New funding 'will help protect wildlife'

16 January 2009 -

Those keen to experience some of the nature in Northern Ireland will be pleased to hear an anonymous donor has provided the Woodland Trust with £150,000 to purchase a site between Oaks Wood and Every Wood at Burntollet near Londonderry, known as Derry, the BBC reports.

As a result of the money, the organisation now plans to plant trees on the site to provide a buffer zone to protect the endangered red squirrel population there.

By creating the new area, the body claims the woods will be protected for years to come, benefiting local people and those travelling to see examples of nature in Northern Ireland.

Gregor Fulton, from the Woodland Trust, told the news provider it is a welcome boost for the animals and for those working to protect them.

"Fauna like red squirrel will now have a larger area to inhabit and will move into the new woods straight away. Flora is a different matter, it can take centuries to encroach into a new area, but now we've got centuries," he said.

In other news, Strictly Come Dancing star Vincent Simone recently told the Belfast Telegraph that Londonderry, also known as Derry, is a "lovely city".