Omagh Wildlife Gets Lottery Boost

An environmental project to improve the health and well being of people in the village of Loughmacrory in Omagh is today sharing in a grants windfall from the Big Lottery Fund.

Loughmacrory Community Development Association has been awarded a grant of £10,000 from the Big Lottery Fund's Community Wildlife programme, which aims to bring communities together to improve or protect the natural environment by raising awareness of threatened wildlife or places.

The group, which works to improve the rural village of Loughmacrory, will use the funding to improve the local Lough area and increase the wildlife and flowers there.

The association's 'Loughmacrory Alive' project will create small islands to attract wildlife, plant hundreds of new trees, monitor wildlife and produce an informative leaflet for visitors to the beauty spot. It will also train members of the local community to help manage the natural environment.

Kevin McElduff, Chairperson of Loughmacrory Community Development Association, explained that the project will not only enhance the beauty of the lough, but will also aim to improve the mental and physical health of local people.

"The community will benefit as they will be encouraged to go for walks around the lough which will be good for their health and will also educate them on the various plants and wildlife living there," said Kevin.

"The project will hopefully also get them interested in their own area and encourage them to help look after it.

"Loughmacrory Alive will see 200 old Spruce trees being removed and replaced by up to 400 native trees. We need to remove these old trees because the acid released by their pine needles falling into the lough are not good for the fish and other water life. We are planting wild flowers around the bases of the new trees to encourage wild life."

He continued: "In an effort to attract swans and mallards to return to the area we are also creating small islands in the middle of the lough where they will hopefully nest - these will resemble floating pontoons.

"The project will monitor wildlife, including bats, moths and butterflies and this will be used to offer educational viewing events to local people and schoolchildren.

"We hung some bat boxes last year and already they are filled with bats hanging upside down inside which the children really enjoy seeing," he said.

A leaflet depicting a map detailing specific beauty spots and wildlife which can be found around the lough will also be produced with the funding. And professional training will be provided so members of the community can help maintain the natural beauty spot.

"We are trying to get the wider community involved with enhancing and maintaining this area, as well as improving its wildlife. In August this year 3,774 people visited the lough and this is testament to the many people who appreciate its beauty,” added Kevin."

Frank Hewitt, Big Lottery Fund NI Chair, said: "The Community Wildlife Lottery grants will make a real impact on improving local rural and urban environments across the UK through the protection of habitats and threatened wildlife.

"I am delighted to see Community Wildlife encouraging people of all ages and backgrounds to get active and learn about nature."

(BMcC/GK)