Interview with Tina Mulcahy: co-director of The 100 Million Trees Project

In 1981, Tina left Ireland to embark on her new career at the Council of Europe. The Council of Europe is a 46-member state international organisation based in Strasbourg, France, whose goal is to uphold human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe. 

Tina has held various positions over the years and developed competencies in the fields of administration, I.T., staff representation, protocol, budget and finance. From 2001-2004, she worked in the Private Office of the Secretary General of the organisation as an advisor on matters relating to administration, protocol, relations with staff representatives, internal audits and Human Resources.

Tina became the Executive Director of the Strasbourg European Youth Centre within the Youth Department in September 2004. In December 2020, she retired from the Council of Europe. 

Since January 2024, Tina has been involved in the administration of The 100 Million Trees Project, thereby contributing in a practical way towards tackling the climate crisis and creating a positive impact on the environment.

STAND News contributor, Lucy, sat down with Tina for an interview to find out more about The 100 Million Trees project. 

Lucy: Hi Tina, first of all, could you explain what The 100 Million Trees project is? 

Tina: The 100 Million Trees Project uses the “Miyawaki” concept of high intensity planting of native trees on small sites (typically a quarter acre for 2,500 native trees of 15 different native varieties).  The aim of the project is to repopulate as much as possible the island of Ireland with native Irish trees by planting these mini-forests. Thanks to our sponsors, we can cover the cost of the trees and the planters for the creation of the mini-forests. The landowner just needs to prepare the land for the plantation of the saplings.

Lucy: Can you explain how this project started and how it has evolved over the years? 

Tina: Despite Ireland being known as the green isle, it remains one of the least afforested countries in Europe (11.5% in 2022). Most of the trees are non-native conifers, planted for rapid growth, building potential, and financial gain. With the increasingly frightening statistics revolving around climate change, a product largely of human activity, my two brothers Richard, an active semi-retired businessman and David, an active semi-retired cardiologist, decided to set up this project in 2022. Our family of six siblings grew up with a father who was a tree lover so both have been planting trees most of their adult lives on their own land. Des Walsh, a successful Irish businessman in the USA and a family friend, who was conscious of his carbon footprint, offered a significant contribution to allow them set up the 100 Million Trees Project in 2022.  

The idea was simple. They would involve the population in the project. Anyone with a suitable piece of land available could take part. In 2022, thanks to Des, all the volunteers from the extended family and friends and the Wexford County Council who were very proactive in promoting the project, 18 sites totalling 20,400 Irish native trees were planted.  With the help of a web developer, a videographer, and a horticulturist, they were able to record all the issues that would enable them to become more professional for the following season.

Lucy: What made you want to join your brothers, Richard and David Mulcahy, in this project? 

Tina: In January 2024 one of the sites being planted (Glenstal Abbey, Limerick) was reported on the Irish national TV station. Suddenly, The 100 Million Trees Project’s website was inundated with requests coming from people all around the country wishing to join the project. The requests came from private individuals, farmers, county councils, corporates, schools, sports clubs, racecourses and different institutions. Throughout my 40-year career working in an international organisation, I had developed administrative skills and competencies that could come in handy to help them. I offered my services and haven’t looked back since then!  

Lucy: How is the project funded? 

Tina: The second season (November 2023-April 2024) was funded thanks to the generous contribution of Uniphar (a global partner to pharma, medtech and biotech, working to improve patient access to medicines in Europe and around the world). We were able to plant 88 sites with a total of 201,750 Irish native trees. For the next season (November 2024-April 2025) we continue to have Uniphar’s support, and another major institution will also come on board as a sponsor. This sponsorship will allow us to plant a further 550,000 Irish native trees throughout the Island.

Lucy: What are the benefits of the Miyawaki method? 

Tina: The Miyawaki method, created by the Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, requires a small plot of land, and we are only planting quarter acre sites to avoid dealing with delays caused by regulatory issues (sites less than a quarter acre are not subject to licence or approval).  The trees are planted very densely (3-4 per square metre) and result in 10 times faster tree growth and 30 times denser forests. In contrast with traditional reforestation methods, which can take decades or even centuries to establish a mature forest ecosystem, the Miyawaki method can achieve comparable results in as little as 20 years.

Lucy: In what way is this project community-driven? 

Tina: We rely completely on individuals and other actors from within the community to take part in this project by dedicating some of their land to having a mini-forest. Without the population we can’t do anything.  

Lucy: Do you think that The 100 Million Trees Project will expand outside of Ireland? 

Tina: There are many other similar projects outside Ireland. The originality of our project is the high number of trees that we manage to plant and the fact that it is community driven and not business driven. Over and above all the volunteers who join us in helping the project be successful, we also have professional support from two Irish nurseries who provide the native trees, a professional forestry company who does the planting, a professional videographer, and a website provider, all who contribute towards the success of the project.

Lucy: What can people do to support this project? 

Tina: The beauty about this project is that anyone with a suitable piece of land can take part.   For readers of this article wishing to support the project, I would suggest that you speak about the project to those around you who might have land to plant a native Irish mini-forest. The 100 Million Trees Project pays for the trees and the planting. Preparation and fencing are the responsibility of the landowners. With these contributions, they will be leaving a legacy ahead of them and contributing to saving our beautiful planet from the threats posed by human-induced climate change.  

To find out more, visit: http://100milliontreesproject.ie