Joe Mahon and Diarmuid Gavin launch Biodiversity Action Plan

The initiative aims to safeguard and enhance the region's biodiversity in the face of climate change and its associated challenges.

The plan highlights local priority habitats and species and outlines the necessary actions to ensure their ongoing protection and improvement for future generations. It explains that through partnership-working and local actions, everyone can make a difference.

Ald Ross stated: “The pandemic has provided us with an opportunity to revisit our relationship with nature and rebuild a more environmentally responsible world. Nature has proven to be a source of solace for many in terms of their mental health and wellbeing.”

Joe Mahon said: “The council has already been actively collaborating with many partners to address the pressing issue of the 'nature crisis' at a local level. As someone who has personally experienced the significance of biodiversity in this borough, I can attest to its importance.

“I’d encourage more people to become closer to nature, connect with wildlife, and take simple steps such as planting wildflower seeds in a window box or participating in local community projects. By working together, we can create a more sustainable future for ourselves and our local environment.”

Diarmuid Gavin added: “We need to change the way we garden, without soil health, without plant health we only have superficial health.

“We must look after the whole ecosystem and that starts with our gardens and green spaces, we’re not just gardening for ourselves. I’m delighted people are getting the message, councils are making changes and people are understanding that simple wildflowers are open to bees to collect pollen.

"If we don’t want sterile environments where no bird sings and no trees exist, we need to look after the environments around us. The satisfaction in seeing new growth, new energy, new life, is the magic of nature.”

The council will work with its key partners to deliver the five-year plan across its wetlands, woodlands, grasslands, peatlands, coastal and urban areas. A series of events will be delivered to provide opportunities for communities to engage in and enhance the environment for biodiversity. These can be viewed on antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk/events

A copy of the plan is available here.