£5,400 for batty project

The park was among 19 environmental charities to share a total of £125,000 from the Agency to carry out projects between now and the end of March next year.

The programmeis being funded by efficiency savings within NIEA.

Karen Healy, Environmental Officer, Creggan Country Park, said: “We are delighted to receive £5,400 from the NIEA Challenge Fund for our ongoing bat project. Creggan Country Park is the North West base for the Northern Ireland Bat Group; from here we deliver talks and events to community groups and schools and during spring/summer months we launch a free helpline for people who find grounded bats. “This project will allow us to deliver planting workshops to show people how to encourage bats to their garden by providing food sources for them. We will be working with Biodiversity Officers across Northern Ireland to deliver an event in each council area between January and March 2013.

“The public will then be invited to submit a photograph of their new bat friendly garden to our competition; there are lots of prizes to be won in each council area. We hope that through this project, people will recognise just how important bats are to biodiversity and our own wellbeing,” she said.

To become a volunteer for this project or for more information, contact us on 02871 363133 or visit www.creggancountrypark.com