How to get on the ‘right side’ of the outside this Spring

Northern Ireland’s outdoor areas and scenic spots have experienced an unprecedented growth in visitor numbers since the COVID-19 pandemic began - and nowhere more so than the north coast.
By Una Culkin
Published 31st Mar 2021, 09:30 BST
Updated 31st Mar 2021, 14:32 BST
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Whilst this interest in the outdoors is welcomed, it has generated significant issues that are disrupting natural beauty spots, such as littering, dog waste, irresponsible car parking, livestock worrying, disturbance to wildlife, overcrowding, plus the damage which can be caused from wild camping and wildfires.

Eager to address these issues, WalkNI, has launched a nationwide campaign ‘The Right Side of Outside’ aimed at generating awareness of these concerns and instilling more positive behaviours, that will ultimately ease some of the main implications now at play in many of the popular outdoor spots.

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The campaign is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and is being driven by a wider group of organisations currently being affected by these issues including the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, Ulster Farmers Union among others.

‘The Right Side of Outside’ campaign will roll out over the coming weeks, with the first campaign message focusing on littering . The main message is to bring your litter home. Some outdoor spots don’t have bins and if they do, bins can quickly overfill.

To find out more about the campaign or discover tips to help you make the right choices outdoors, visit www.walkni.com or search #RightSideofOutside.