Irish Demo Sites

SHANTULLIG ~50 ha | Private

• Standard Sitka spruce forestry site, planted in 1996 and 2004, some windblown areas and recently replanted, some thinned areas some areas to be thinned around 2027.

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Site visits and data gathering with OAMK

15-19 December 2025

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FORESTCARBOVISION Living Lab III

Co-Designing Skills for Forest Carbon Farming | 19 December 2025�Participant Insights & Co-Design Report

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FORESTCARBOVISION Living Lab III

What this Living Lab addressed

• Skills gaps holding back forest carbon farming
• Trust and clarity around carbon measurement, markets, and policy
• How co-benefits (biodiversity, water, community) shape participation

Why it matters

• Stakeholders are interested - but need clear, practical pathways to act.

Core Activity: Interactive Group Workshops

This Report: Synthesizes the collaborative insights from 22+ stakeholders across 4 working groups.

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Living Lab III

Highlights

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Who Took Part

*Categorisation of 17 respondents from the Individual Workshop forms. Percentages represent primary role identification. Some participants hold multiple roles.

Landowners / Forest Owners (41%)

Community / NGO Representatives (18%)

Researchers / Academics / Students (24%)

Foresters / Forestry Professionals (6%)

Other (12%)

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FORESTCARBOVISION

Overall Event Experience

High satisfaction and strong engagement

• 94% of respondents rated the event positively (Good or Excellent)

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Usefulness of Workshops

• 65% Very useful (11 respondents)
• 35% Somewhat useful (6 respondents)

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Usefulness of LiDAR / Technology Demonstration

• 83% rated the LiDAR demonstration as useful or very useful
• 17% indicated lower clarity or usefulness, highlighting the need for clearer explanation and context

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Insight 1: Top Learning Demands

Aggregated priorities from all four working groups.

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What stakeholders need to move forward:

• Policy & Market Regulation (Clarity on rules, ownership, additionality)
• Understanding Carbon Credits (Markets, certification, value)
• Practical, Step-by-Step Guidance (From measurement to market entry)
• Financial Models & Planning (Costs, risks, long-term income)
• Hands-On Forest Management (For carbon sequestration)

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Insight 2: How You Want to Learn

Preferred formats ranked by participant groups.

Most Effective Learning Methods:

• Field Demonstrations & Site Visits (Ranked #1 or #2 by 4 out of 4 groups)
• In-Person Workshops  (Ranked #1 by 1 group, #3 by another)
• Peer Learning Groups / Mentoring (Ranked in top 3 by 3 out of 4 groups)
• Online Webinars & Networks (Ranked #1 by 1 group)

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Stakeholders value practical, local, and social learning experiences over passive or purely digital formats.

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Insight 3: Barriers to Engagement

The primary obstacles identified by participants.

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Key Challenges:

• Policy Uncertainty / Changing Rules (Selected by 3 out of 4 groups)
• Lack of Local Training & Clarity (Selected by 3 out of 4 groups)
• Time Constraints (Selected by 1 group)
• Financial Constraints & Lack of Incentives/Trust (Selected by 1 group)
• Technical Jargon & Complexity (Selected by 1 group)

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Insight 4: The Value Beyond Carbon

Co-benefits that make carbon farming meaningful for communities.

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Top Co-Benefits Prioritised:

• Biodiversity & Habitat Creation (Selected by 2 groups)
• Education & Local Community Engagement (Selected by 2 groups)
• Water Quality & Flood Resilience (Selected by 1 group)
• Local Economic Opportunities (Selected by 1 group)
• Community & Holistic Health (Selected by 1 group)

Note: One group selected "All of them!" indicating broad value.

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Repeated concern: Co-benefits are not yet clearly integrated into carbon frameworks.

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In Your Own Words: Need for Clarity

Direct quotes from individual feedback.

"How to measure carbon on my land (tools, methods, costs)."�"A step-by-step process for entering carbon markets."�"Financial models – how payments work, risks, long-term income."�"A clear checklist. A mentor – someone who’s done it before.“

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In Your Own Words: Building Confidence

Direct quotes on policy and support.

"Clear government guidelines. Case studies from other landowners.“

"Legal/financial advisory support. Workshops with policymakers.“

"Need to counter the misunderstanding that carbon farming is only for large owners/corporations.”

“How to maintain integrity; avoid capture by an extractive system.”

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Offer to Help: A Foundation for Action

The community is ready to contribute:

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Host site visits/demonstrations (Offered by 3 out of 4 groups)

Share experience as a case study (Implied across groups)

Help design training materials (Offered by 2 out of 4 groups)

Networking/Knowledge sharing (Implied across groups)

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Engagement Beyond the Event

Commitment to Stay Involved

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Ways participants chose to engage further:

94% - Join future Living Labs or workshops

88% - Receive email updates

82% - Participate in a Forest Carbon Peer Network

71%  - Contribute as a case study or local example

65% - Offer expert input or feedback

47% - Volunteer at a demonstration site

Post-event feedback form data (n=17 respondents).

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Synthesis: Three Co-Designed Pathways Forward

1. Build Clarity & Confidence

Possible Action: Develop plain-language guides on policy/finance; showcase Irish case studies; facilitate dialogues with policymakers.

2. Enable Hands-On Skill Building

Possible Action: Prioritise field-based training, demo site visits, and "train-the-trainer" sessions to create local mentors.

3. Foster a Supportive Community

Possible Action: Launch a structured Forest Carbon Peer Network; host regular focus groups; create online forums for Q&A.

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FORESTCARBOVISION

Thank you!

FORESTCARBOVISION