The Woodland Trust Northern Ireland and Loughs Agency have officially announced the launch of their new biodiversity project TREES, within the Foyle and Carlingford catchment areas.
The primary aim of the TREES project is to protect and restore vital habitats for wildlife in rivers and trees. The project uses a nature-friendly solution of planting trees and creating a network of pond and dam systems which are specifically designed to manage flooding, potential pollution and nutrient run off from farms which border vital river networks.
Ponds will be created on farmland, to hold an ample source of water which will provide a much-needed contingency, reducing the need for abstraction directly from the river. Ponds provide an additional benefit of retaining a water source on farms during periods of drought.
Areas of wet woodland are one of the most dynamic habitats and are important for a range of priority species, including salmon, otters, nesting birds, insects, bats, and amphibians. Biodiversity is a major focus for the project, with the planting of native trees sourced and grown in the UK and Ireland a priority to help ensure success. So far, over 24 schemes are underway with the TREES project which is on target to plant over 120,000 native broadleaf trees by the end of 2023.
With 8.7% tree cover in Northern Ireland and ancient woodland forming just 0.04% of that, the Woodland Trust works hard to create new woodland, and protect and restore our existing trees. The Faughan Valley has the largest concentration of fragmented ancient woodland in Northern Ireland and the Woodland Trust has been collaborating with the Loughs Agency to work with farmers whose land borders the River Faughan.
The new initiative will put the local farming community at its core, with involvement from the agricultural sector greatly encouraged to help deliver ecosystem services for the long-term benefit of rivers, habitats, environment, and nearby farms.
Further information on the TREES project can be found here.
More on:
Posted On: 11/03/2022