Ballynahinch Backs Biodiversity!

Ballynahinch Backs Biodiversity!

Working with their lecturer Roisin Malone, a group of SERC Access students have formed an Eco Committee in the Ballynahinch campus and carried our some great environmental work in the local area this year!

Check out the long list!

1. Litter pick! The team have carried out a litter pick in the local area and campus grounds and are planning to utilise some of the rubbish they collected to create artwork! Watch this space! 

2. Boosting biodiversity! The team have converted some waste land owned by the campus into a wildlife hotspot! After clearing away litter and debris, they raked the ground and sowed wildflower seed. They chose the wildflowers carefully to cater to pollinators like bees and butterflies.

3. Tree planting! The team connected with the Mourne Heritage Trust who have committed to providing indigenous trees for the campus and have advised on where to site them. 

4. Plans for feeders! The Mourne Heritage Trust also provided some interesting information about the neighbours.... On land next to the campus, there is a healthy population of the elusive pine marten! The Trust advised the team on their diet and where they could place feeders (and potentially record some of their activity!) Pine martens are predators of grey squirrels, so supporting pine marten populations helps red squirrels thrive since the latter are negatively impacted by large numbers of greys. The team plan to use this information to also create feeding and habitat opportunities for red squirrels.

Well done for an excellent first year Ballynahinch Eco Committee! Congratulations to the elected Eco Officer Courtney Lyons for her fantastic leadership, as recognised at the College Excellence Awards 2022. And congratulations to Helen McFarlane, Georgia Bell and Roisin Malone for their pivotal roles in the work achieved this year! We can't wait to see the evolution of these projects next year!