Project Title Organisation Council Area Project Description Education and awareness of invasive alien species is now being raised in a new digital marketing campaign. Under the #AlienInvaders Lough Neagh information can be found on the ecological #AlienInvaders Multiple Partnership damage caused by these species. In addition to this an animated advertising campaign will be produced to raise awareness of how to tackle these natural invaders. This project will deliver a comprehensive 'Nature Aware' education programme using the varied and diverse nature of the Drumnaph Nature ‘Nature Aware’ Carntogher Reserve. An existing farm building is to be Education Community Magherafelt refurbished to deliver a sheltered activity area Programme Association together with a portable cruck frame marquee which can be used at various locations on the Nature Reserve. Within their new therapeutic sensory garden the pupils Mill Strand Primary School will have a safe outdoor space for environmental education. The children will be encouraged to explore the sensory garden through touch, smell, and taste and are able to learn about the wildlife they can see and hear. In addition to this they have ‘Nature Makes Mill Strand recycled materials to make wind chimes and the Sense’ – A Sensory Integrated Primary garden is to be fertilised with locally sourced Garden School Coleraine seaweed. This project provides a much needed new roof for the old Lighthouse Keepers cottage on Copeland Island. The cottage which comprises several dormitories and a kitchen is the central hub on the island, accommodating volunteers carrying A roof over their Copeland Bird North Down out important observatory and conservation heads Observatory work, visiting university researchers and habitat management teams. The new roof also provides the facility with rainwater harvesting which adds to the islands sustainable operations. Carrickfergus Gasworks Preservation Society have an exceptional collection of maps and drawings Carrickfergus of old gasworks across Northern Ireland. The ACCORDING TO Gasworks collection will now be digitised and made Carrickfergus PLAN! Preservation available online while also preserving the original Society documents for safekeeping. To celebrate this a commemorative booklet will be put together outlining the results of the project. Adopt a Spot engages groups across Northern Ireland in a contractual adoption scheme to carry out 4 litter picks per year in their area with the focus this year being on green spaces and urban Keep Northern areas. Clean up kits are provided for all new Adopt a Spot NI WIDE Ireland Beautiful groups, and a top up of supplies provided for existing groups. Participants are also given the opportunity to receive an educational workshop from a range of organisations including RSPB, Forage Ireland and The Conservation Volunteers. Ar Nós na Gaoithe is Gaelic for as ‘Fast as the Wind’. The Common Swift is a familiar summer visitor often seen flying at great speed around our towns and cities uttering its characteristic screaming calls. This project engages school children in a swift conservation campaign, educating local shop owners about the importance of this bird in Ballycastle. Nest boxes Ar nós na Gaoithe - Advocacy and have also been erected to tackle the decline in the bird population. Conservation Action Gaelscoil an Chaistil Moyle The restoration of wetlands is important for the sustainability of the water cycle. This project is located at one of Northern Ireland's most important sites for nature conservation. Restoration work including the installation of 160 Ballynahone Bog Ulster Wildlife Magherafelt dams has been undertaken to move Ballynahone Bog towards favourable conservation status. An ammonia monitoring programme has also been commissioned to provide an early warning system to protect this habitat. For the last decade the Belfast Hills Partnership has built a wide range of relationships with statutory agencies, land managers, farmers, and community groups. Working with key partners, an integrated management plan is under development which will enable a landscape scale approach to the conservation and management of the Belfast Hills. The action plan will guide new Belfast Hills ways of working to manage the hills for climate Integrated change, local biodiversity, and natural capital and Management Belfast Hills as an indicator for local and regional Project Partnership Belfast development For many years Royal Academy pupils have been participating in litter picks as part of the Duke of Edinburgh scheme. The NGO Challenge Fund supported 155 participants to participate in the 25th Annual Mournes Clean-up and Environment Day. 120 school pupils (Form 3 to Middle 6) and Belfast Royal Belfast Royal 35 adult volunteers collected approximately 5 Academy, Academy, The Duke tonnes of rubbish from 13 locations across the Mournes' Clean-up of Edinburghs Newry And Mourne Mountains. Project Award Mourne, Down ORNI is seeking to develop 8km of walking and family cycling trails, a Nature Play space and Fermanagh camping facilities at Benburb Priory. The NGO Benburb Priory Outdoor Recreation and South Challenge Fund supports the macro and micro Trail Design NI Tyrone trail design including consultation with key stakeholders, as the first key step to delivering these facilities at Benburb. Building on the success of the Bluebell walk project, Benburb District Community Association are working in partnership with Alliance Youth Benburb District Dungannon Works to enhance access to the adjoining Benburb Wild Community and South woodland. A group of volunteers with learning Walks Association Tyrone difficulties are developing two looped walks through the forest together with interpretation panels which provide key information on local biodiversity. The Eco-Schools club are erecting bird boxes, constructing bird and insect hotels, planting hedgerows and sowing wildflowers. The pond is also to be rejuvenated. In order to instil the value Benefitting of recycling a trip has been organised to a local Biodiversity and landfill site from which the children will develop a the School presentation which they will deliver to the Community Omagh Academy Omagh school. Construction work for a new school facility at St Colman's resulted in the loss of some of the established features on site. The NGO Challenge Fund will enable the pupils to reinstate the Beyond the wildlife pond, and develop a new hill-side Classroom- classroom, vegetable patch, composting area, Exploring our St Colman’s Primary wildflower meadow, bug accommodation and a Surroundings School, Lambeg Lisburn mini beast trail. An outdoor environmental hub is being created by Gortnagahey Community Association to raise awareness of environmental issues and to contribute to local biodiversity. New wildlife zones are being developed including a wildflower Gortnaghey Biodiversity meadow, bird and bat boxes and bird feeders. Community Limavady Enhancement Working with the local Biodiversity Officer to Association deliver a range of nature workshops, the Association are using gardening to promote physical activity, reconnecting people with the outdoors and thus promoting a sense of local ownership and pride. The BEAK project is designed to reach out to teachers and children to encourage them to monitor and report the bird population in thirty local areas. Working with the RSPB, the Speedwell Trust will work with almost 1000 school children to deliver a range of workshops Bird Education and including teacher training in bird identification Action and Dungannon & and training for pupils to participate in species Knowledge (BEAK) SPEEDWELL TRUST South Tyrone recording such as the nationwide Big Bird Watch. Volunteers have delivered a range of practical environmental projects along the River Blackwater and Sliabh Beagh. A new aerator insures that the hatchery in Armagh can maintain Blackwater Dungannon water oxygen levels as part of their brown trout River Blackwater Wildlife and South breeding programme. A red grouse count will be Catchment Trust Volunteers Tyrone undertaken at Sliabh Beagh and five hectares of invasive species will be cleared. Meanwhile in Moy new swift boxes are being erected and the nesting birds in the village square can be monitored. Working in partnership with the local council, Bush Primary School are developing a biodiversity rich outdoor classroom. The new insect tower complete with log pile will encourage new bugs while the pollinators paradise encourages butterflies and bees to visit. Bird boxes and feeders encourage the children to learn about Bringing Dungannon native garden birds and a small orchard complete Biodiversity to the Bush Primary and South with a range of fruit trees and soft fruit bushes Bush School Tyrone adds an edible element to the project. At this reconstructed Bronze Age settlement visitors will have the opportunity to view replica wattle and daub dwelling complete with an Bronze Age Mid Ulster animal enclosure and implements from that era. Settlement Enterprises Omagh The facility will be open to schools while the Reconstruction (Creggan) Ltd casual visitor will be informed by a range of interpretation. The site complements the numerous megalithic features of the area including Beaghmore Stone Circles. Campsie Residents Association are to transform a disused wasteland into a working community Campsie allotment. Working with volunteers and the ‘RIVERBEND’ Campsie Residents Youth Justice Agency, the group will plant fruit Omagh Community Association