctly. We need food and food security, but farming can also deliver this wonderful biodiversity, preserve the open landscape, and sustain the archaeology and culture of the place,” he said

Over three decades, Dunford has worked to find a balance between agriculture and conservation - a balance rooted in collaboration. “Too often, farmers are shut out of the conversation,” he said. “They don’t feel like they belong. Our aim was always to bring them in, identify challenges, co-create solutions, and scale what worked.”

The BurrenLIFE Project began with just 20 farmers and focused on developing a model where farming and landscape care could go hand in hand. Practical supports were introduced to make this possible — innovations like solar water pumps, targeted feeding, biodiversity scorecards, and water storage solutions that had a transformative effect on land and habitat management.

The 'afterlife' of the LIFE project was straightforward: scale up the findings across the Burren. With the Department of Agriculture on board, the model was expanded over three years, further embedding conservation into the fabric of local farming life.

“We’ve always seen the farmers as the core resource — they own the land, they have the livestock and the management skills,” Dunford said. “But they needed to see themselves differently — not just as food producers, but as stewards of this extraordinary landscape, and to be fairly rewarded for that.”

A cornerstone of the Burren Programme’s philosophy is what Dunford called the “pocket, head and heart” approach — a framework for sustainable change. “The pocket is about fair payments — but only if real results are delivered. The head is about knowledge — practical, low-bureaucracy supports. And the heart is about connecting with people’s sense of place and purpose. If you do that, they’ll be your strongest allies.”

He also underlined the economic and environmental benefits of investing in farmers and nature. An estimated €10 million invested through the programme brought in over €23 million to the local economy and generated more than €33 million in environmental gains through improved habitats, biodiversity, and water quality. “We keep thinking nature is free,” he said, “but it has value. If we invest a little, we can generate a huge return — economically, socially, and ecologically.”

The event was warmly received by the local community, many of whom are active in farming, conservation and community work in the Lough Carra area. The Lough Carra Catchment Association said it was “thrilled to host Brendan and is inspired by the Burren’s example,” and remains committed to developing a similarly collaborative and practical approach to protecting the lake and its wider catchment.

For more information about Lough Carra and the work of the Lough Carra Catchment Association, visit www.loughcarra.org or email info@loughcarra.org.