Buncrana Tidy Towns and Wild Inishowen kicked off their annual tree planting season last weekend at Dunree Fort as part of an all-island initiative.
The Trees on the Land project encourages groups to plant young native trees in their localities that will grow for many years and provide valuable resources, beneficial ecosystem services and a lasting legacy for future generations.
Following Saturday’s event, Buncrana Tidy Towns Spokesperson Sinéad Ní Bhroin thanked the volunteers who had turned out on the cold blustery morning.
Wild Inishowen’s Com Grant handing out tree saplings for planting
Sinead said: “Over the last few years Wild Inishowen and Buncrana Tidy Towns have undertaken a significant tree planting project at Dunree Fort.
“Since 2017 we’ve also planted native trees along the Crana River to replace those lost in the floods of 2017, and at Cockhill.
“Saturday’s planting was part of the Trees on the Land cross-border initiative working to establish young native trees across the island of Ireland. Tree planting has taken place on over 3,000 sites across the island since the project was launched in 2013 and we are really proud to be part of this important environmental project.
“Trees play an important role in helping to fight climate change and will help Ireland meet its 2030 emissions reduction target. Native trees absorb and store carbon dioxide, guard against soil erosion and reduce the effects of flooding. Trees also attract wildlife and provide them with food and shelter.
“We have a number of tree planting projects to complete over the coming weeks. To find out more visit the Buncrana Tidy Towns and Wild Inishowen Facebook pages.
“We are really grateful to MEP Lynn Boylan for sponsoring our Dunree trees to offset her travel related carbon emissions.”