Council encourages residents to become environmental heroes!
28th January 2022
Fermanagh and Omagh District Council in partnership with the Lough Erne Landscape Partnership are encouraging everyone across the district to become an ‘Environmental Hero’! The Council hosting two free volunteers events in February to raise awareness of invasive alien species within your community.
An invasive alien species is any non-native animal or plant which can spread and cause damage to local biodiversity, the economy and health. Purple Rhododendron (Rhododendron ponticum) and Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) are garden plants which are classified as invasive alien species.
The volunteer events will take place on 24 and 26 February 2022 from 10am to 1pm at Castle Archdale Country Park and will focus on Rhododendron and Laurel Control. Led by a team from the Conservation Volunteers, the events will provide volunteers with the opportunity to learn about invasive alien species and how to control them on their land. While both events are suitable for anyone, they may be of particular interest to landowners and environmental enthusiasts, so why not register to attend and become an Environmental Hero!
As part of the Fermanagh and Omagh Community Plan 2030, the Council is committed to ensuring our outstanding and culturally rich environment is cherished, sustainably managed and appropriately accessible and these events contribute to the achievement of this outcome. They also enable the Council to deliver on three of the aims within the it’s Draft Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2022-2027 – to protect and enhance biodiversity on Council managed estate, increase awareness and action for local biodiversity in the District and work in partnership with others to deliver biodiversity action in the District. The Draft Strategy and Action Plan is currently out for consultation and you can have you say by visiting the Consultations section of our website (www.fermanaghomagh.com).
The events are part of the ‘Aliens on the Lough’ project, supported by the Lough Erne Landscape Partnership and funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which aims to raise awareness and increase action on invasive alien species locally.
The events will be taking place outdoors and on uneven ground, therefore, appropriate clothing (capes optional for Environmental Heroes!) and footwear should be worn.
Places are limited, therefore, early booking is recommended. To register or for further information, email biodiversity@fermanaghomagh.com or telephone 0300 303 1777.