Hi °C | Lo °C The Ulster Wildlife Trust is searching for volunteers this weekend to help cut trees to boost vital woodland.
The hazel coppicing event at Glenarm Estate is being held on Sunday to mark International Volunteer Day.
Coppicing is the oldest form of woodland management and volunteers are invited to come along between 10am and 3.45pm to gain experience in the traditional woodland skill.
A craftsman will also be on hand to demonstrate how coppiced products are used in the making of charcoal, furniture, woodturning and fencing.
The event- suitable for over 16s only- is supported by the Big Lottery fund through the BBC Breathing Places initiative.
Situated in the Glens of Antrim, Glenarm Nature Reserve contains flower-rich wet meadows, oak woodland, and coppiced hazel wood. The wooded banks of the Glenarm River provide shelter for red squirrels, otters and kingfishers, and a carpet of wildflowers adorns the forest floor in springtime.
Stewart Glass, nature reserves Officer for the Ulster Wildlife Trust, said: "Coppicing increases the amount of light reaching the woodland floor and results in a flush of bluebells, primroses and other woodland flowers the following year, including the very rare wood cranesbill, which only occurs in three sites in Northern Ireland, including Glenarm."
The newly-formed Glenarm Wildlife Group is helping the UWT in the practical and monitoring aspects of looking after its reserves. These form part of a suite of 20 nature reserves throughout Northern Ireland, all of them reliant on the support and enthusiasm of volunteers.
For further information or to book a place please contact the Ulster Wildlife Trust on 4483 0282 or email events@ulster wildlifetrust.org.
