A visit to Killaloo Wood is a seasonal must
21 April 2008
Leave your winter blues behind in exchange for some uplifting spring blues. That’s the shimmering deep blue carpets of bluebells which transform our woodland floors during late April and May. Now is the time to step out and discover the beauty of our native woodland.
Those living in the L’Derry area needn’t go far to find their nearest bluebell wood. About six miles outside the city, in the beautiful valley of the River Faughan, is Killaloo Wood. Owned and managed by the Woodland Trust, this is one of the country’s rare and irreplaceable ancient1 woods. With centuries of history, carpets of woodland flowers and spectacular oaks, the wood is a natural treasure trove. Now, thanks to funding from the Faughan Valley Area Based Programme, visitors can explore and appreciate the full beauty of this quiet corner of nature.
A new network of pathways will lead you from the entrance, through the woodland and along the river’s edge. Picnic tables are discreetly in place and new seating provides resting places for visitors. Plant, bird and fungi surveys have been carried out and will ensure that the wood’s future management is in tune with the needs of hundreds of wildlife species.
In addition to our well-loved bluebell, keep a look out for some other woodland beauties. Plants such as wood anemone, wood sorrel and wild garlic adorn the ancient woodland; while birds include the sparrowhawk, jay and kingfisher. A purple hairstreak butterfly, one of the rarest butterflies in Northern Ireland and which is confined to oak woodland, has been spotted. And if you are really lucky, you might even come across the herd of wild goats that roam up and down the valley, feeding on grass and using the woodland as shelter.
Gregor Fulton, woodland officer with the Woodland Trust says: “Both Killaloo Wood and Oaks Wood, which is just a mile downstream, are well worth a visit. With the arrival of spring, the countryside has really come to life and now is the best time to explore these woods in their full seasonal glory.”
The survey work and improvements to the Woodland Trust’s Killaloo Wood and nearby Oaks Wood are supported by the Faughan Valley Area Based Programme, which is managed by RAPID and part funded by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development under the European Union Programme for Building Sustainable Prosperity and the Integrated Development Fund.
Please wear sensible outdoor clothing and stout footwear. Killaloo Wood can be accessed from the B74 Glenshane Road to Claudy. With a valley location, the walk is steep in parts. For further information visit www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/woods or telephone the Trust’s Bangor office on 028 9127 5787.
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Notes to editors
For media enquiries contact:
Kaye Coates at the Woodland Trust on 028 9127 5787 or
The Woodland Trust Press Office on 01476 581121, e-mail media@woodland-trust.org.uk
1 Ancient woodland is land continuously wooded since at least 1600. To find out more visit www.backonthemap.org.uk
The Woodland Trust: The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity. It has 300,000 members and supporters. The Trust has four key aims: i) No further loss of ancient woodland; ii) Restoring and improving the biodiversity of woods; iii) Increasing new native woodland; iv) Increasing people’s understanding and enjoyment of woodland.
Established in 1972, the Woodland Trust now has over 1,000 sites in its care covering approximately 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres). Access to its sites is free. Further news can be found at www.woodland-trust.org.uk
Here in Northern Ireland the Woodland Trust cares for 52 woods. These woods contain a mix of newly created community woodland, mature woodland and ancient woodland (land continuously wooded since 1600). We have also produced the first comprehensive record of ancient woodland in Northern Ireland.
