Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council begin to plant sustainable native nusery thanks to a grant from the Woodland Trust

The Woodland Trust has delivered a major boost for communities across Northern Ireland by providing much needed grant funding to help councils, including Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council, tackle climate change

By Julie-Ann Spence

Published 5th Oct 2022, 12:40 BST

Updated 5th Oct 2022, 12:40 BST

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Earlier this year, Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council secured £299,999 from the Trust’s Emergency Tree Fund. Their plans to establish a sustainable native tree nursery are already underway with over 250,000 seeds already sown.

The council will establish a tree planting community outreach initiative to connect 16 fragmented habitats and communities along the Lagan Valley.

There are plans to increase tree cover through a woodland creation program, to map ancient woodland and restore ancient woodland through invasive species removal.

Lisburn and Hillsborough are a blooming success

Dr Darren Moorcroft, the Woodland Trust’s Chief Executive, said this funding will help local authorities overcome barriers which prevent them from taking action, through using trees and woods, to help address the twin threats of climate change and biodiversity loss.

Castlereagh City Council Woodland Trust Lisburn Northern Ireland