Fermanagh woodland gets new inhabitant
Hillview Community Woodland in County Fermanagh, cared for by the Woodland Trust, has a magnificent new inhabitant. Handsome and strong, the wood’s unusual addition is a huge, brown bear, weighing in at over one tonne and attracting the interest of locals and visitors alike. Whatever the season, he will be waiting to ‘greet’ you as you explore this quiet corner of nature.
The bear is in fact an artful sculpture, created out of oak by sculptor Owen Crawford. Our friend is a permanent fixture, representing the last of his kind, the Irish bear.
Bears roamed Ireland thousands of years ago; a time when the entire island was almost totally forested. The Irish bear – the brown bear – was of the same species as the North American grizzly, and as such could reach heights of over eight feet when standing on hind legs. Bones were found in Glenade, in nearby County Leitrim, in 1997 and at 3,000 years old are thought to be of the last bears to have lived in Ireland. The finding shows that bears lived on the island at the same time as humans; perhaps hunting and loss of habitat leading to their extinction.
Hillview Community Woodland in Enniskillen is one of 52 woods cared for by the Woodland Trust in Northern Ireland. Recent works, including the new sculpture, pathways and signage, were made possible thanks to the support of Fermanagh District Council, Landfill Communities Fund, and the Ulster Wildlife Trust.
Explore the natural beauty of Hillview and take time to stop and stare at the scenic views over Racecourse Lough. With a helping hand from local people, thousands of native trees have been planted, with alder and willow in the low lying wetland areas, and oak, ash and rowan gracing the drier grounds of the hillside. Aspen, cherry, and crab apple are just some of the favourites bringing the beauty of woodland to the doorstep of many. In years to come, while we cannot guarantee any sightings of bears, this woodland will provide a much-needed habitat for our precious wildlife.
To find out about Hillview and other Trust woods, visit www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/woods
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Notes to editors
For media enquiries contact:
Kaye Coates at the Woodland Trust’s Bangor Office on 028 9127 5787; email kayecoates@woodlandtrust.org.uk or
The Woodland Trust Press Office on 01476 581121; e-mail media@woodlandtrust.org.uk
Discovery in County Leitrim: Find out more at the BBC website http://www.bbc.co.uk/blueprint/media/glenade.shtml
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.woodlandtrust.org.uk
Here in Northern Ireland the Woodland Trust cares for 52 woods. These woods contain a mix of recently planted woodland, mature woodland and ancient woodland (that’s land continuously wooded since at least 1600). We have recently produced the first-ever comprehensive record of Northern Ireland’s ancient woodland; find out more at www.backonthemap.org.uk
