> 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.