The Woodland Bank
Permanent native woodland. Held in trust. Growing forever.
What Is the Woodland Bank?
The Woodland Bank is permanent native Irish woodland held in freehold by the NeighbourWood Stewardship Trust (NST) — an independent company limited by guarantee with an irrevocable asset lock and conservation covenant.
This land can never be sold, developed, or converted. It grows. It restores. It thrives. Forever.
How It Works
The Woodland Bank is established on agricultural land, typically 5–20km from the residential sites it serves. NST acquires the land and plants native Irish woodland — oak, birch, Scots pine, rowan, holly, hazel, alder, and willow — following national guidelines and best practices for native woodland establishment.
Three Funding Sources
Government Grants
DAFM afforestation grants at establishment
Stewardship Fee
€850/home/year from homeowners — ongoing, permanent
Credit License Fee
10% of net environmental credit proceeds from NWC
What It Generates
Over decades, the Woodland Bank generates measurable environmental value:
🌲 Carbon Sequestration
Native Irish woodland sequesters approximately 7.1 tonnes CO₂/ha/year at maturity. A 20-hectare Woodland Bank sequesters 140+ tonnes annually.
🦎 Biodiversity Uplift
Conversion from agricultural land to native woodland creates verified biodiversity net gain — measurable, third-party audited, and linked to each home.
💧 Water Quality
Native woodland naturally filters water, reduces runoff, and protects catchment areas — benefits shared by the surrounding community.
The environmental value generates credits over time which are monetized to support ongoing woodland stewardship and reduce costs for future NeighbourWood homes.
Your Connection to the Woodland
Every homeowner has a permanent, legally-protected connection to the Woodland Bank:
- Dedicated access — the woodland is yours to visit, walk, explore
- Allocated section — a specific area linked to your home, creating personal connection
- Seasonal programming — guided walks, wildlife surveys, community planting days
- Documented outcomes — carbon and biodiversity outcomes measured and reported to you
- Stewardship Dividend — as environmental credit revenue matures, homeowners may benefit
Your children will walk through woodland that exists because your home exists.
The Trust
The NeighbourWood Stewardship Trust (NST) is independent of NWC. It has an irrevocable asset lock — the woodland cannot be sold, even if NWC ceases to exist. The trust is governed for the permanent benefit of the woodland and the communities it serves.
NWC holds a 99-year exclusive license to environmental credit rights on the Woodland Bank land. NWC pays NST a 10% license fee on net credit proceeds, creating aligned incentives: NWC succeeds when the woodland succeeds.
Join the Woodland
Register Your Interest
We're building Ireland's first net-zero woodland community in the Dublin commuter belt. Register to receive updates, priority access, and an invitation to visit.