04 Jul 2006

 

More from: Veronica Heywood, at 01 - 2803204.

 

The recently launched "Friends of Booterstown" warmly welcome the agreement reached between Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and An Taisce, and sanctioned by the Wildlife Service, that will see surplus soil from the current excavations on the Rock Road used to provide needed roosting spaces for birds in the Booterstown Nature Reserve.

 

The success of the recent increase in sea water flow to oxygenate the sediment has seen a vast increase in the number of birds using the Reserve, particularly when the winter migrants are here, and roosting and refuge space was running out. The soil will be used to form two low artificial islands which will also allow much better views of the birds to be obtained. They will also offer increased suitable habitat for the rare plant Puccinellia fasciculta, and will, hopefully even allow more resident birds to nest once the vegetation has become established.

 

This is an excellent example of fruitful cooperation between the Local Authority and the Conservation Organisation.