Nature activism with a saw
It felt really strange, and then suddenly cathartic, to be a plant and wildlife enthusiast holding a saw to a tree's bark, ready (and kind-of-pretty-happy) to destroy it.
But then I looked around. Underneath this tree, among its leaves, or on top of its branches - nothing lived or moved. It had grown tall and thick enough to crowd out all competing growth around it, reducing life in this section of the forest to almost nothing.
The effect of this tree was clear: we had walked to this spot where we would begin to work through sections of native woodland of stunning beauty - taking in a 650 year old Yew tree, oak saplings popping up along the floor, ferns, brambles, nettles, and abundant wildflowers (deadly nightshade, st john's wort, buttercups, plantain... so many more). We spotted different butterflies, heard birdsong, spotted wild mushrooms including the forage-able turkey tail. It was calm and abundant and spilling at the seams with life.
But here, where I stood just 20 metres on from that abundance, it was a different world. The ground was bare and dark, lifeless. A dead zone except this one tree beneath my saw.
The tree was a cherry laurel - Prunus laurocerasus. I was there volunteering with the Native Woodland Trust who work with locals and volunteers to restore woodlands all over the country. On this occasion, we were removing alien invasives where they hurt most and where, at this time of year, they block access to locally-used paths.
The cherry laurel is not native - yet it loves our conditions and grows splendidly. It outcompetes everything else, choking the woodland native species. It releases toxins that deter the predators which might otherwise have curbed its growth. It deposits cyanide-based chemicals into the soil and blocks out light with its dense foliage - preventing other trees and plants from growing. It destroys biodiversity and the possibility for other insects, animals and plants to use this space and thrive in it : where they would allow balance and space for diversity and symbiosis between species to flourish; where the undergrowth would be alive and you could count many species within centimetres of your feet; where it was green, light filtered in, and there was a hum of insects, birds, and life.
Why is it here?
As so often happens with non-native species, they are first planted on purpose in gardens before their effect is known, historically used in estates and later escape and can find success in the wild. Those alien species that are classified as invasive are almost unstoppable because of their competitiveness compared to native plants and often because of a lack of natural predators/grazers that would hold them back. They wreak havoc on nature in the lands they take over.
Yet, in the Republic of Ireland, there is no legal recognition of the invasive nature of cherry laurel, it can still be sold and planted - and is to this day. Visit your local garden centre - you may well find it there. Look at recently planted species around residential areas - you may see it there too.
I myself first became aware of cherry laurel only last year, when organising Green Drinks Dublin as a volunteer with the Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT). The now-IWT Nature Advocacy officer, Oisín Ó'Néill, formerly of the Gaelic Woodland Project, spoke passionately at a green drinks event in 2025 on cherry laurel as a key invasive species that requires immediate policy action. The IWT is actively advocating for action in this area. The National Parks and Wildlife Service names it as an "established highly invasive species with a risk of high impact". Coillte is battling it as well.
What to do about it?
I have joined some environmental non-violent protests in the past, I've attended others for human rights issues. I always feel awkward. I know WHY they are needed, but they do not feel like me. I prefer grassroots action. Communities working together to get things done. Action, instead of the very needed advocacy. That is my sweet spot. Both are needed, but I am only interested in one of them.
So now I take little actions, wherever and whenever it's possible. I try to do things I know I can do, in my patch of the earth. And I know, if everyone does a little of the same, at a sustainable rate, we would have a different world.
So, I chopped down or trimmed some trees (and my arms were sore for days after) to clear paths (respecting the legal nature protection act to not remove vegetation except for those blocking access/paths).
Is it enough?
Of course, personally, I think it is enough - to do something, to do anything. I don't think any individual is responsible for tackling such a huge issue. No one can fix this alone.
But it's certainly not enough at a national level. Not at county level either. Policy-makers have to step up. County councils and biodiversity officers should be leading the way. Linked up solutions can be engineered, for example ensuring construction and wildlife restoration align on preventing further planting of cherry laurel. Garden centres could refuse to sell this.
I'm afraid that until this invasive - which has been recognised by all our environmental agencies as such - is fully legally restricted, alongside the likes of the rampant Rhododendron ponticum, we won't see change. People won't know. It will continue to be sold and planted. And it will continue to grow and grow and grow, and it will destroy our woodlands.
A beautiful day in a weird and complex world
I left that day feeling wrecked but happy. I'd chatted, snacked, had coffee, taken down a good few invasives, and seen the light pour back into the woodland trails... and I felt I'd found something meaningful and helpful to do that left me feeling... well, me!
I also know, I'll be joining more meitheals and volunteering days with the likes of Gaelic Woodland Project and the Native Woodland Trust.
References - I have linked lots above, but here's some more to explore if you're interested.
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